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The digital transformation of EU business and society presents enormous growth potential for Europe. It is estimated that digital technologies, such as Big Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence or the Internet of Things, have the potential to add 1.5 million jobs to the EU's digital economy, and that SMEs can grow two to three times faster when they integrate digital technologies into their business models. Nevertheless, on the one hand, SMEs are not currently taking full advantage of these advanced technologies because they usually lack orientation, know-how and hands-on solutions in line with their current business, and on the other hand, digitalisation services in too many occasions do not take into account the rapid changing innovation ecosystem and the emerging of new technologies.

The objective of DigiJourney is to enable the participating innovation agencies to exchange knowledge, know-how, and good practices on advanced methodologies and tools for digitalisation assessment to SMEs and customised support services. In particular, based on the Twinning+ methodology, the project aims to cover peer learning activities for three digitalisation approaches and the design of a digitalisation journey for SMEs, which will facilitate all innovation agencies to improve their digitalisation support services adapted to their specific national/regional contexts, and will allow SMEs to get the right digital tools to gain competitiveness. This peer-learning and peer-review scheme has been developed based on each partner's identified competences in advanced digitalisation services for SMEs.

DigiJourney will therefore contribute to the specific challenge of increasing SMEs support programmes and the satisfaction of them with the support provided, through a joint learning effort of the three participating partners and the elaboration of a suitable Design Options Paper that will be shared with other EU innovation agencies and networks, and with national and EU policy-makers.

La Incubadora de Alta Tecnología de Extremadura, especializada en Bioeconomía y Economía Circular, ha sido concebida para impulsar y atraer proyectos empresariales de base tecnológica orientados a obtener nuevos productos/procesos de alto valor añadido mediante técnicas de purificación y procesos biotecnológicos, a partir de los recursos naturales de la región y de los subproductos y residuos de la industria agroalimentaria.

El proyecto es desarrollado por un consorcio formado por el Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas de Extremadura (CICYTEX), como promotor de la infraestructura y prestador de servicios científico - tecnológicos a las empresas incubadas, junto a FUNDECYT-PCTEX y Extremadura AVANTE, como prestadoras de servicios avanzados de acompañamiento a las empresas incubadas.

Ubicada en el Instituto del Corcho, la Madera y el Carbón Vegetal (IPROCOR-CICYTEX), en el polígono industrial “El Prado” de la ciudad de Mérida, esta infraestructura aspira a convertirse en un espacio de incubación pionero en Extremadura, dotado con instalaciones de I+D+i y planta piloto pre industrial, que permita combinar acciones de incubación de empresas de base tecnológica, mejora de competitividad, transferencia de conocimiento y tecnología e internacionalización.

Para conseguirlo, una red de empresas, centros de conocimiento, entidades financieras y otras entidades ampliará la plataforma de servicios de la incubadora, actuando como tractores de las iniciativas incubadas. Además, se promoverán y ensayarán fórmulas de colaboración público–privadas que mejoren la eficiencia del modelo de atracción, incubación y aceleración de iniciativas emprendedoras basadas en la investigación y el desarrollo en Bioeconomía y Economía Circular.

El proyecto es financiado con el apoyo del Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), a través de la Fundación INCYDE, según el acuerdo de colaboración firmado entre ésta y la Cámara de Comercio de España dentro del Programa Operativo Plurirregional de España FEDER 2014-2020.

La dotación financiera para todo el proyecto asciende a 1.473.208 €, con una ayuda del Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) de 1.178.566,40 €. Por su parte, el presupuesto de FUNDECYT-PCTEX es de 40.000 €, con una ayuda del FEDER de 32.000 €.

The objective of Scale-ups Ready is to enable the participating innovation agencies to exchange knowledge, knowhow, and good practices on advanced methodologies and tools for scale-ups assessment (including SMEs with highgrowth potential) and customised support services, in order to develop better approaches for client intake and support of scale-ups.

Based on the Twinning + methodology, the project aims to cover peer-learning and peer-review activities for three kinds of services through specific assessment instruments that when combined offer in-depth analysis of the needs of scale-ups, in order to provide them with tailored support:
1) An advanced IP valuation scheme, IPscore� 2.2 (FORTH),
2) An advanced business innovation roadmap tool, smE-MPOWER 'Business innovation roadmap tool' (LIC),
3) An advanced Innovation Health Check assessment tool (FUNDECYT-PCTEX).

