The use of online collaboration platforms facilitates the access of SMEs to Open Innovation environments where they can collaborate, co-create and co-participate in innovation projects. Despite these benefits, European SMEs have so far failed to embrace the use of online platforms to facilitate open innovation. The Europe Enterprise Network, the most widespread innovation support service in Europe, is successfully addressing this challenge mainly by organising brokerage events or clusters around interested stakeholders. However, EEN support services are very labour intensive, and the resources available are small, meaning many agents are unable to offer the level of support they believe is necessary. This often results in collaborations being set up, but then failing to realise their potential due to the lack of ongoing monitoring, support and management. The NIR-VANA project will tackle these drawbacks through the design of a new service that will be provided by innovation agents. This service will promote the online collaboration for SME during the entire innovation process using an innovative approach based on ICT solutions, training and novel methods to support SMEs. Three members of the EEN a two other innovation organisations will collaborate in the design of the services that will be later tested by other 10 EENs and innovation agencies. The project will develop an ICT-based layer that will facilitate the work of the innovation agents and will also promote a change of mentality of the SME. Some services will be provided online using a novel Networking and Innovation Room (NIR) where the innovation agents and the SMEs interact to develop innovation partnerships. These services will allow direct and ongoing support provided by the innovation agents to the SMEs, links to other platforms/social networks, increased efficiency for the management and monitoring, and services aimed at encouraging SMEs involvement.

Innovation is at the heart of Europe’s growth strategy. However, Europe lags behind its international competitors in converting investment in Public Research Organisation PRO research into commercial returns via innovation. The solution lies in improving the transfer of technology from PROs to industry but there are many barriers to effective technology transfer, including: Most Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) in PROs are small, underfunded and under-skilled; a small investor pool and long timescales make it difficult to secure finance and; there is poor understanding between IP creators, exploiters, funders and end-users. To address these barriers, PROGRESS-TT will transfer the expertise of Europe’s leading PROs to those with the greatest potential to grow. We will gather best practice from leading PROs and thought leaders and formulate it into Europe’s most definitive TT tools, methods and insight. We will then begin a programme of knowledge transfer tailored to the audience’s level of ‘readiness’ to grow. This will include: • Training, workshops, boot camps and e-learning delivered to emerging PROs and TT funds to develop their core skills • Intensive coaching and mentoring for high potential PROs to accelerate their TT activity. We will form ‘teams’ comprising experienced TTO performers, industry, funds and high potential PROs to develop capability, capacity, opportunity, desire, and to build a supportive TT environment. • Improving access to finance by bringing established and emerging funds together to share best practice and identify cross-border opportunities We will continuously improve best practice based on our trial activities, in order to create a validated legacy programme to continue supporting PROs across Europe beyond project end. Through this support, we estimate a typical high potential PRO will improve its performance by 500% in the five years following intensive support, delivering at least €6 million to the European economy per PRO supported