Establishing services enhancing the innovation management capacity of SME's in the Enterprise Europe Network

Project Information

ICEKAM-3

Grant agreement ID: 738428

DOI

10.3030/738428

Project closed

EC signature date 22 March 2017

Start date 1 January 2017

End date 31 December 2018

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 31 625,00

EU contribution

€ 31 625,00

Coordinated by

NYSKOPUNARMIDSTOD ISLANDS
Iceland

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ICEKAM-3 (Establishing services enhancing the innovation management capacity of SME's in the EnterpriseEurope Network)

Reporting period: 2017-01-01 to 2018-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The Key Account Managers (KAMs) in Iceland have ensured the activities performance through regular contact with the main contact person within the SME receiving the services offered, and the selected coach. In addition, the KAMs have great communication with the relevant EASME project officers, and the EASME coaching managers if needed.
Enterprise Europe Network Iceland has always introduced EEN services where significant support activities relevant to the SME and the EEN customer journey, concept with all its benefits, has been presented to the SMEs.
Original objective was to offer Key Account Management (KAM) services to at least six Icelandic SMEs that were SME instrument beneficiaries in Phase I and Phase II. Second objective was to select four promising Icelandic SMEs capable of growth and successful internationalisation that would receive Entrepreneurial Innovation Management Capacity (EIMC) services. In total 47 SMEs received KAM services in Iceland during this project between 2017-2018, no EIMC services were offered to SMEs.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

There has been a very high success rate of Icelandic SMEs in the SME Instruments scheme and the final number of KAM cases were 47 (41 phase I and 6 phase II). Due to the high workload within KAM services and the fact that the grant agreement only anticipated the work to be 3.6 person months during the two year contract, there was no opportunity to offer any formal EIMC services. However, many of the SMEs receiving KAM services went through the Innovation Health Check and received a report with suggestions for improvement, and offered continued EEN services.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The impact of the project for the SMEs participating is very important, in phase I it has given them the opportunity to explore the feasibility of their technical- and market potential. In phase II they get the opportunity to complete the project and increase the SMEs business potential in an ever more competitive world. The SMEs success that is supported by the SME Instruments grants, and championed by highly qualified Key Account Managers and selected business coaches, leads to an impact for the whole economy. The SMEs are working in many different technical sectors and will bring a variety of valuable impact in the markets, creating new jobs and providing innovative solutions that can have a positive socio-economic impact in areas such as health, environment and sustainability.

Call topics spread 2017