Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - InnoSuppEastMed (Innovation Support Network East Mediterranean)

Teaser

Aim of the project was to become a true one-stop-shop for business and innovation support along the entire value chain, providing its services in the proposed region the context of HORIZON 2020 Programme and in line with the Europe 2020 strategy. innovation support services...

Summary

Aim of the project was to become a true one-stop-shop for business and innovation support along the entire value chain, providing its services in the proposed region the context of HORIZON 2020 Programme and in line with the Europe 2020 strategy. innovation support services will help strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of regional enterprises.
Proposed project will include two acitivity type which are “Key account management under the SME Instrument of Horizon 2020” and “Services to enhance the innovation management capacities of SMEs”

The Common objectives of the project are:
• To stimulate SMEs to expand their businesses and competitiveness.
• To provide non-bureaucratic, easily and swiftly accessible services through the network to be created on the subjects of innovation services.
• Increase in the number of SMEs benefitting from the business and innovation support services of Consortium.
• To promote innovation amongst enterprises and increase the innovation capacity of the enterprises in the context of Horizon 2020, guide enterprises to create innovation partnerships and help them to better access community financing and to stimulate innovative activities.
• To assist Commission to accomplish the objectives of COSME, Horizon 2020 and other EU programmes by SME Feedback activities
• To promote the EU Comission’s andNetwork’s distinct brand and visual identity in its all activities throughout the geographical area covered in this proposal.
• Becoming a focal point for SMEs when EU is at stake by promoting EU programmes,specially HORIZON 2020, with an effective communication strategy.


Specific objectives inline ““Key account management under the SME Instrument of Horizon 2020” are:
• To identify weaknesses in the innovation capacities of the beneficiary that hinder the realization of growth opportunities and of the full commercial potential of SME Instrument participants
• Determine the strong and weak points of the clients and envision the innovation capabilities
• Assign mentors and coaches in order to rehabilitate the weaknesses and upgrade the strengths
• Boost the success probability of innovation processes
• Mediate the mentor and client and sustain while regulating the relations in order to promote success.

Specific objectives inline “Services to enhance the innovation management capacities of SMEs”
are:
• To determine SMEs with significant innovation activities and a real potential for international growth via product, process, service or business model innovation who lack the knowledge, skills or ability to manage innovation activities.
•
• Provide proven 7 day service packages in accordance with CEN/TS 16555-1 standard.
• To carry out a diagnostic audit of selected SMEs that are capable of growth and successful internationalization in order to develop and implement a tailored action plan.
• To improve the SME’s capacity to manage innovation processes.
• develop and utilize action plans for SMEs with high capacity of internalization
• Deploy CEN/TS standards in innovation management systems
• Seek for opportunities to remove bottlenecks and problems in innovation processes of the SMEs

Work performed

\"KOSGEB Kahramanmaras Service Center as Coordinator and located in Kahramanmaras province was responsible for KahramanmaraÅŸ(TR632), Hatay(TR631) provinces. Cukurova Teknopark located in Adana was responsible for Adana(TR621), Mersin(TR622) and Osmaniye (TR633) provinces. Staff aimed to deliver the two types of services in line with the responsibility area.
The other EEN Consortium partners Adana Chamber of Commerce, Kahramanmaras Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Mersin Chamber of Commerce and Industry supported process with information activities, advisory services and events detailed in EEN projects.
Consortium couldn’t achieved the supposed objectives mentioned in Previous part. Projects consist of the following two WPs:
a. Key account management for SME Instrument beneficiaries
b. Enhancing SMEs’ innovation management capacity
KOSGEB aimed to serve 7 SMEs and the target for Cukurova was 12 in scope of the project.
As a result of the there is no any succesfull SME instrument project, consortia couldn’t serve to SMEs in context of the KAM services.
The services within the \"\" Enhancing SMEs’ innovation management capacity\"\" package were not presented for various reasons.
These are detailed as following:
• Personnel competence:
Suggested staff was working for also EEN activities and have a base for the innovation related services. It has been seen that innovation management practices require specific expertise and there were no sufficient resource and practices to train the experts for the subject. For this reason, the staff has focused on some alternative channels in order to gain the necessary competence in this process. As an example, Mr. Taskesen prepared an expertise thesis for the innovation management practices. Lack of expertise level and the difficulty of finding and hiring a new staff in the region has led to failures in the implementation of the activities.
• Quitting job:
Another problem that can not be overtaken is resignation of the staff who has experience and expertise for the services. Mr. Gozek, and Mr. Dogan quitted working in the period because of the some reasons. Therefore, services were delayed.
• Late sign of the project:
Due to the late completion and late start of the project evaluation and signing process, necessary measures have not been taken for the problems that arised in the period.
• Coup attempt
The sad coup attempt in 2016 caused the planned activities to be postponed.
In addition, due to problems in the process of getting out of the country and some internal problems, staff could not attend to the improve training.
As result of the problem arised during the period, consortia could not served to the SME in context of the WPs. And there is not any mentored SMEs.
Therefore no grant requested for the period of 2015-2016 period.\"

Final results

Consortia aimed the create the following impact at the beginning of the project:
• Revenue and profit from new goods, services, marketing
• Savings from new process, organization
• Review and actions on intelligence, strategy, collaboration
• Review and actions on innovation management
• Market share increase
• Product quality improvement
• Reduction of material costs per
• Unit of product improvement in the environmental impact or health and safety aspects
• Compliance with legal regulations and standards
• Increased awareness of the European Commission and activities
Consortia could not reached the expected impact as result of the project because of the following reasons:
• Personnel competence
• Quitting job
• Late sign of the project
• Coup attempt
The detailed information is given in the report.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.eenakdeniz.org.tr.