Business Support Network – East Anatolia

Project Information

bsnEA

Grant agreement ID: 879894

DOI

10.3030/879894

Project closed

EC signature date 14 February 2020

Start date 1 January 2020

End date 31 December 2021

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 93 681,25

EU contribution

€ 93 681,00

Coordinated by

KOSGEB-KUCUK VE ORTA OLCEKLI ISLETMELERI GELISTIRME VE DESTEKLEME IDARESI BASKANLIGI
Türkiye

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - bsnEA (Business Support Network – East Anatolia)

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

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The goal of the Consortium under this Project is to obtain services enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs under the H2020 programmes for specific activities in the context of innovation support and the enhanced European Innovation Council (EIC) pilot.

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

1. WP1 Key Account Management services for the beneficiaries of the SMEs Instrument, FET Open and FTI.
The bsnEA Consortium couldn’t work in this work package because KAM services are only accessible to SME beneficiaries of the EIC Pilot.


2.WP2 Enhancing Innovation Management Capacity for innovating SMEs.
In 2020-2021, 47 the following trainings, seminars and info days had been organized to improve innovation capacity of SMSs, entrepreneurs, inventors. A total of 2,077 people attended these events. Due to Covid 19, many events were held online via the Zoom Program.
After these events, 50 entrepreneurs established new companies in 2020 and 2021. 3 companies, 19 inventors, filed their patent applications through us.
The Consortium experts visited 44 technopark companies face to face. And they evaluated their innovation capacity by with a short questionnaire-style evaluation form. The Consortium used a national tool. The “USIMP Innovation Score Chart” which is the latest version of “Ege Innovation Assessment Tool – EgeIAT”, also developed by EBILTEM and licensed to “University Industry Collaboration Centers’ Platform-USIMP” and successfully implemented in 1900 companies since 2009, will be used.

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)

Unfortunately, COVID-19 epidemic that started in 2020 continued in 2021. Due to the epidemic, a number of measures continued to be implemented in our country. Within the scope of these measures, our chance to meet with SMEs face to face is very limited.
In addition, before COVID-19, on 24/01/2020, a devastating earthquake was occured in Elazig, where the consortium coordinator KOSGEB Elazig Directorate and Firat University is operating. Besides, Malatya, one of the important cities of our region was also seriously affected by the earthquake. Thousands of residences and businesses were destroyed as a result of the earthquake. Economic life has deteriorated considerably.
In these provinces, SMEs have been given interest-free loans in order to eliminate the negative effects of the earthquake. For this reason, there has been a serious workload throughout the year.
Domestic and international travels planned within the scope of the project could not be realized. The infrastructure that can provide online calls is also not sufficient. It is important to use the budgets that cannot be used for the healthy conduct of online activities for the purchase of fixtures that will strengthen the infrastructure.
We believe the COVID-19 epidemic created negative effects in all institutions and employees. These negativities also reflected in our works. We hope that we will work more comfortably and safely in the upcoming periods with the positive developments in the fight against the covid epidemic.