Under the call "Enhancing SME innovation capacity by providing better innovation support" for proposals of the Horizon Programme, the Business and Cultural Development Centre (KEPA), along with theFriuli Innovazione Research and Technology Transfer Centre andNORRIA North Hungarian Regional Innovation Agency, were approved for the implementation of the project "Eco-Innovation Support Services" with the acronym "EISS". The total project budget amounts to €50.000,00. The contract was signed on 07/09/2015 and the totalproject duration is 12 months.
Under the call "Enhancing SME innovation capacity by providing better innovation support" for proposals of the Horizon Programme, the Business and Cultural Development Centre (KEPA), along with theFriuli Innovazione Research and Technology Transfer Centre andNORRIA North Hungarian Regional Innovation Agency, were approved for the implementation of the project "Eco-Innovation Support Services" with the acronym "EISS". The total project budget amounts to €50.000,00. The contract was signed on 07/09/2015 and the totalproject duration is 12 months.
Brief description of the project
The overall objective of the project is to collaboratively address a common innovation support challenge; namely to peer-review eco-innovation1 support programmes for SMEs in order to improve their environmental performance and energy efficiency as well as to transfer good practices into these programmes. Specific focus will be dedicated to smaller manufacturing companies from traditional sectors (e.g. automotive, mechanics, construction, chemicals, food & beverage, etc.), although the recommendations developed will be valid for all sectors and company sizes. Using the Twinning Advanced methodology, this initiative will lead to the elaboration of a Design Option Paper (DOP), which will serve as a “guide” or a “handbook” to other innovation agencies to design and/or deliver similar, more enterprise-friendly programmes and services on eco-energy efficiency. A professional expert with extensive knowledge and experience on eco-innovation support for SMEs will be subcontracted to moderate the partners’ peer learning activities in order to achieve the highest quality results.
Specific objectives of the project
Specific objectives of the project are the following:
- Creation of a peer learning group in order to strengthen the eco-innovation support and programme design and delivery capacity of the involved partners through the application of Twinning + methodology.
- Identification of good practices/eco-innovation support programmes in Europe and beyond to be transferred in SMEs innovation support local/regional programmes.
- Further develop the already existing National Eco Points (created with the support of the CEEM project) into Eco-Innovation Support Service Points (EISS Points) in Italy and in Hungary as a “one-stop shop” to inform enterprises about eco-innovation related topics, such as environmentally friendly products and services, clean production, energy efficiency measures, suitable funding instruments, capital providers and required conditions to enable in-house capacity building, IPR, etc. (with region specific contents). Extend this good practice to Greece, which means having 2 improved SMEs Innovation Support Service Points in Hungary and in Italy and a newly created one in Greece, which will help SMEs to self-assess their eco-energy performance, raising awareness about the clean industrial production topic.
- Establish a strategic partnership among the EISS participant innovation agencies to engage in more frequent peer learning activities in the future concerning eco-efficiency policies improvement for SMEs
- Provision of eco-innovation support services to mainly manufacturing SMEs (in particular in the traditional sectors, those being generally less innovative and more energy intensive) on the involved territories (information on European standards / networking / financial opportunities / barriers / investment auditing)
- Enhancement of qualitative procedures in providing financial assistance to manufacturing SMEs
- Improvement of administrative and ‘back-office’ aspects in the management of innovation support programmes to manufacturing SMEs
- Enhancement of qualitative procedures in auditing “eco-innovative” investments
- Identification of “good practices” among SMEs that have effectively used applicant’s services and programmes supporting eco-innovation (from EU or other types of funding)