During the project period more than 1200 companies from Lower Saxony were informed about the funding opportunities of the SME-Instrument via Info Mailings and Information Events. To highlight one activity to promote the SME Instrument: As part of the Opening Ceremony of the EEN brokerage event “Technology Cooperation Days” on HANNOVER MESSE 2017, Dr. Bernd Reichert held a speech on the SME Instrument funding opportunties for highly innovative SMEs.
About 80 Companies got detailed information and individual advice about the SME Instrument. From these 80 companies receiving individual advice and Information, twelve companies prepared and submitted a proposal for the SME-Instrument while receiving intensive support by the N-Supp Inno Consortium. Out of the eight submitted proposals four cases where selected for funding. (FlexBio GmbH, Qlex GmbH Inoq GmbH and Omnibot GmbH) which means that there is a deviation from the expected number of funded cases for the period of the NSupp_INNO-17 contract (seven were planned).
In 2017 and 2018 the consortium executed 54 EIMC services, six cases more than planned. The Enterprise Europe Network Innovation Management service was noticed and recognised in our region and within the host organisations. Cooperation with regional networks and stakeholders was strengthened.
As all Enterprise Europe Network Consortium partners in Niedersachsen offer COSME activities and EIMC services, there is a smooth and well rehearsed signposting, respectivly cooperation between staff working on EIMC and / or on COSME activities. This counts for advisery, marketing during events, public relations, cooperation with regional stakeholders and so on.
Direct impact is documented in the Merlin system. To summarise main impacts, these are: Securing or creation of working places, improvements of the innovation management structure and processes in the companies, helping to define and develop strategies in terms of digitalisation and business modell innovation. During the audits or as a follow-up of the audits and EIMC servivces we cooperated with regional stakeholders: regional public bodies, Innovation managers of the chambers of trade and industry, the Innovationszentrum Niedersachsen (
https://www.iz-nds.de/(öffnet in neuem Fenster)) and with new initiative www.mitunsdigital.de. Further impacts were the detection of new technologies and marktes, Integration of technology, marketing innovation.
