The project aims to use the experience, the tools, the capacity and the partners’ knowledge in order to address a common innovation support challenge namely to improve the efficiency and minimize the risk of financial instruments for innovation for SMEs through the integration of designing thinking skills and processes into the design and management of the financial instruments in order to become user friendly. The project will create a full guide that will help funding agencies/innovation agencies and managing authorities to improve the performance using design thinking. The toolbox/guide, entitled “Design Option Paper”, will help innovation agencies/ funding agencies to : - Minimize investment risks of the financial instruments by developing a method that can be used during the investment decision phase of all the financial products - Create user-friendly financial instruments by using the tool Financial Instrument Blueprint that will be developed - Understand what are the needs of their target groups (SMEs) by using “Persona tool” - Map SMEs journey when participating in a Financial Instrument by using the “Business Journey Tool” - Identify the level of SMEs satisfaction per type and stage of a financial instrument - Find the gaps/ issues and improve the process/ structure of the Financial Instruments - Learn to test the new financial instrument before the full launch in the market by using “Prototyping Methods” The Peer learning activity will serve to learn from the best and to share good and bad practices regarding the performance of financial instruments. The realized Design Options Paper will serve as a “guide” or a “handbook” to other organizations that design and/ or implement financial instruments for SMEs.

Go SIV project aims at improving the support provided to SMEs innovation processes by testing and developing a model of innovation ecosystem named “Smart Industrial Villages” (SIV). In specific, the “Smart Industrial Villages” approach refers to a process of renovation of small and medium sized industrial areas located in the suburbs or within urban that were planned according to old models and included both small industrial enterprises and craft activities. Go SIV has the aims to respond to specific needs (renovate the industrial areas; qualify the SMEs located in the area, respond to new criteria of urban quality). It also has the aims to develop and test an innovative model for refurbishment of industrial and craft areas promoting inclusive and participatory processes, the best synergies with public transport, accessibility, commercial and recreational use, activating new «smart» services, proposing forms of circular economy and sustainability. Through this, promoting the functionality of the local areas as innovation ecosystem, new forms of innovation and entrepreneurship in a proactive way as suggested by the call “for a better innovation of SMEs” of the work programme 2016-2017. The project will use the peer learning methodology promoted by the INNOSUP-05-2016-2017 topic, involving different regional development and innovation agencies with complementary expertise about the topics relevant for the “Smart Industrial Villages”. The partners will exchange knowledge and experience, and will develop proper local case studies (obtaining a process of “learning by doing”). The joint work of project partners together with the peer learning will produce a Design Options Paper for the implementation of local initiatives intended to develop a “Smart Industrial Village” and related innovation support services, and will promote an enhancement of the role and the effectiveness of development and innovation agencie as innovation intermediaries as expected by the topic.

