Section 1 - Overview of the progress towards the objectives
During the 24 months of the EENClientInnoJourney project implementation, the project partners have not provided KAM services. Having in mind the general objective of the project additional EIMC services have been provided. The target for the KAM and EIMC services in total was 50 cases, but due to COVIC-19 circumstances, the 59 companies were willing to receive EIMC services in order to improve their chance to enhance growth and profitability.
Through the COSME activities have been supported the several companies in their process of applying for the EIC Accelerator calls, but unfortunately, they didn’t get funding. Special attention has been provided to those beneficiaries that already have good marks from the previous calls. Some improvements have been made, but not sufficient to ensure the finance of the projects.
Our client TRAKEN supported through the EIMC service has validated their innovation idea through, the Innovation Action project funded by the European Commission, the “EuRopEAn incubator for trusted and secure data value Chains” and established cooperation for testing their solution in a real environment with SEEPEX, a licensed market operator for an organized electricity market/power exchange. HIB institute has made initial contact with a company from the Netherland which developing VR safety construction training to innovate their services. Moreover, our client Swiftty, SME Instrument beneficiary from 2017, has been supported during their hunting of investors. In the first quarter of 2020, they made a final deal with an investor from the USA. Additionally, all other companies have been supported through the COSME activities.
Due to COVID-19 lockdowns, the regular activities of SMEs have been decreased, but also that was the opportunity for them to identify their innovation management weaknesses in these new circumstances. Each year Serbian innovation companies have been interested to conduct company assessments and improve their innovation management, which could be seen from our previous reports where more cases have been reported than previously targeted in projects. Their interest increased in this project period as well, especially during 2021. Since the COVID-19 restrictions have affected their regular businesses they were looking for new opportunities in addressing factors hindering successful innovation cycles. All interested parties have been supported by the consortium and 9 additional cases have been done. The budget for covering spent hours for these additional cases was taken from the costs reserved for travel.
