© European Communities, 2011 Questions to be answered: Opportunities and challenges for Web 2.0 on the SMEs Small and medium enterprises (SME) are pressured towards greater efficiency, specialization and innovation. Web 2.0 technologies can be used as solution to those needs, enabling new working methods, where the role of communities and collaboration is of particular importance. But are the Portuguese SMEs actually using them and what is the willingness and readiness of the companies? Do they foresee adoption in the near future? Who are the perceived “change agents” and what are the critical factors that impact on adoption? What can be done and what is needed? In the search for the answers to these (and other) questions AIP-CE and CEPCEP/ UCP did a series of qualitative workshops, a quantitative survey and a set of think tanks. All these tools were based a upon a custom made analytical model: Quantitative analysis For getting actual data from the SME population, a survey of 2.0 topics, from IT to business processes was conducted. Interviews with managers were taken, testing the quality of the survey structure. 800 SME were selected and 98 joined the survey; in the end 46 SMEs were studied – in some cases involving personalized interviews and follow-ups. Contact Bruno Marques CEPCEP/UCP Rui Brandão CEPCEP/UCP NOTES 1.Poster Title Replace the mock-up text of the poster title (”Joint Research Centre”) with the text of your own title. Keep the original font colour (100c 80m 0y 0k). Keep the flush-right justification. Set it in Helvetica Rounded Bold Condensed, if you own the typeface. Otherwise, in Arial, Helvetica or Verdana – plain or bold. Keep the original font body size (102 pt or, preferably,120 pt) and the title on a single line whenever possible. Reduce the body size and/or set the title on more than one line only if unavoidable. 2.Poster Subtitle Replace the mock-up text of the poster subtitle (”Place Your Poster Subtitle Here”) with the text of your own subtitle. Keep the original font colour (black). Keep the flush-right justification. Set it in MetaPlusBook-Roman, if you own the typeface. Otherwise, in Arial, Helvetica or Verdana. Keep the original font body size (72 pt) and the subtitle on a single line whenever possible. Reduce the body size and/or set the subtitle on more than one line only if unavoidable. If your poster does not have a main subtitle, delete the subtitle mock-up text or its text-box altogether. 3.Poster Main Text and Illustrations Replace the mock-up text of the poster with your own text. Keep it within the boundaries of the two main-text boxes provided. Keep the original font colour (black). Should you need a second colour within your text, use the same one of the poster title (100c 80m 0y 0k). Keep the flush-left justification. Set the main text in MetaPlusBook-Roman and the section headings in MetaPlusBold-Roman, if you own the typefaces. Otherwise, the main text in Arial, Helvetica or Verdana, and the section headings in their respective bold weights. Adjust the font body size and leading to the needs of your own text, depending on its overall length, for optimal display and legibility. Should you need a second level of text, set it in a smaller body size than that of your main text (and, in the case of photo captions, in italics, too). Place your illustrations (pictures, graphs, etc.) within the boundaries of the two main-text boxes. Adjust your text-flow as needed. 4.Contact Box Replace the mock-up contents of the contact box with your own data. Keep the contact box in place if possible. Place it elsewhere only if unavoidable for layout reasons, but in that case try, at least, to align it with some main element of the poster. 5.Additional Logos Should you need to display additional logos (e.g., of partner organizations or universities), reduce or enlarge them to a height within those of the JRC logo and the Directorate or Institute logo. Place any additional logos on the bottom of the poster, evenly spaced between the JRC and (if there is one) the Directorate or Institute logo, and vertically centred with them INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE The search for reality Qualitative analysis Our qualitative empiric verification activities were: Workshops with 6 Portuguese SMEs, with the purpose of validating our integrated approach and to construct a Vision of SME 2.0 – using 2.0 tools to conduct collaborative processes in order to fulfill internal and/or external learning needs. Three Think Tank meetings with both academic and business representatives were organized around 2.0 themes, consolidated the vision of a systematic model of implementing 2.0 technologies in SME and the need to cope with changes in culture, management framework and competences. Conclusion: reality bites back Key Findings: #1: Web 2.0 adoption in SME is in the first place a human and organizational challenge, and only afterwards a technological one. This topic was debated during the workshops and there was a clear idea the IT 2.0 is a mean to an end, and not the end on itself. #2 : Portuguese SME usage of web 2.0 is just in its early stages. Currently the adhesion on the field is low. On the short term no mass adoption of tools 2.0 can be perceived The impact of Web 2.0 in the informal learning of the Portuguese SME #3 : IT adoption in SME requires an internal change agenda, which can mean a structural change. #4 : SME Management is aware of the potential and is open to change. #5 : Is it possible to draw the picture of a typical Early Adopter. #6 : Even in Early Adopters, Web 1.0 is still the main focus comparing with Web 2.0 adoption. #7: There are facilitators that can impact on Web2.0 implementation. Future actions There are several options considering an action plan to accelerate Web 2.0 adoption and value creation: Communication strategy and awareness program; Implementation of a cluster-based platform to foster SME collaboration 2.0; Investigation project with a European scope aiming the context of SME and Web 2.0 Businesses and public policy makers should not be indifferent to this opportunity and trend in the knowledge based society. Model of Analysis (source :Author´s Analysis) Sampling Process Sample SMEs sectors – number of companies that agreed to participate in the study