The Peer-BIT project will increase the quality of innovation support services provided for SMEs in area of innovation management. In line with the trend of individualization of SME support services, the project will explore tools that are easy to use, yet flexible and ready to be customized to the specific needs of an SME. The Peer-BIT builds on smE-MPOWER methodology that represents state-of-the art approach and consists of number of tools that are used in the process of coaching SMEs towards business innovation. Although smE-MPOWER was validated and enhanced internationally in EU FP7 funded project, only few innovation support programmes using the methodology are in place throughout the EU. The main objective of the project is therefore to increase efficiency of smE-MPOWER implementation through peer learning. Two of the partners (JIC and LIC) have to various degrees implemented smE-MPOWER into their programmes, whereas the third partner (TMG) has no previous smE-MPOWER experience, but has a long track record of providing innovation support services. Peer-BIT will develop activities aimed at accelerating learning process among the project partners, their coaches and experts in smE-MPOWER. In particular, two peer review workshops will be organized with real-case coaching elements that will provide partner agencies with an authentic experience of service delivery on real case examples of SMEs. As a result Peer-BIT will increase quality of existing services based on smE-MPOWER and will facilitate uptake of the methodology by TMG and other agencies. The know-how in implementing smE-MPOWER tools that will be built up in course of the project will be then codified in the Design Option Paper, a step by step guidance on designing smE-MPOWER-based innovation support programme. Peer-BIT will contribute to the effort of improving, or setting up of new SME innovation management support services in EU.

It is the aim of PERMIDES to strenghten the competitiveness and foster the innovation potential of Personalized Medicine as an Emerging Industry in Europe by providing key solutions for the reconfiguration of the biopharmaceutical value chain towards a Health Economy 4.0 with a special focus on oncology (i.e. cancer treatment). Current value chain challenges lie in e.g. data gathering and exchange, big data and machine learning, or new software-based marketing methods based. Via a cross-clustering approach, leading biopharma and IT clusters from three countries (Austria, Germany and Norway) will create novel cross-sectoral collaborations between SMEs to address innovation barriers in the biopharma sector via cutting-edge IT solutions. As a cross-cutting industry, the ICT and software sector is an enabler of innovation in many industries and therefore provides a broad knowledge base of processes and best practice solutions in diverse industrial contexts and business environments. PERMIDES will create an collaboration space consisting of workshops, a semantic online matchmaking portal complemented by matchmaking events that will allow biopharma enterprises to identify the most suitable ICT company from the participating clusters. In a second step, the biopharmaceutical SME and the ICT partner will jointly tackle an innovation barrier in the value chain using an innovation voucher scheme. Follow-up coaching and transfer activites by the cluster organisations will maximise the effect of around 90 collaborative projects that PERMIDES aims to achieve.

The Horizon 2020 work programme names the lack of innovation management capacity as “…an important barrier to creating economic impact…” and accordingly as a significant challenge for innovative SMEs. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that consulting services to address these gaps are either not sufficiently available in certain regions, not affordable or not sufficiently tailored to the specific needs of SMEs. In the course of this action, the Austrian consortium will support SMEs in addressing these factors hindering successful innovation cycles. Activities will be targeted at enhancing the innovation management capacity (EIMC) of SMEs and at providing substantial consulting and support services in the form of key account management (KAM) to beneficiaries of the Horizon 2020 SME instrument. The support will be delivered by experts well experienced in innovation related issues, working for the major innovation and research promotion agencies in Austria. Services will be provided in close cooperation and coordination with the National Contact Points and major regional and national stakeholders, guaranteeing a holistic approach and a high quality of services promoting the successful introduction of Austrian innovations to the European and international market.

The overall goal of SCALE-UP is to support regional multi-actor partnerships, consisting of private businesses, governments and policymakers, civil society organisations, and researchers in identifying and scaling-up innovative and sustainable bio-based value chains that build on regional resources. Through its approach, SCALE-UP will adapt, implement and evaluate tools to help regional actors to overcome the apparent bottlenecks towards fully exploiting bioeconomy potentials in their region. A four phase methodology will: i) establish existing knowledge and set the stage for further research, as well as creating six regional platforms with local stakeholders; ii) facilitate cross-regional transfer of knowledge and demand-driven capacity building, and provide support to multi-actor partnerships to carry out market assessments and business model designs; iii) create a pan-European ‘Community of Practice’ to facilitate sharing good practices and lessons learned across European regions; and iv) disseminate and exploit project results in collaboration with key stakeholders. In addition to the focus on increasing capacity and knowledge on the bioeconomy among relevant actors in the regions, a key feature of SCALE-UP is the business development programme to be applied by the local communities. With an emphasis on the principles of co-creation, transparency and open innovation, the project will provide advisory support to innovators and regional stakeholders to assess market conditions, elaborate business plans and identify compatible funding sources for 12 bio-based solutions.