Innovation is key to boost productivity and has a role to play in the economic success of the era of new technologies (The Global Competitiveness Report 2018, WEF), while digitisation offers SMEs new opportunities to take part in the next production revolution (OECD SME and Entrepreneurship Outlook 2019). However, SMEs can lag behind in innovation capacity and innovation management capacity skills compared to large companies. Enterprise Europe Network-Hellas consists of 12 major business support organisations - key innovation players, industrial associations and innovation support organisations, as well as chambers of commerce and industry - creating a country-wide network. This network serves as a key facilitator in enhancing the competitiveness, innovation capacity and growth potential of Greek SMEs. The overall goal of the proposed action is to enhance the innovation capacities of Greek SMEs with international ambitions enabling their business growth and boosting their competitiveness in the Single Market and beyond. More specifically, the proposed action aims to: • Assist SMEs in identifying and addressing innovation management gaps and developing respective strategies; • Support SMEs to utilize the opportunities offered under the EIC Pilot Schemes -SME Instrument(SMEI), Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) and Future and Emerging Technologies (FET Open) programmes- as a tool for bridging the gap between research, innovation and market; • Identify SMEs with the capacity to innovate and internationalise and provide them with tailored services; • Offer targeted assistance on innovation management that, compared to large companies, have limited capacity for R&D activities and consulting services; • Support business innovators to translate their ideas into market success, fostering their innovation potential; • Empower SMEs to unlock their growth potential by better managing more effectively and efficiently their innovation processes.

The need for supporting innovation-driven entrepreneurship in Europe as a vehicle for boosting its competitiveness and growth has been evidenced and adopted as one of the key targets and priorities of EU policy and initiatives for the coming years (The Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014, 2014, WEF). Statistics show that only 50% of EU SMEs innovate and that only a fraction of those export, whereas one of the reasons identified in this respect is constraints relating to innovation management capacity (Regional policy for smart growth of SMEs, 2013, EC). Innovative SMEs have been already identified as one of the groups which EU funding tools should support, however the majority of EU SMEs still lag behind in innovation capacity and innovation management capacity skills. As expected, the above are applicable at a superlative degree to Greek SMEs, for which the 2013 SBA Fact Sheet clearly shows relevant bottlenecks such as e.g. deterioration in their capacity to convert new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations into sales. Under this frame, the Enterprise Europe Network-Hellas (FPA 671771), a well-placed and experienced network of experts and organisations, working in close proximity to Greek SMEs, will advance its support to the innovative companies by providing complementary services for the enhancement of their innovation management capacity. The proposed action aims to: •Identify SMEs with the capacity to innovate and internationalise, provide them with the tailored services to improve their capacity to manage innovation processes •Support SMEs to utilize the opportunities offered under the SME Instrument programme •Support business innovators with international ambitions to translate their ideas into market success •Foster the innovation potential of SMEs that, compared to large companies, have limited capacity for risky/costly R&D activities and consulting services •Offer targeted assistance on innovation management that is not available to Greek SMEs.

<< Objectives >>The ISIDE project aims to develop skills in the field of social and environmental sustainability for the benefit of the corporate population of SMEs in the territories involved by adopting training solutions in line with the evolution of technologies and multimedia languages and to promote digital integration in learning activities by training and aligning a pool of trainers with sustainability paths, business models and impact measurement methodologies.<< Implementation >>The activities are defined in detail within 5 distinct Work Packages:WP1: PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION, QUALITY ASSURANCE AND EVALUATION WP2: DESIGN OF LEARNING PROGRAMMEWP3: PRODUCTION OF INTERACTIVE AND GAMIFIED EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AND TOOLSWP4: PILOTINGWP5: DISSEMINATION<< Results >>The project will provide the skills in the field of social and environmental sustainability regarding strategic paths, business models, organizational processes, measurement tools to the workers of SMEs in the territorial contexts of reference of the partnership. It will also retrain a pool of trainers and business consultants on instructional design and game-based learning to create a detailed evaluation process to be applied in the field during company check-ups.

