Illes Balears INNOvation Management Services

Project Information

IBINNO

Grant agreement ID: 879775

DOI

10.3030/879775

Project closed

EC signature date 24 January 2020

Start date 1 January 2020

End date 31 December 2021

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 26 983,75

EU contribution

€ 26 982,00

Coordinated by

FUNDACIO BALEAR D'INNOVACIO I TECNOLOGIA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - IBINNO (Illes Balears INNOvation Management Services)

Reporting period: 2020-01-01 to 2021-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The project delivered in the 2020-2021 period the Enterprise Europe Network H2020 “Services enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs under the H2020 programmes for specific activities in the context of innovation support and the EIC (European Innovation Council) pilot" in the Balearic Islands region.

The overall IBINNO (Illes Balears INNOvation management services) project objective was the establishment of a feasible and effective service for enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs in the Balearic Islands region. This has benefited the smart growth in the European Union by increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of investments in research, development and innovation and by contributing to a better and more efficient connection of stakeholders in the innovation fabric.

In order to contextualise the 2020-2021 project period, the Balearic Islands SMEs have suffered particularly during the current COVID-19 crisis, with falling revenue and liquidity, borders closed, and supply chains disrupted. Highlight that the Consortium has adapted and overcame the COVID-19 crisis, more concretely by boosting client’s capabilities building on adaptability and innovation.

IBINNO acted as the access point to the innovation and internationalisation system in the Balearic Islands region, which will be in this new period covered by Balearic Islands Enterprise Network B2EN consortium, embedding the EEN innovation services in the regional innovation ecosystem.

FUNDACIÓ BIT (Fundació Balear d’Innovació i Tecnologia, Balearic Islands Innovation and Technology Foundation) has been the sole partner in IBINNO Consortium. The project has been executed from only one partner due to the small area (Balearic Islands) covered by the COSME Enterprise Europe Network Balearic Islands Consortium B2EN (Balearic Islands Enterprise Europe Network). Furthermore, FUNDACIÓ BIT has plenty of experience in this action since it has been executing the project since 2015, while promoting and helping the preparation to participate in the SME Instrument call for proposals and improving innovation capabilities since the beginning of the SME Instrument/ enhancing innovation services programme.

IBINNO solved two different challenges, with the following scopes of action:

* Horizon2020 SME Instrument, Fast Track to Innovation (FTI), Future and Emerging Technologies Open (FET-Open) for current programme, and the new EIC Accelerator under EIC pilot scheme beneficiaries. Bottlenecks to the creation of economic impact in companies benefitting from grants of Horizon2020 within the Balearic Islands region have been identified. The blockages are been addressed with the help of a capable coach. This service to beneficiaries in the context of the project is called KAM (Key Account Management).

* Enhancing generic SMEs innovation management capabilities. Efficiency and effectiveness of innovation processes in SMEs with significant innovation activities within the Balearic Islands region would be tackled. The beneficiaries of this European support to research and innovation action do not actually have access to consulting services for innovation management. This service focussed on a company's innovation management system is called Enhancing the Innovation Management Capacity of SMEs (EIMC).

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

The project has designed, developed and executed the two types of services/ scopes of action explained above based on the assessment of the status of innovation management in the client company.

In the current period, no new companies were awarded with new projects related to SME Instrument, FET Open, FTI and EIC Accelerator. The case started in the previous period of 2019 of a SME Instrument client was followed-up and completed during this period.

IBINNO has delivered 4 full EIMC packages. The tool used was the Innovation Management Excellence Assessment (IMEA) from IMP³ROVE. It is a structured and holistic assessment of the company current innovation management performance, benchmarking the performance with organisations on a selected benchmarking group. The services encompassed the diagnosis of the SME innovation capacity i.e. the assessment of the status of the innovation management system within the company, the presentation of recommendations and discussions, and follow-up of the action plan agreed.

Cooperation with local stakeholders has improved the impact of this project services and its outreach to the core target group, SMEs. The scope of the cooperation included co-organisation of regional/local events to disseminate Enhancing Innovation Capability services and SME Instrument promotion, together with other Enterprise Europe Network services. The cooperation has been based on a mutually favourable model, bringing both parties significant, measurable benefits and added value (e.g. more efficient client recruitment of SMEs for this project, while broadening the range of services offered by local associated partners).

In relation to COSME Enterprise Europe Network services, most of the SMEs are receiving in parallel COSME programme services, such as participating in regional events (training and workshops) organised and receiving individual advisory support (in most of the cases support to access to finance).

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)

The types of innovation identified has been innovation culture; commercialisation; marketing strategy; capability and resources; processes; enhancing innovation results; KPIs and innovation strategy plan based on them, mostly for incremental innovation.

The companies reported following benefits: global view of the company from the planning of the innovation strategy; improvement of the commercialisation and marketing strategy; appropriate skill requirements identified and satisfied through training or acquisition; understanding technology changes in the sector; strengthen customer and distributor data acquisition and analysis; enhanced SMEs innovation activities; improved client and customer relationship; use of business and innovation tools with appropriate linkages to third parties.

In relation to the direct impact, after conversations with the SMEs, it is expected an improvement of the company positioning on the market, and enhancement of its innovation strategy and innovation capacities, increasing their market share and refining the satisfaction of clients and business partners, mainly. The diagnosis was executed at the second year of contract; therefore the real impact will be evaluated in the next period.