KAM and Innovation services for SMEs in Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna

Project Information

KAMINLER

Grant agreement ID: 880203

DOI

10.3030/880203

Project closed

EC signature date 27 January 2020

Start date 1 January 2020

End date 31 December 2021

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 849 738,75

EU contribution

€ 849 738,75

Coordinated by

FINANZIARIA REGIONALE PER LO SVILUPPO DELLA LOMBARDIA (FINLOMBARDA)
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - KAMINLER (KAM and Innovation services for SMEs in Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna)

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

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The objective of KAMINLER is the delivery of a specific Enterprise Europe Network service designed to enhance the innovation management capacity of SMEs in Lombardy and in Emilia-Romagna, by providing in-depth support in the areas where these services are absent or unaffordable on local markets.
EEN partners in the two regions delivered Key Account Management services to the beneficiaries of the SME Instrument, EIC Accelerator, FTI and FET-Open of Horizon 2020, dealing with coaching assignments and addressing specific innovation weaknesses and supported particularly promising SMEs to improve their capacity to manage innovation processes.
The main objective of the WP1was to provide support services to the beneficiaries of the SME Instrument, EIC Accelerator, FTI and FET-Open in order to identify bottlenecks to the creation of economic impact and address them with the help of capable coaches.
This main objective can be split in the following sub-targets:
• to identify weaknesses in the innovation management capacities and specific needs of the beneficiary to be addressed during the coaching process;
• to identify suitable coaches to address the identified weaknesses and moderating the coach-client relationship;
• to accompany the beneficiary through the SME instrument project, monitoring the coaching work and the project progress.
The main objective of the WP2 was to develop innovation and sustainability diagnostic audits of SMEs, in Emilia Romagna and Lombardy regions, selected according criteria recognising their already existing potential of innovation, in order to improve their innovation capacities allowing to manage effectively the innovation process. The service allowed beneficiaries to acquire awareness on their level of competitiveness and to evaluate measures for improving their Innovation Management performance and their sustainability. The final aim is, thanks a targeted consulting and the delivery of an action plan, to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of innovation management system and the sustainability of the SMEs beneficiaries of the services, ensuring them more growth opportunities.

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

For the work package 1, partners provided support services to the beneficiaries of the EIC Pilot in order to identify weaknesses in the innovation management capacities and specific needs of the companies and identify suitable coaches to address the identified weaknesses and moderating the coach-client relationship.
The Consortium shared common tools, (i.e. the Needs Assessment Guide and the Innovation Health Check tool) and exchanged good practice (i.e. information about the best coaches, etc.) to ensure the quality of the activities and of the services. Partners participated in the National Working Group on KAM/EIMC in order to improve quality and performance of the project’s activities.Moreover KAMINLER partners took the opportunity to offer dedicated assistance to SOE holders in Lombardy and Emilia Romagna regions. As a first step the available lists of SOE awarded companies were checked to quantify the number and the sectors. As a second step, partners decided to adopt a common methodology to approach the companies and propose relevant assistance.
For work package 2, the partners carried out innovation and sustainability diagnostic audits of SMEs, in Emilia Romagna and Lombardy regions in order to identify and propose actions for improving their performances related to innovation and sustainability management.
For each completed case, Partners carried out the following tasks:
Task 0: Assess SME's suitability for the service
Task 1: Assess innovation management capacity / sustainability based on performance
Task 2: Needs/gaps analysis and action plan development
Task 3: Action plan implementation
Task 4: Closing the case / Final report

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 Consortium has adopted and implemented the client-centric approach in order to provide KAM and EIMC services, integrated by high added value EEN services, focused and tailored on the client’s needs.
All the services started with and in-depth assessment of the SME’s needs: the needs analysis for the KAM services and the innovation management capacity assessment or sustainability assessment for the EIMC services.
In order to support the growth of SMEs with a high potential for innovation and internationalization, partners defined with them tailored Action Plans, including EEN and external advisory services.
Examples of direct impact generated by the services on the clients are:
• Reduction of work stress for the shareholders after the introduced of a web system (questionnaire) that acts as a filter to the requests of clients.
• Increased income from sales
• Revised base contract which should lead to greater profitability.
• Increasing the capacity to implement new innovative projects by exploiting financial resources available at regional, national and EU level and finding new international partners to improve innovation processes and corporate performance in the field of sustainability.
• Support to access to regional funding for 4.0 investments in SMEs, with an improvement and a growth of their Technology Maturity Level;
• Improvement of the communication with clients about the sustainability of the own products.