Report
Teaser, summary, work performed and final results
Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Innovators2B (Integrated approach to first time innovators – assisting SMEs in transition of their potential to actual innovation)
Teaser
Innovators2B addresses the challenge of how convert into innovative companies the SMEs that have necessary potential but have not been engaged in innovation yet. Such companies operate in every European region and may account for 40% or even more of all companies. Their...
Summary
Innovators2B addresses the challenge of how convert into innovative companies the SMEs that have necessary potential but have not been engaged in innovation yet. Such companies operate in every European region and may account for 40% or even more of all companies. Their standing: development of decline has decisive influence on the condition of the local economy and the labour market. Usually they need to introduce changes in their activities, but do not know how to start and benefit from the change. At the same time they do not seek external support, and are not convinced
On the other hand there is a need for innovation agencies to demonstrate tangible results and impact over the economy as well as professionalise their procedures and services. It is already obvious that innovation support must be precisely targeted and adjusted to individual SME needs. It cannot be one size for all any more.
Therefore Innovators2B aims to help the partners – innovation agencies – to increase their capacities to identify the beneficiaries with the potential to engage in innovation, understand their needs and provide the support in such a way that the beneficiaries are satisfied with the assistance, take concrete advantage and inspire others to follow their path. The partners have in their portfolio services and activities that might be adopted to this group needs, but the project led to the elaboration of new overall comprehensive approach.
Work performed
Innovators2B took a user driven approach adapting well known methodologies of design-thinking and living lab. The process was scheduled along 3 design workshops at each partner regions preceded by a preparatory stage of collection of needed data and information to prepare the potentially innovative companies characteristics. This has been very much important for the estimation of the size of the population and identification which companies may belong to this group as well as understanding them as customers of the support service. In the first workshop the profiles of the different types of the customer were prepared:
• Ambitious mature company, active in manufacturing low margin industry;
• Family business on the verge of generation transition.
and the challenges they face.
On the second workshop case studies of successful companies who faced similar challenges were analysed and solutions where defined. A catalogue of Innovation Agencies support that helps to identify the need and introduce the solutions was prepared. The delivery mechanism has been started in the form of Customer Journey.
On the third workshop the descriptions of support service offered as well as customer journeys were elaborated, and a plan for a marketing campaign for the outreach to the target group was prepared. Each workshop was an occasion to learn about specific activities of the host partner to identify good practices that can be adapter wider and elaboration of recommendations for each partner. Results in a joint Design Option Paper, which can be used by any other institution interested in targeting similar group of SMEs
Final results
The design option paper gives overall information to any interested parties on who to develop support services to the potentially innovative companies. Moreover in the project process the partners decided to develop concrete customer journeys to the support services already existing within the partners’ organizations, and which have potential to be offered to the first time innovators.
The partner prepared individual action plan for implementation of the project results by themselves as well as promotion material to help other organization to access and use the project results.