Nowadays, students face at least 40 years of professional life on the open European job market. However, graduates of vocational schools have difficulty in obtaining employment in accordance with the learned profession. Countries have a variety of vocational training systems making it difficult for the employers in another country to understand skills and professional qualifications acquired in the graduate’s home country.There are no tools allowing for identification of professional skills and competences acquired by graduates in another country within the national vocational training system. Therefore, EU policy on vocational education focuses on the development of the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training.The aim is to provide easy recognition and understanding of the skills and qualifications (ECVET) on the labor market in Germany, Poland and Portugal based on the professions of an electrician and car mechanic. It is the key to a more effective transfer on the European labour market.An innovative approach is making a reference of the effects of national education systems (skills and vocational competences) to the needs and expectations of employers. Therefore, the project is strongly oriented at work environment.The partners in the project are intentionally matched partners having international experience in the areas of training, research and professional learning outcomes as well as needs of employers, the evaluation of the results and the creation of new solutions.Achieving this objective will be implemented by 5 actions:1. Preparing by the task teams the description of vocational training systems in Germany, Poland and Portugal, the comparative analysis between the national systems of education, obtaining qualifications and professional competence in school vocations of electrician and car mechanic.2. Conducting by task groups research on the needs and expectations of employers in Germany, Poland and Portugal on typical positions in the professions of electrician and car mechanic, a comparative analysis of the expected skills and professional competence on typical positions.3. Conducting research by an international team of comparative studies between the anticipated effects of formal education in the professions of electrician and car mechanic with regard to the expectations of employers. Based on the findings Model of Recognition of professional qualifications for their transfer to the European labor market will be developed.4. Testing by an international team of experts Model of Recognition of professional qualifications for the transfer of the European labor market in the professions of electrician and car mechanic by the following methods:- expert testing of the Model,- Consultations of the Model in the participating countries and collecting opinions and conclusions.Based on the results of testing the final version of the Model will be developed.5. Developing an open ICT tool containing the Model. The ICT tool is powered by data elaborated in the framework of the project for the professions of electrician and car mechanic. It will be possible to extend it to other professions. International task teams and teams of experts will be appointed by partners considering the substantive scope of the task and the necessary knowledge and competencies needed to achieve the planned results of operation. The final results of the project will be: - an open ICT tool with the contents of the Model of Recognition of professional qualifications for their transfer to the European labor market on the markets in Germany, Poland and Portugal - handbook for the independent use of the Model of Recognition of professional qualifications for the transfer on the European labor market in relation to other professions and selected labor markets The target groups are:- Public bodies responsible for education policies,- Entrepreneurs,- Institutions supporting the labor market,- Vocational schools, vocational training teachers, methodical consultants,- Individual development specialists.The project will have an impact on the increase of:- the increase of competence of the participants with regard to a greater understanding of the transfer of skills and competences in relation to the needs of entrepreneurs,- increasing the international dimension of the activities and the creation of new innovative ideas in the field of ECVET.- increasing the knowledge and awareness of the effects of training in different EU countries and the associated diverse skills and professional competences of graduates as future employees.Long-term benefits will be related to the fact that the partner organizations will create a network of cooperation partners accumulating their past experience on the follow-up to the European dimension of vocational education after completion of the project.The result ensuring sustainability of the project is the ICT tool, available on the internet.

<< Objectives >>The Academy4Business project brings together 4 academic and 4 business organisations from Estonia, Czech Republic, Poland and Spain. In international cooperation they develop and pilot a cross-disciplinary, cross-border, and cross-sector innovative blended course on developing and supporting EdTech entrepreneur mindset. This capacity-building project aims at reducing the cap between the academic and business sectors by reciprocal knowledge transfer and supporting future entrepreneurs.<< Implementation >>The Academy4Business will implement online and hands-on learning opportunities for students and professors who learn together with business mentors. The opportunities are first co-designed by using the design thinking approach, then piloted and followed by feedback, improved and transferred to the digital deliverables for a 6-credit A4B blended course curriculum. To achieve it, 4 physical co-design sessions, 9 online webinars, 3 onsite 3-day workshops, 9 mentoring sessions will be conducted.<< Results >>The main result is a 6-credit blended course for academy to boost the entrepreneurial and scientific mind-set for future entrepreneurs and knowledge workers in EdTech. It consists of several innovative high-level digital deliverables that are disseminated to the wider audience via open educational digital resources and multiplier events. The main impact of the project is to increase the quality and relevance of partnering-universities’ teaching activities in entrepreneurship field.

The objective of the project is to contribute to and enhance the innovation potential and innovation management skills within SMEs in the West Poland area. The project will follow a developed methodology to help the regional businesses to increase their innovation capacity and to innovate profitably. The project will be implemented via 2 specific schemes: 1) Service ‘Key account management for SME Instrument beneficiaries’. This service will be aimed at SMEs which will be successful in applying for the SME Instrument Programme under the Horizon 2020 (Phase I and / or Phase II). Upon the receipt of the information (potential beneficiary’s contact details) from the EC/ EASME, the project partner will contact the potential beneficiary in order to explain the service and convince the SME to apply for the coaching scheme. 2) Service: ‘Enhancing the innovation management capacity of SME’s’. This service will be aimed at promising SMEs capable of growth and successful internationalisation that have real potential for innovation via proper development of their products, processes, services or business model but who lack the right skills, knowledge and experience to manage the innovation activities. The aim of this scheme is to first of all support those SMEs in order to make them unlock their potential for better management of the processes linked to innovation.