Description
Specific challenge: Identifying suitable partners for innovation activities is recognised as a major barrier to SME innovation. Innovation support services are addressing this challenge traditionally by two interventions that are often combined: (a) the provision of networking space for personal meetings either as one-off meeting (‘brokerage events’) or as more stable networks (‘clusters’) often with a limited geographic reach; and (b) the definition of ‘cooperation profiles’ (‘technology offers’, ‘partner search profile’ etc.) that are distributed through networks of intermediaries. To a different degree intermediaries become active in establishing the partnership (‘brokerage’). Social media and other web-based services challenge these existing approaches and ask for their revision.
Scope: To address the described gaps proposals should address one or more of the following aspects: develop and test new service designs for ‘assistance to online collaboration for innovation’ for SMEs in diverse sectors; make such new services accessible for enterprises in sectors that are typically not yet benefitting from innovation support; develop and test a qualification profile, curriculum and training courses for staff currently providing brokerage services in established networks or SME agencies.
Budget
Total Call Budget: EUR 2.350.000
It is intended to support 2-3 projects from the indicative budget.
Expected impact
New services assisting online collaboration for innovation help SMEs to access a broader range of potential innovation partners and mobilise them in a timely manner for concrete projects. The qualification profile and training material are made available to SME innovation support agencies interested in enhancing the skills of their staff. The efficiency of innovation support service provision - for example but not limited to the services of Enterprise Europe Network – is enhanced. Resources in public innovation support are reoriented from information and brokerage functions – which can to a large extend be automated – to higher value added functions like the identification of opportunities and the animation of project development.
Eligibility
Legal entities established in the following countries and territories will be eligible to receive funding through Horizon 2020:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their overseas departments;
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) linked to the Member States
- the Countries Associated to Horizon 2020
Deadline: 10 March 2015
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