CONTEXT/BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT:Collaborative/Sharing Economy (SHE) and New Forms of Employment (NFE) could facilitate the achievement of increasing job creation through Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship.Sharing Economy, characterized by peer-to-peer based sharing of access to goods and services, has emerged in the business world. Emergence of community dynamics and the use of ICTs are main agents of transformation guiding the Sharing Economy. It´s accompanied by a conceptual transformation that sees the collaborative work or participatory consumption as an important potential source of employment in the coming years, giving access to the labour market for those who have failed in finding a job through conventional ways.New Forms of Employment have also emerged characterized by unconventional work patterns and places of work or by the irregular provision of work that have transformed the traditional one-to-one relationship between employer and employeeOBJECTIVESThe project has achieved the most of the objectives initially pursuedMain objective of the project was to increase the competences of Long Term Unemployed Persons and Young Work Seekers, and Human Resources (HR) Directors or Technicians, about how to exploit the Sharing Economy and New Forms of Employment to increase Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship opportunities. Only some parts of the training program were finally applicable to Human Resources (HR) experts, because Sharing Economy Platforms are not so applicable to their activity.Main specific objectives were:•Provide the trainees with the necessary awareness and knowledge about Sharing Economy and New Forms of Employment dynamics, including the functioning of related ICT tools and platforms.•Facilitate to the trainees the development of their own Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment Plans using Sharing Economy and New Forms of Employment concepts and ICT Platforms.•Facilitate to the trainees the acquisition and improvement of competences to boost their EPS and SE Plans (creativity and innovation, digital skills, management of social networks and personal branding).•Facilitate to the trainees the acquisition and improvement of knowledge to deal with specific topics like: access to funding, regulatory environments and access to markets.•Connect both sides of the labor market, employers and work seekers in the same training environment.•Provide the trainees real and collaborative work approaches where they can apply the trained skills and increase their employability immediately during the training courseNUMBER AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS:A total of 6 partners from 5 countries have participated in the project, covering all the needed competences:•4 Entities addressed to Long Term and Young Unemployed (CHAMBER COMMERCE VALENCIA, ARKADIA, RCCI and CPU) •1 Knowledge Partner (FORBA) working in the field of research and innovation in the labour market including application of Sharing Economy (SHE) and New Forms of Employment (NFE•1 Knowledge and Training Partner (COORDINA) specialized in developing innovative training programs and contents trough practical and collaborative methodologies, addressed to unemployed persons and students.Description of undertaken main activities:DESCRIPTION OF UNDERTAKEN MAIN ACTIVITIES:•Development of a Co-Created Methodological Guide (I.O.1)•Development of Training Materials (I.O.2)•Development of Designed Experiential Training Activities (I.O.3)•Development of co-LABOURative LAB e-Training Platform (I.O.4), including the implementation of Validation of all the Intelectual Outputs developed through Pilot Actions involving around 160 traineesProject Activities has been completed with Management and Implementation Actions including:•Technical and Administrative & Financial Management •Quality Assurance •Dissemination & ExploitationRESULTS AND IMPACT ATTAINEDThe achievement of objectives is divided between objectives in terms of results and impact:Results:The project has developed and validated all the foreseen Intellectual Outputs:-I.O.1 Co-Created Methodological Guide-I.O.2 Training Materials-I.O.3 Experiential Training Activities-I.O.4 e-Training Platform- 4 CO-LABOURATIVE LAB UnitsThe project has developed 4 Multiplier Events in Spain, Slovenia, Bulgaria and GreeceImpact:The project has created a direct impact in the target group through the implementation of Co-Creation Sessions and Pilot Actions, according to the objectives estimated in the Application Form involving 154 unemployed and HHRR expertsThe project has created an indirect impact in the target group through the implementation of Dissemination Actions, , according to the objectives estimated in the Application FormLonger-term benefits; Through the sustainability plan defined, 750 persons in Europe will improve their professional position yearly

The need for supporting innovation-driven entrepreneurship in Europe as a vehicle for boosting its competitiveness and growth has been evidenced and adopted as one of the key targets and priorities of EU policy and initiatives (The Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014, 2014, WEF). Empirical analysis shows that innovation, can account for a substantial share of economic growth – often around 50% of total GDP growth – depending on various factors (OECD STI Policy 2015). Innovative SMEs have been already identified as one of the groups which EU funding tools should support, however the majority of EU SMEs still lag behind in innovation capacity and innovation management capacity skills. As expected, the above hold true for Greek SMEs. The 2017 SBA Fact Sheet clearly shows Greek SMEs score below the EU28 average in their capacity to convert new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations into sales. At the same time, Greek SMEs introducing product or process innovations score higher than the EU average. Under this frame, the Enterprise Europe Network-Hellas (FPA 649598), a well-placed and experienced network of experts and organisations, working in close proximity to Greek SMEs, will advance its support to the innovative companies by providing complementary services for the enhancement of their innovation management capacity. The proposed action aims to: • Identify SMEs with the capacity to innovate and internationalise, provide them with the tailored services to improve their capacity to manage innovation processes • Support SMEs to utilize the opportunities offered under the SME Instrument, Fast Track to Innovation and Future Emerging Technologies OPEN programmes • Support business innovators with international ambitions to translate their ideas into market success • Foster the innovation potential of SMEs that, compared to large companies, have limited capacity for risky/costly R&D activities and consulting services • Offer targeted assistance on innovation managemen