Periodic Reporting for period 2 - DepoSIt (Development and testing of the European Innovation Audit tool for Social Innovation)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-03-01 bis 2022-02-28
DepoSIt Project objective was to develop and test a significantly improved Innovation Audit tool by applying so far modestly used methodology for the Policy experimentation – Randomised Control Trials (RCTs), providing in this way innovation support for the SME sector and allowing simultaneously direct impact assessment of the newly designed Innovation support scheme.
The improved Innovation Audit tool developed during the first reporting period combines the standard techniques for boosting the innovation capacities with additional measures for identification and fostering of Social Innovation potentials of SMEs.
The RCT policy experiment conducted to test a newly developed Social Innovation Audit tool for SMEs on a cohort of 72 companies in six EU countries was a valuable experience for the innovation agencies of the DepoSIt consortium. At the process level it was incredibly rich of lessons to be learnt and insights to reflect on how one’s own service portfolio can be evaluated for the sake of offering a support that really matches businesses demand in terms of innovation.
The improved Innovation Audit tool developed during the first reporting period combines the standard techniques for boosting the innovation capacities with additional measures for identification and fostering of Social Innovation potentials of SMEs.
The RCT policy experiment conducted to test a newly developed Social Innovation Audit tool for SMEs on a cohort of 72 companies in six EU countries was a valuable experience for the innovation agencies of the DepoSIt consortium. At the process level it was incredibly rich of lessons to be learnt and insights to reflect on how one’s own service portfolio can be evaluated for the sake of offering a support that really matches businesses demand in terms of innovation.
Activities in the different work packages are explained below.
- WP1 addresses the administrative and financial management of the project. Main progress achieved in this period concerns the continuous coordination and cooperation for the project, alongside with the day-to-day management, the set-up and organization of the internal project communication and implementation progress via monthly virtual meetings, quality check of results and in general the technical and financial monitoring and reporting.
- WP2: During the first twelve months of the Project implementation, the focus has been on the research and analysis of the existing innovation support schemes (used Innovation Audit tools) as well on the preparation and start of implementation of two types of the Policy dialog events – Cross Fertilisation WS and Business breakfast. In the last reporting period, there were only few activities left, including here the submission of two Social innovation documents providing a policy framework (D2.5 and D2.6). Deliverable D 2.5 provides guidelines for Innovation Agencies on how to foster the Policy dialogue among the relevant actors and how to process and further use the information collected during on-the-spot events, whereas the conclusions of D2.6 act as a blueprint in the context of a policy framework that was completed with information by the end of DepoSIt project.
- WP3, coordinated by ADRSM, focuses on the development of the improved Innovation Audit tool, including the Social Innovation dimension. During first implementation period, simultaneously with activities regarding the development of the Innovation Audit tool, in the frame of the WP3, the programme for the Twinning activities among the DepoSIt Partners has been discussed among the responsible partners. This programme was implemented with success during the second reporting period and revealed the importance to share practices among partners in order to improve and adapt their program. Twinnings have been a process that completed each other, where the sessions managed to cover different topics and complement each other.
- WP4: The activities for this WP were continuously implemented during the 2 reporting periods (the process started in the first period and the tratment activities of the RCT finished in the second reporting period). The second reporting period was marked by the end of the RCT process followed by thorough statistical analysis and close communication with NESTA, in order to overview the entire process and to guide towards correct outcomes and results. The RCT policy experiment conducted to test a newly developed Social Innovation Audit tool for SMEs on a cohort of 72 companies in six EU countries was a valuable experience for the innovation agencies of the DepoSIt consortium.
-WP5, coordinated by SEZ with the strong support of CCE, summarizes all tasks related to project communication, dissemination, exploitation and collaboration with other initiatives. Continuous and intense activities regarding the communication and dissemination were implemented during the second reporting period and were actualy intensified after the end of the RCT process, since partners could disseminate more information that could not affect the process. These activities included: the publication of newsletters, the project’s promotion through dedicated social media accounts (Facebook, twitter + LinkedIN) as well as the presentation of the project at (inter-)national events by all partners. All related KPIs were reached and exceeded and the exploitation of DepoSIt results will continue after the project duration due to the high number of Innovation Agencies involved (26), and also due to the post- project activities implemented by the coordinator (synergies with other projects, follow-up proposals with the partners, EEN networking, presentations within NESTA activities etc).
- WP6 concerns the ethical guidance of the project. The partners outlined in several deliverables how the project will ensure the protection of data from stakeholders collected within project, the appropriate consideration of ecological sustainability and biodiversity in all activities as well as the prevention of a potential misuse of project’s results against those.
- WP1 addresses the administrative and financial management of the project. Main progress achieved in this period concerns the continuous coordination and cooperation for the project, alongside with the day-to-day management, the set-up and organization of the internal project communication and implementation progress via monthly virtual meetings, quality check of results and in general the technical and financial monitoring and reporting.
