1. Key account management for SME Instrument beneficiaries: This target group is the SMEs who are the beneficiaries of the SME Instrument, FTI and FET-Open. The SMEs who will be the beneficiaries of the SME Instrument, FTI and FET-Open under Horizon 2020 will be forwarded to us through the related department of EC. SMEntorEGE will aim to provide 7-day service package of Key Account Management services. To realize the full target of the project, we have mainly focused on the proposed services in the region. There was only one EIC beneficiary in the region and (to be continued in 2021) KAM-COACH services were provided under WP 1.
2. Enhancing SMEs’ innovation management capacity: This target group is SMEs who have a high innovation and internationalization potential. The SMEs for this target group will be selected which have developed and submitted at least one innovation project to the Regional and National Turkish Scientific and Technological Council (TUBITAK) or Directorship for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (KOSGEB) for obtaining R&D financial support in the region but have failed or developed a contracted project with universities. So far, 282 companies including their contact details were registered into the database. Although it was proposed to 60 companies, from this database 32 companies were selected for the year 2020, based on their openness for collaboration and willingness to implementation of action plan. The project staff contacted companies and innovation assessment tool was introduced. After this introduction, companies used this tool to define their innovation management capacity and their needs. The companies who used USIMP Innovation Score Chart received innovation chart in different area; Country level, sectorial level, city level and company level. These score carts were provided as soon as companies filled out the tool. Based on innovation score chart, needs and gaps were being defined and an action plan proposed by the project staff. All companies were followed-up to make sure that they implement the action plan. Some companies assigned to external consultant or university researchers to get rid of defined barriers. Each case was closed with a short final report. After 6 months each companies were contacted to find out if they have implemented the action plan and if yes what are the results.
As we have observed formerly, companies are not confident about preparing an EIC proposal due to lack of project management skills, confidences, not awareness of TRL level of their projects, and language barrier. In order to solve these problems, in close collaboration with EEN, virtual meetings were organized with those companies, success stories shared and experience sharing sessions were organized. In addition to this, social media was used to increase awareness and sharing success stories. In addition, we have set up project review meetings with the companies to increase the level of project applications from EIC Accelerator.
In short, despite awareness and assistance in collaboration with EEN one KAM service are provided under WP1, but it is not completed yet. Under WP2, 32 companies implemented innovation enhancing services and this improved innovation management capacity of those SMEs.
