Project description
SMEs’ innovation and growth in Saxony-Anhalt
The EU-funded IMCESA-2021 project will identify weaknesses in Saxony-Anhalt small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in order to boost access to the SME Instrument under Horizon 2020. The project will also offer support training to increase SMEs' efficiency in research and innovation investment and encourage their smart growth. Beneficiaries of the SME Instrument will receive key account management (KAM) services. The project will also facilitate innovation processes by offering services to enhance the innovation management capacity (EIMC) of SMEs that have a high potential for growth but lack effective access to support. Both services will help SMEs in Saxony-Anhalt to significantly increase their growth and profitability.
Objective
"The general objective of the described actions is to contribute to 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 actors along the innovation chain.
The specific action will deliver services designed to ""Enhance the Innovation management capacity of SMEs"" by providing
indepth support services to SMEs. Furthermore, beneficiaries of the SME Instrument under Horizon 2020 will receive
specific targeted assistance to support coaching assignments addressing specific innovation weaknesses.
To achieve the above mentioned objectives bottlenecks to the creation of economic impact in companies benefitting from
grants by Horizon2020's SME instrument will be identified and these bottlenecks with the help of capable coaches
addressed. This service to beneficiaries of the SME instrument in the context of a giving project is called 'Key account
management'. In addition the efficiency and effectiveness of innovation processes will be increased in small and medium
sized enterprises with significant innovation activities that could potentially become beneficiaries of European support to
research and innovation but would not have effective access to consulting services for innovation management. This service,
provided independently from a specific innovation project and focussing on a company's innovation management system, is
called 'Enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs'.
Direct impact from the two actions will be a significantly enhanced growth and profitability of SMEs receiving the services as
compared to a control group. Innovation processes will be conducted more efficient and more effectively.
Indirect impact will arise from the introduction of high quality innovation management capacity assessment and support
services in the region of Saxony-Anhalt."
Programme(s)
Coordinator
39108 MAGDEBURG
Germany