Successful growth companies tend to be significantly better at innovation management than average. However, most SMEs and SME support organisations consider the inability to manage innovation processes efficiently and effectively as one of the most important barriers to create European economic impact (competitiveness, growth and jobs) from innovation activities in SMEs. The objective of this project proposal is to address these problems by providing services enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs wishing to develop innovation projects with a strong European or international potential. All three partners active in this proposal are partners in Enterprise Europe Network under COSME (SweNet) to assure fully integrated services and a true one-stop-shop for business and innovation support to SMEs. Consequently, synergies with COSME activities are easily identified. All innovation experts will also have a role as both KAM and EIMC providers and synergies will be handled effectively. Each client specific needs will be prioritised during the client journey ensuring that we will make the best use of our resources, including the local, national and EU ecosystem.

Successful growth companies tend to be significantly better at innovation management than average. However, most SMEs and SME support organisations consider the inability to manage innovation processes efficiently and effectively as one of the most important barriers to create European economic impact (competitiveness, growth and jobs) from innovation activities in SMEs. The objective of this project proposal is to address these problems by providing services enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs wishing to develop innovation projects with a strong European or international potential. There are two SME target groups that will receive 74 7-day work packages. 1. 37 SME beneficiaries of the funding schemes SME Instrument, Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) and Future and Emerging Technologies Open ( FET-Open) under H2020 will be supported by Key Account Managers (KAM); and 2. 37 SMEs with significant innovation activities and a high potential for internationalisation will be supported by EIMC experts to ensure that the innovation management capacity of the SME is increased The specific objectives related to the first target group are to ensure that SME beneficiaries of H2020 can exploit their full innovation potential. A KAM will identify weaknesses in the innovation capacities of the SME, identify suitable coaches who will address the identified weaknesses and facilitate the SME- coach interaction. The specific objectives related to the second target group are to ensure that the innovation management capacities of the SMEs increase. An EIMC export will carry out innovation management capacity assessments, set up an action plans to address identified bottlenecks and implement the action plans. Five partners: IVF, Acreo, RISE, LTU Business AB and Invest in Skane will carry out these services and all of Sweden will be covered (i.e. all three Nuts 1 regions). The coordinator, Tillväxtverket, will have the overall responsibility.

Successful growth companies tend to be significantly better at innovation management than average. However, most SMEs and SME support organisations consider the inability to manage innovation processes efficiently and effectively as one of the most important barriers to create European economic impact (competitiveness, growth and jobs) from innovation activities in SMEs. The objective of this project proposal is to address these problems by providing services enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs wishing to develop innovation projects with a strong European or international potential. Four partners in the Swedish Enterprise Europe Network (SweNet) are taking part in the H2020 activities 2017-2018 where Swedish SMEs will be coached. There are two SME target groups that will receive 132 7-day work packages: 1. 66 SME beneficiaries of the SME Instrument in Horizon 2020 – to be supported by Key Account Managers (KAM), and 2. 66 SMEs with significant innovation activities and a high potential for internationalisation – to be supported by innovation experts. The specific objectives related to the first target group of 66 SMEs are to identify weaknesses in the innovation capacities of the beneficiary that hinder the realisation of growth opportunities and of the full commercial potential of SME Instrument participants, to identify suitable coaches to address the identified weaknesses and moderating the coach-client relationship and to accompany the beneficiary through the SME instrument project. The specific objectives related to the second target group of 66 SMEs are to carry out innovation management capacity assessments using agreed methodologies of selected SMEs, to set up action plans to address these bottlenecks, and to implement the action plans. The partner IVF, Acreo, Centek and SP will cover all of Sweden (all three Nuts 1 regions). The coordinator, The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth will not be involved in any service act

Lack of innovation management is one of the most important barriers to create economic impact (competitiveness, growth and jobs) from innovation activities in SMEs. The objective of this project proposal is to address these problems by providing services enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs. Four partners in the Swedish Enterprise Europe Network (SweNet) took part in the 2014 pilot action IS/KAM where 25 Swedish SMEs were coached. The target for this project is to deliver 105 7-day service packages to two SME target groups: 1) SME beneficiaries of the SME Instrument in Horizon 2020 – to be supported by Key Account Managers (KAM), and 2) SMEs with significant innovation activities and a high potential for internationalisation – to be supported by innovation specialists (IS). The specific objectives related to the first target group of 42 SMEs are to identify weaknesses in their innovation capacities, to identify suitable business coaches for them, and to accompany them through Phase 2 of the SME instrument project. The specific objectives related for the second target group of 63 SMEs are to carry out diagnostic audits of selected SMEs, to set up action plans to address bottlenecks, and to implement the action plans. The partner IVF, Acreo, Centek and SP will cover all of Sweden (all three Nuts 1 regions). The coordinator, The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth will not be involved in any service activities. The tools to be used to assess the innovation management capacity will be IMP3rove and Innovation Health Check.