1. Capitalising the full potential of on-line collaboration for SME innovation support H2020-INNOSUP-2015-2 Context and Objectives Info-session Brussels, 26/01/15

2. Business partnering is…

3. Existing tools Challenge: Identifying suitable partners for innovation activities In the real world (a) the provision of networking space for personal meetings ('clusters') either as one-off meeting (‘brokerage events’) combined with (b) the definition of ‘cooperation profiles’ (‘technology offers’, ‘partner search profile’ etc.) that are distributed through networks of intermediaries  Physical meetings are well appreciated by SMEs – services are well targeted – but outreach is limited

4. Existing tools (platforms) Other commercial offers like ‘linked in’ or various crowdsourcing platforms have a very wide outreach but do not regarding themselves as innovation platforms for SMEs The British ‘_connect’ platform: a protected space for companies to display their competences, interest and skills, to reach out to a large number of peers, to make them personal contacts etc.  Hypothesis: Only a small number of enterprises using such open collaboration platforms have already the skills to fully benefit from the opportunities offered

5. Is the “brokerage function” missing? Many SMEs establish contacts on the platform – which could eventually eliminate the ‘brokerage function’ that is so far provided by many intermediaries – but they unable to maintain the group of contacts or to draw on their skills in the preparation of innovation projects In that respect they could benefit from a new generation of support services that assist to create value with the group of contacts (“assistance to online collaboration for innovation”)

6. Call scope: To address the described gaps by tackling one or more of the following aspects: How would such services look like? Develop and test new service designs for ‘assistance to online collaboration for innovation’ for SMEs in diverse sectors Could services reach entrepreneurs / SMEs not yet benefitting from (traditional) support? Make such new services accessible for enterprises in sectors that are typically not yet benefitting from innovation support Which new qualifications / skills do those offering the new services require? Develop and test a qualification profile, curriculum or training courses for staff currently providing brokerage services

7. Objective Development of a ‘new service offering' (provided by humans not by machines) that assist SMEs to make better use of the big online communities that already exist (linkedin, skipso, _connect, virtual clusters, discussion forums etc….). [Such a service would / could be formulated as additional module / function of an existing platform. It would even be very advisable to have the new service connected to / integrated in an existing platform to allow for testing.]

8. Impact Horizon2020 part "Innovation in SME" shall enhance the innovation support to SMEs for example by 'policy learning' among agencies. It is not a support to the innovation projects of SME (like the SME instrument). Impact is expected inter alia on: "efficiency of innovation support services – for example those of the EEN" "Qualification profile and training material [for the staff in agencies] published under a creative commons license"

9. Services to be designed Service designs and qualification profiles shall be formulated independently from a particular collaboration or social media platform Tests of services shall be undertaken on platforms that are open and bring together already a critical mass of enterprises and innovation stakeholders Establishing such platforms will not be supported

10. Dos What could be proposed: A new combination of 'real world services' & 'on-line services' and / or innovation in one or both of them. These services should be tested during the project and analysed with respect to the 'required skills of those providing this new service‘ The 'tool' should be understood a very generic term describing the 'service', its supporting software and the people.

11. Don’ts No new platform to be set up, which would then have to start to look for SME subscribing Not just an 'international extension' on an existing platform without any innovation in the services the platform is describing

12. Thank you for your attention Sven Schade European Commission, DG Grow/Unit F.2