Periodic Reporting for period 1 - INNODK2019 (Innovation Denmark 2019)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2019-01-01 al 2019-12-31
The programme was designed to respond to a number of issues. Many small businesses have weak innovation management and need help to structure this in order to grow more rapidly. Many companies which have good ideas for products and services, can benefit from having a coach and support services to ensure that the benefits of financing their projects are maximised.
The prime objective of the INNODK2019 project was to provide KAM services to SMEs which successfully navigated the SME Instrument, Fast Track to Innovation and Future Emerging Technologies programmes, to help them with selection of a coach to maximise the benefit of their project. The secondary objective was to provide "Enhancing Innovation Management Capacity" (EIMC) services to innovative businesses with growth potential. Both services were designed to integrate with other relevant business and innovation support services available in the region, as well as with EEN services relating to internationalisation, and financing growth and access to new markets. The services should result in SMEs getting a clear understanding of their business position, potential, and direction, and be able to create new profitable and sustainable growth, generating jobs and wealth, in line with the Europe 2020 strategy for "smart, sustainable, inclusive growth".
The prime objective of the INNODK2019 project was to provide KAM services to SMEs which successfully navigated the SME Instrument, Fast Track to Innovation and Future Emerging Technologies programmes, to help them with selection of a coach to maximise the benefit of their project. The secondary objective was to provide "Enhancing Innovation Management Capacity" (EIMC) services to innovative businesses with growth potential. Both services were designed to integrate with other relevant business and innovation support services available in the region, as well as with EEN services relating to internationalisation, and financing growth and access to new markets. The services should result in SMEs getting a clear understanding of their business position, potential, and direction, and be able to create new profitable and sustainable growth, generating jobs and wealth, in line with the Europe 2020 strategy for "smart, sustainable, inclusive growth".
Over the past years, Danish companies have been particularly successful in applying for SME support programmes such as the SME Instrument and 2019 was no exception. Key Account Managers (KAM) from Denmark, worked on 88 different KAM cases during the course of the year, compared with an original target of 46. This included of course cases started in the previous 2017-2018 period, but not completed at that time, as well as new cases in the 2019 contract period. By the end of the period, the consortium had succcessfully completed 73 cases, leaving 15 which came towards the end of the period, or were otherwise delayed to be finished during the 2020-2021 period.
For EIMC services, the network ran a total of 17 cases, compared with an initial target of 44, using a combination of tools including Innovation Health Check and IMP3rove. As the KAM services are the priority, the network has always held back with offering EIMC services to ensure there are sufficient resources to cover KAM.
Overall, the network ran services for 90 companies in total, which was also the original target for the 2019 programme.
For EIMC services, the network ran a total of 17 cases, compared with an initial target of 44, using a combination of tools including Innovation Health Check and IMP3rove. As the KAM services are the priority, the network has always held back with offering EIMC services to ensure there are sufficient resources to cover KAM.
Overall, the network ran services for 90 companies in total, which was also the original target for the 2019 programme.
The value of the integrated network services can be seen in the example of Danish company AddiFab ,which had developed the first sacrificial thermoplastic injection moulding platform to support the manufacturing of small/medium size, complex and traceable metal and ceramic components with high precision – STIM-MC. Their system reduced product development time and costs, while allowing the use of new cost-effective materials. The company believed that they would be in a strong position to exploit the rapidly growing metal and ceramic injection moulding market, forecast to reach 7 billion by 2022, and targeted an accumulated income of €167 million five years after project completion. The company had been helped by the Danish support system EU-DK Support from their original phase I application to the second phase. KAM Bogdan-Mihai Turcanu from the EEN office at Erhvervshus Sjælland helped AddiFab to concentrate the search for a relevant coach, which resulted in a perfect match with an italian coach, who helped Addifab create a market strategy, including detailed plans for pilot projects, strategic partnerships, business and market risk analysis, and financing.
Not only that, the but the company was helped with contacts to major companies Bosch Rexroth and Hasco, both suppliers of components for 3D printers, and cooperation was also started with German technical specialist Fraunhofer Dresden on RTD, Laurent in Switzerland, a major manufacturing company who can assemble the printers and CMG from the UK, a potential large-scale user. The support services enabled the cmopany to obtain investment Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (MCHC) and Diamond Edge Ventures (DEV), which will speed up the rate of commercialisation post-launch. From 2016, to today, the company has grown from 3 to 16 staff.
The EEN has continued to work closely with the company and referred them to the Danish “Man on the Moon” programme, an ambitious programme for 20 companies only, with the ambition of achieving a turnover of 1 billion Danish kroner (ca. € 135 million) within 10 years . The KAM will provide assistance to identify sources of hard and soft financing, help to find private specialised consultancy services, assist with a professional advisory board, promote via relevant Danish communication channels and help to benchmark with international top competitors.
A good example of a successful EIMC case is that of Sigfreds Kaffefabrik, which has grown from the original two cafés in Aarhus, which won the regional best café awards seven times, to also include a nationwide coffee roasting and supply service. As part of their development, they were helped by EEN consultants Jakob Mikkelsen and Kathrine Vejgaard Stage from Agro Business Park, who carried out an analysis of their innovation management capacity, using the Innovation Health Check tool. The analysis covered all aspects of the company, but focused on segmenting their market, their planned marketing and automation of their processes including improved use of a CRM system. Segmentation was a key area and the company was able to assess which potential buyers brought the highest returns, and what the relative production cost was for each of them. This resulted in a faster time to market, reduced risks to the company and a higher profitability.
Not only that, the but the company was helped with contacts to major companies Bosch Rexroth and Hasco, both suppliers of components for 3D printers, and cooperation was also started with German technical specialist Fraunhofer Dresden on RTD, Laurent in Switzerland, a major manufacturing company who can assemble the printers and CMG from the UK, a potential large-scale user. The support services enabled the cmopany to obtain investment Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (MCHC) and Diamond Edge Ventures (DEV), which will speed up the rate of commercialisation post-launch. From 2016, to today, the company has grown from 3 to 16 staff.
The EEN has continued to work closely with the company and referred them to the Danish “Man on the Moon” programme, an ambitious programme for 20 companies only, with the ambition of achieving a turnover of 1 billion Danish kroner (ca. € 135 million) within 10 years . The KAM will provide assistance to identify sources of hard and soft financing, help to find private specialised consultancy services, assist with a professional advisory board, promote via relevant Danish communication channels and help to benchmark with international top competitors.
A good example of a successful EIMC case is that of Sigfreds Kaffefabrik, which has grown from the original two cafés in Aarhus, which won the regional best café awards seven times, to also include a nationwide coffee roasting and supply service. As part of their development, they were helped by EEN consultants Jakob Mikkelsen and Kathrine Vejgaard Stage from Agro Business Park, who carried out an analysis of their innovation management capacity, using the Innovation Health Check tool. The analysis covered all aspects of the company, but focused on segmenting their market, their planned marketing and automation of their processes including improved use of a CRM system. Segmentation was a key area and the company was able to assess which potential buyers brought the highest returns, and what the relative production cost was for each of them. This resulted in a faster time to market, reduced risks to the company and a higher profitability.