"Innovation is a major driving-force of economic growth, social development and job creation in the contemporary knowledge-based economic outlook. East Marmara Development Agency (EMDA) is an institution that operates in line with international, national and regional policies and strategies in order to ensure regional development. In this direction, a strategy of developing innovation management consultancy was defined both in the East Marmara Regional Plan 2014-2023 and the Regional Innovation Strategy on the Basis of Smart Specialization 2014-2018 in order to increase the competitiveness of the region. Within the framework of this strategy, EMDA carried out certain activities related to innovation management consultancy since 2016. One of these activities, which is also the basis of our project, is the InnoTEAM Competition Project. This project aims to measure, compare and improve innovation management capacities of the SMEs in the region. While carrying out this program, human resources who can analyze the innovation management capacity of the companies and draw a roadmap in this area was the most important need in the region. Based on this need, our InnoHabitS Project was designed and implemented. In this context, our project aims to raise human resources to increase innovation management capacity of the SMEs in the East Marmara Region in the light of global trends and regional dynamics.Objectives of the project are defined as increasing awareness of innovation in the region, developing a new regional innovative business model, designing an e-learning platform, online and interactive training materials, raising 15 staff from EMDA and KOSANO at the first stage and providing training to 25 SMEs, 140 candidates of innovation consultant and 70 candidates of innovation consultant trainers under EMDA-LLL at the second stage.Our project aims to raise human resources to improve innovation capacity of the SMEs in the region via lifelong learning and develop a new regional innovation business model in line with global trends, regional needs and dynamics. In this respect, the direct target groups consist of the employees of the SMEs in the region while the indirect target groups consist of the employees of OIZs, TDSz, Chambers, TTOs and other relevant stakeholders to be raised as the candidates of consultants and trainers. Initially, the target groups and local stakeholders were informed about the project activities in The Kick-Off Meeting. Then, a need analysis was made to draw a general framework of the project outputs and activities. Within the scope of a new regional innovation business model, “An Overview of Innovation Management and Innovative Business Model Workshop” was held to discuss the problems which the SMEs encountered and develop suggestions to on innovation management as part of the need analysis. Additionally, online survey and depth interviews were conducted with SMEs as part of the field study. After reviewing literature, researching international, national and regional policies, strategies were developed to constitute a new regional innovation business model with the contribution of all partners.In the light of the regional needs and global trends, training materials were designed to improve the innovation management capacity of our target groups. Through these materials, 2 stages training programs were carried out to raise human resources in the region. At the first stage, 14 staff of EMDA and KCI received trainings by the project partners as the candidates of trainers and innovation consultants to guarantee the sustainability of the derived services. 14 SMEs were analyzed in terms of innovation management capacity and prepared action plans specific to the firms by the trained staff as a part of on-the-job training. At the second stage, these trained staff provide online trainings to the target groups under EMDA-LLL due to COVID-19 restrictions. With these trainings, 44 employees of 35 SMEs from different sectors, 125 candidates of innovation consultant and 38 candidates of innovation consultant trainers from OIZs, Tekno parks, TTOs, Chambers and universities were entitled to get participation certificates. Furthermore, an e-learning platform was developed to provide free access to training materials and resources for improving knowledge on innovation management and brings all partners and the target groups together. Within the scope of project dissemination at international level, the project was evaluated as a good example for the other development agencies after presenting in the ""Developing Skills for the Future of Economy"" event organized by EURADA. After all, project results were introduced to the attention of regional and national stakeholders to develop further collaboration opportunities at the closing symposium. To sum up, the innovation management capacity of the SMEs in the region was improved and human resources were raised through the project outputs and activities."