The main objective of the action is improving the innovation management capacity of two SME target groups: (1) Beneficiaries of the SME Instrument by provision of the specialised Key Account Management services, and (2) SMEs with significant innovation activities and a high potential for internationalisation through the targeted Enhancing the innovation management services. The proposed action will implement 65 seven-day service packages during the pilot action in 2015-2016.

A multi-KET (key enabling technologies) approach is most beneficiary for SME in regard to increase in productivitiy, efficiency and market shares. To enable a Pan-European Access for SME on technology services for clean production, a network of premier KET Technology Centres with facilitated one stop shop access, offering SME multi-ket infrastructures and services across borders on pan-european level is generated, involving innovation consultants from the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) being local = at the doorstep of EU`s manufacturing SMEs. Due to the disparity of KET TC in EU28, KET4CleanProduction (KET4CP) enables also a discourse with policy makers on RIS3 and the potential of cross-border collaboration to cover specific SME needs for clean production technologies. KET4CP starts with 12-premier KET TC and 7 EEN as an open innovation ecosystem, with a one stop shop access. KET facilitators support the SME in identifying their specific technology challenge for clean production, propose services and technologies based on innovation potential + need analysis. The fast, flexible services focus on the SME´s business case. After a pilot phase with 20 SME innovation projects/micro grants, the network is scaled up adding 17 KET TC and 21 EEN members, to reach a critical mass of CP technology deployment in SME. Targeted actions stimulate initial requests of >120 SME from > 10 EU MS and a total of 70 SME micro grant projects with min. 140 KET TC. 2 MEUR third party financing go to SME in total. 50 % are targeted for low to modest innovator regions. KET4CP delivers standard procedures / tools for KET TC transnational collaboration and joint service/shared infrastructure, based on business model scenarios stimulating KET TC to collaborate and share clients. KET4CP creates a sustainable platform, a win-win situation for all stakeholders with a high potential for scale up. The aim for 2022 is to have 100 KET TC and 180 EEN members with 1000 SME inquiries p.a.

This project aims to develop an e-policy platform augmented with a toolbox of applications and online services, which will assist national and regional authorities in the EU in elaborating or revising their smart specialisation agenda, in terms of policies and strategy. The platform will leverage existing methodologies, initiatives and tools developed by the EC for the RIS3 strategy, but it will also investigate, develop and test new and innovative technologies, tools and services aiming to strengthen the European capacity for knowledge-based policy advice. The platform and the accompanied services will constitute an online mechanism for policy advice, integrated with a well-defined, commonly accepted and broadly used methodology for regional policy (RIS3 Guide). Data and sources of information to feed the platform and the services will be collected from institutional websites, RSS feeds, online databases, newsgroups and web forums, social networks data, web analytics, content management systems, measurement scoreboards, focus groups, and other online mechanisms for collaboration and policy co-design, and assessment. Taken together, these elements and architecture of integration will offer online all the necessary tools, methods, and roadmap to assist the elaboration, implementation, and impact analysis of smart specialisation policies.

Main objective of the action is improving the innovation management capacity of two SME target groups: (1) Beneficiaries of the SME Instrument by provision of the specialised Key Account Management services, and (2) SMEs with significant innovation activities and a high potential for internationalisation through the targeted Enhancing the innovation management services.