Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EEN OUEST H2020 (Entreprise Europe Ouest H2020)
Reporting period: 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31
The SGA 2019 of Enterprise Europe Ouest project relies on a 7 year-strategy 2015-2021, based on a simple fact: SMEs are the backbone of the European economy as they support 2/3 of the employment. Their competitiveness is increasingly dependent on their capacity to innovate (develop new products or services, adapt to new processes or business models…) and to reach new markets, in Europe and beyond.
In order to exploit all these development opportunities, businesses need to find the relevant and efficient support services that Enterprise Europe Network can deliver.
In Western France, the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Bretagne and Pays de la Loire, in partnership with the regional agency, BDI have decided to propose a comprehensive scope of services meeting SMEs’ needs. The latter are split in 7 workpackages :
- 4 WPs are “service” activities : information and advice actions / matchmaking activities in order to develop commercial and technological partnerships / feedback activities for the European Commission /H2020 innovation services (enhancing innovation capacity and key account management for the beneficiary of the SME instrument)
- The other 3 WPs are “support” activities : promotion of the network in order to gain visibility / Networking activities / and management of the project.
WP4 is a central part of the EEN Ouest implementation strategy, linked to WP1 Advisory services, but also to WP5 on the promotion side. EEN has to demonstrate its ability to address innovation strategies and internationalization strategies. Until now innovation services were limited to partnering and IPR : now EEN staff can value expertise in innovation management thanks to the H2020 initiative.
Since 2015, 123 cases have been addressed: 21 KAM and 102 EIMC. In 2019, 8 KAM and 26 EIMC service packages have been tackled. Among them 1 KAM is still opened and 11 EIMCs.
Although it is rather difficult to measure real impact of the KAM/EIMC initiatives, the qualitative results are very satisfactory.
Concerning KAM, the EEN intermediary has been proved very useful to choose coaches and make sure that the coaching was launched. A company was unable to benefit from coaching following its liquidation (Mensia Technologie).
For EIMC, the impact is more indirect. Most beneficiaries clearly expressed a good satisfaction as far as the diagnosis and the action plans were concerned. However, some of them find it very difficult to devote time to the proposed actions. This is due to the fact that the EIMC initiative questions “processes”, organizations, strategies … in the mid and long term. Contrary to usual advisory services that are linked to specific projects in the short term.
In order to exploit all these development opportunities, businesses need to find the relevant and efficient support services that Enterprise Europe Network can deliver.
In Western France, the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Bretagne and Pays de la Loire, in partnership with the regional agency, BDI have decided to propose a comprehensive scope of services meeting SMEs’ needs. The latter are split in 7 workpackages :
- 4 WPs are “service” activities : information and advice actions / matchmaking activities in order to develop commercial and technological partnerships / feedback activities for the European Commission /H2020 innovation services (enhancing innovation capacity and key account management for the beneficiary of the SME instrument)
- The other 3 WPs are “support” activities : promotion of the network in order to gain visibility / Networking activities / and management of the project.
WP4 is a central part of the EEN Ouest implementation strategy, linked to WP1 Advisory services, but also to WP5 on the promotion side. EEN has to demonstrate its ability to address innovation strategies and internationalization strategies. Until now innovation services were limited to partnering and IPR : now EEN staff can value expertise in innovation management thanks to the H2020 initiative.
Since 2015, 123 cases have been addressed: 21 KAM and 102 EIMC. In 2019, 8 KAM and 26 EIMC service packages have been tackled. Among them 1 KAM is still opened and 11 EIMCs.
Although it is rather difficult to measure real impact of the KAM/EIMC initiatives, the qualitative results are very satisfactory.
Concerning KAM, the EEN intermediary has been proved very useful to choose coaches and make sure that the coaching was launched. A company was unable to benefit from coaching following its liquidation (Mensia Technologie).
For EIMC, the impact is more indirect. Most beneficiaries clearly expressed a good satisfaction as far as the diagnosis and the action plans were concerned. However, some of them find it very difficult to devote time to the proposed actions. This is due to the fact that the EIMC initiative questions “processes”, organizations, strategies … in the mid and long term. Contrary to usual advisory services that are linked to specific projects in the short term.
As described in the core report and in the budget, objectives have not been fulfilled, especially in Pays de la Loire due to structural problems.
Financial and Human Resources
In order to carry out WP4, the consortium initially planned to devote 15.27 man/month to the project, finally 6.26 m/m have been declared during the period (41%). Consequently, the global budget is 42% of the forecast with 100% of expenses on staff. The expected subsidy amounts at around 48K€ (max 114K€). But situations are very different partners : CCIB did 90% of the objective, BDI 19% and CCIPL 3% (only KAM activity).