- WP2: During the first twelve months of the Project implementation, the focus has been on the research and analysis of the existing innovation support schemes (used Innovation Audit tools) as well on the preparation and start of implementation of two types of the Policy dialog events – Cross Fertilisation WS and Business breakfast. In the last reporting period, there were only few activities left, including here the submission of two Social innovation documents providing a policy framework (D2.5 and D2.6). Deliverable D 2.5 provides guidelines for Innovation Agencies on how to foster the Policy dialogue among the relevant actors and how to process and further use the information collected during on-the-spot events, whereas the conclusions of D2.6 act as a blueprint in the context of a policy framework that was completed with information by the end of DepoSIt project.
- WP3, coordinated by ADRSM, focuses on the development of the improved Innovation Audit tool, including the Social Innovation dimension. During first implementation period, simultaneously with activities regarding the development of the Innovation Audit tool, in the frame of the WP3, the programme for the Twinning activities among the DepoSIt Partners has been discussed among the responsible partners. This programme was implemented with success during the second reporting period and revealed the importance to share practices among partners in order to improve and adapt their program. Twinnings have been a process that completed each other, where the sessions managed to cover different topics and complement each other.
- WP4: The activities for this WP were continuously implemented during the 2 reporting periods (the process started in the first period and the tratment activities of the RCT finished in the second reporting period). The second reporting period was marked by the end of the RCT process followed by thorough statistical analysis and close communication with NESTA, in order to overview the entire process and to guide towards correct outcomes and results. The RCT policy experiment conducted to test a newly developed Social Innovation Audit tool for SMEs on a cohort of 72 companies in six EU countries was a valuable experience for the innovation agencies of the DepoSIt consortium.
-WP5, coordinated by SEZ with the strong support of CCE, summarizes all tasks related to project communication, dissemination, exploitation and collaboration with other initiatives. Continuous and intense activities regarding the communication and dissemination were implemented during the second reporting period and were actualy intensified after the end of the RCT process, since partners could disseminate more information that could not affect the process. These activities included: the publication of newsletters, the project’s promotion through dedicated social media accounts (Facebook, twitter + LinkedIN) as well as the presentation of the project at (inter-)national events by all partners. All related KPIs were reached and exceeded and the exploitation of DepoSIt results will continue after the project duration due to the high number of Innovation Agencies involved (26), and also due to the post- project activities implemented by the coordinator (synergies with other projects, follow-up proposals with the partners, EEN networking, presentations within NESTA activities etc).
- WP6 concerns the ethical guidance of the project. The partners outlined in several deliverables how the project will ensure the protection of data from stakeholders collected within project, the appropriate consideration of ecological sustainability and biodiversity in all activities as well as the prevention of a potential misuse of project’s results against those.
The implemented activities in the first reporting period have a positive impact not only for the 6 countries involved through the partners in the project. The methodologies and concepts, the tools and the good practices transferred and disseminated at EU level through the policy dialogue (described in WP2) and other communication and dissemination activities support the emergence of ideas of radical innovation by working in groups made up of people of scientific, technical and social culture.
The development of the new Innovation Audit tool brings the Social innovation concept closer to both SMEs and Innovation Agencies. In this new COVID-19 pandemic situation, when social aspects are getting more attention, companies also need to add to their innovation strategies important social aspects, no matter the industry or profile.
The activities carried on during the second reporting period and beyond the implementation of the project have a positive impact not only for the 6 partners of DepoSIt. The methodologies and concepts, the tools and the good practices transferred and disseminated at regional and EU level through the treatment activities (innovation audits) and workshops (WP 4) and other communication and dissemination activities (WP5) support the emergence of ideas of radical innovation by working in groups made up of specialists in the selected smart specialisation topics and experts in social innovation.
The treatment activities with innovation audits offer proactive and on-demand support to the involved SMEs towards innovation dialogue. In the end of the process, the partners prepared a set of recommendations that will be used by the innovation agencies to reduce the gap between them and SMEs, improving as such the services offered and the entire innovation ecosystem. A significant part of the project impact was exceeded by involving not 18, but 26 Innovation Agencies in the regional workshops where partners presented a strong methodology for new innovation schemes and also the tested DepoSIt innovation audit tool.
The development of the new Innovation Audit tool brings the Social innovation concept closer to both SMEs and Innovation Agencies. In this new COVID-19 pandemic situation, when social aspects are getting more attention, companies also need to add to their innovation strategies important social aspects, no matter the industry or profile.
The activities carried on during the second reporting period and beyond the implementation of the project have a positive impact not only for the 6 partners of DepoSIt. The methodologies and concepts, the tools and the good practices transferred and disseminated at regional and EU level through the treatment activities (innovation audits) and workshops (WP 4) and other communication and dissemination activities (WP5) support the emergence of ideas of radical innovation by working in groups made up of specialists in the selected smart specialisation topics and experts in social innovation.
The treatment activities with innovation audits offer proactive and on-demand support to the involved SMEs towards innovation dialogue. In the end of the process, the partners prepared a set of recommendations that will be used by the innovation agencies to reduce the gap between them and SMEs, improving as such the services offered and the entire innovation ecosystem. A significant part of the project impact was exceeded by involving not 18, but 26 Innovation Agencies in the regional workshops where partners presented a strong methodology for new innovation schemes and also the tested DepoSIt innovation audit tool.