EEN Innovation services for Walloon SMEs 2017-2018

Project Information

KAMWAL 2.2

Grant agreement ID: 740106

DOI

10.3030/740106

Project closed

EC signature date 1 March 2017

Start date 1 January 2017

End date 31 December 2018

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 111 036,25

EU contribution

€ 111 036,25

Coordinated by

AGENCE WALLONNE A L EXPORTATION ET AUX INVESTISSEMENTS ETRANGERS
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - KAMWAL 2.2 (EEN Innovation services for Walloon SMEs 2017-2018)

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

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

"The main objective of the KAMWAL 2.2. project was to propose a professional coaching system for Walloon SMEs beneficiaries of H2020 SME Instrument, Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) and Future Emerging Technologies (FET) programme.
Through specialised advisors, KAMs for Key Account Managers, EEN Wallonia identified coaching needs associated to the SME and its project, associated coaches’ profiles to these needs and proposed these profiles to the company.
The objective of the coaching is to help the SME to realize its growth project under the best conditions and to increase the chances of success and then of positive impact on the health and wealth of the European economy.
Along this activity, the project aimed also to propose to relevant Walloon SMEs another service in order to help them to progress at the level of innovation management. The EIMC - Enhanced Innovation Management Capacity - is based on the use of on EC agreed and standardized tools used to assess the starting situation and then to draw action plans with the company and to help in their implementation. The provision of this service is also a way to identify potential candidates to the SME Instrument programme.
Regarding the context, establishing links with Cosme environment and especially providing ""basic"" EEN services is of particular interest.
"

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

For the “KAM” part, the KAMWAL 2.2 project allowed to take in charge 7 SME Instrument projects (6 in phase 1 and 1 in phase 2) and 6 Walloon companies according to the guidelines of the service.
For the “EIMC” service, for several reasons, both internal and linked to the evolution of SME support framework, unfortunately the involved partners did not succeed in establishing the service in Wallonia.
Activities were limited to testing a candidate supporting tool with some companies.

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)

In Wallonia, up to now, there exist a lot of funding mechanisms rum by public-like bodies. Thus, SME Instrument scheme as well as programmes like FTI or FET are not among the first choices of companies when looking for financial support. It follows that the number of new (successful) files remain quite low compared to neighbouring regions. But projects that come out of the selection process are held by companies really willing to grow. The KAM service has duly been activated for the 6 Walloon companies that have benefitted from SME Instrument programme.
The impact generated by the KAM service is difficult to evaluate precisely but it appears anyway to be of interest for the beneficiaries as attested by their positive feedbacks.
For the “EIMC” service part, as the service was not established at all, no impact was generated neither.
Walloon authorities have therefore decided to change the project organization for the next working periods.

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