Concerning CCI Pays de la Loire, they decided to leave the network in 2020 and as the EIMC advisors were mainly in local CCI, it was very difficult to mobilize competences in this transition period. However, the new partner Solutions & Co has started working on these activities. 3 EIMC advisors have been dedicated and 1 KAM (Cendrine CARMAGNAC who already way on the project).
Results :
As far as quantitative results are concerned,
- 8 KAM service packages have been carried out, 7 are closed and 1 is still opened.
- 26 EIMC service packages have been addressed.
Local cooperation and visibility :
A particular effort has been made on our relationships with local stakeholders such as clusters. This is linked to our visibility strategy: strong cooperation bring an interesting leverage to our actions. Communication and promotion tools have been edited and a serious game on innovation management has been launched in 2018 (Cf WP5 - Innovarium).
Financial and Human Resources
In order to carry out WP4, the consortium initially planned to devote 15.27 man/month to the project, finally 6.26 m/m have been declared during the period (41%). Consequently, the global budget is 42% of the forecast with 100% of expenses on staff. The expected subsidy amounts at around 48K€ (max 114K€). But situations are very different partners : CCIB did 90% of the objective, BDI 19% and CCIPL 3% (only KAM activity).
Concerning CCI Pays de la Loire, they decided to leave the network in 2020 and as the EIMC advisors were mainly in local CCI, it was very difficult to mobilize competences in this transition period. However, the new partner Solutions & Co has started working on these activities. 3 EIMC advisors have been dedicated and 1 KAM (Cendrine CARMAGNAC who already way on the project).
Results :
As far as quantitative results are concerned,
- 8 KAM service packages have been carried out, 7 are closed and 1 is still opened.
- 26 EIMC service packages have been addressed.
Local cooperation and visibility :
A particular effort has been made on our relationships with local stakeholders such as clusters. This is linked to our visibility strategy: strong cooperation bring an interesting leverage to our actions. Communication and promotion tools have been edited and a serious game on innovation management has been launched in 2018 (Cf WP5 - Innovarium).
Part 2 of the 2015-2020 Implementation Strategy details the clients ‘needs. The potential client scope was evaluated to 7 000 companies ; our CRM tool gathers 2700 companies and the PES records 1145 clients of individual services and almost 4000 clients of awareness actions. Our “classic EEN” rate of clients is then rather high.
- For KAM the number of possible beneficiaries is rather low. According to EASME Data Hub, in France in 2019, 83 projects were funded and took part to the SME Instrument programme on 1173 projects at European level (7%). And Western France represents 10% of French projects, whereas the regions represent 10% of national economy.
However BDI took the initiative to promote very actively SMEI through targeted interactive workshops (see COSME WP1). The CCI Pays de la Loire co-organised a dedicated day with its local network on this Instrument. Experts introduced the tool and tips in order companies from Pays de la Loire submit and win the project.
- For EIMC, the scope of clients is much higher. Even though the objective is to contact ambitious SMEs, all sectors can be targeted.
Whereas KAM services were limited to identifying coaches and making sure that the service was well delivered, EIMC services allowed to tackle a broad scope of issues interesting accompanied companies: EIMC services allowed to tackle a broad scope of issues interesting accompanied companies: the two main subjects concerned are “competitive intelligence” and “business strategy”. Beneficiaries also express needs in the fields of project management, innovation strategy, and open innovation.
- For KAM the number of possible beneficiaries is rather low. According to EASME Data Hub, in France in 2019, 83 projects were funded and took part to the SME Instrument programme on 1173 projects at European level (7%). And Western France represents 10% of French projects, whereas the regions represent 10% of national economy.
However BDI took the initiative to promote very actively SMEI through targeted interactive workshops (see COSME WP1). The CCI Pays de la Loire co-organised a dedicated day with its local network on this Instrument. Experts introduced the tool and tips in order companies from Pays de la Loire submit and win the project.
- For EIMC, the scope of clients is much higher. Even though the objective is to contact ambitious SMEs, all sectors can be targeted.
Whereas KAM services were limited to identifying coaches and making sure that the service was well delivered, EIMC services allowed to tackle a broad scope of issues interesting accompanied companies: EIMC services allowed to tackle a broad scope of issues interesting accompanied companies: the two main subjects concerned are “competitive intelligence” and “business strategy”. Beneficiaries also express needs in the fields of project management, innovation strategy, and open innovation.