This peer-learning and peer-review scheme has been developed based on each partner's identified competences and gaps in advanced services for scale-ups. The result will bring in new added-value service offerings to participating organisations, will lead to better approaches and the adaptation of tools to the specific national/regional contexts.

The Design Options Paper will be shared with other EU innovation agencies and networks, and with national and EU policy-makers.

The Scale-ups Ready project brings together European partners from three different countries: Greece, Lithuania and Spain, who provide support services to SMEs. The project partners are:

• FORTH – FOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY HELLAS - Coordinator, Greece - www.praxinetwork.gr   
• LIC – VIESOJI ISTAIGA LIETUVOS INOVACIJU CENTRAS - Partner, Lithuania - www.lic.lt
• FUNDECYT PCTEX – FUNDACION FUNDECYT PARQUE CIENTIFICO Y TECNOLOGICO DE EXTREMADURA - Partner, Spain - www.fundecyt-pctex.es.

GREENIN is a peer learning project, financed by the European Union`s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, led by FUNDECYT-PCTEX and implemented in collaboration with European innovation support institutions in Portugal and Hungary. It aims at developing and sharing an effective mechanism for reviewing and identifying the state of the art of policies, methodologies, experiences and good practices on Green Public Procurement for Innovation (GPPI), to implement effective GPPI initiatives in European territories.

GREENIN objective
GREENIN project aim is to set up a desired scenario in green public procurement for innovation (GPPI) , aligned with smart specialisation strategies, to increase knowledge exchange with policy makers and interested stakeholders, favouring SMEs participation. The GREENIN project intends to open a dialogue on how GPPI efforts and impact can be reinforced through a joint learning process of the three partners and to elaborate a suitable Design Options Paper (GREENIN DOP), creating a desired scenario for all those involved and interested in the policy topic in the future.

Activities
The methodology of the project will consist of:

1. Identification, analysis and selection of policies, methodologies, experiences and good practices on GPPI
2. Guided discussions and work sessions with Local Working Groups to identify common applicable approaches for GPPI
3. Joint drafting of the GREENIN DOP for the definition of a desired scenario for GPPI
4. Regional pilot applications to facilitate dialogue and networking activities between procurers and SMEs

Duration
12 months: from September 2018 to September 2019

Partnership
The GREENIN project brings together European partners from three different countries: Spain, Portugal and Hungary working in territorial cooperation and smart specialisation strategies (RIS3), where green sector is present. The GREENIN project partners are:

• FUNDECYT PCTEX - FUNDACION FUNDECYT PARQUE CIENTIFICO Y TECNOLOGICO DE EXTREMADURA (Foundation FUNDECYT Science and Technological Park of Extremadura), Lead Patner, Spain - www.fundecyt-pctex.es.
  FUNDECYT PCTEX is a non-profit organisation that aims to contributing to the social and economic exploitation of science and technology in the Extremadura region. It supports and promotes scientific and technological development and a better use of research and innovation outcomes. FUNDECYT-PCTEX hosts more than 80 innovative companies in its facilities and supports regional entrepreneurs and SMEs.
• LNEG - Laborat�rio Nacional de Energia e Geologia (National Laboratory of Energy and Geology), Partner, Portugal - www.lneg.pt
  LNEG is the Portuguese organization of research, demonstration and technological development, responsible of the technology and R&D results integration in the business world. As an institution of the Ministry of Economy, it works as a consultant for public policy on energy, geology, environment, sustainability, standardization, quality and certification.
• IFKA - Iparfejlesztesi Kozhasznu Nonprofit Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag (Public Benefit Non-Profit Ltd. for the Development of Industry), Partner, Hungary - www.ifka.hu
  IFKA is a state-appointed innovation management and technology-transfer institute and promotes knowledge transfer to industrial actors, collaborating through tenders and international cooperation projects in the development of science and technology-driven sectoral strategies in Hungary.

The project DigitaliseSME (Digital Enablers in SMEs: Support for Digitalisation to Enhance SMEs' Capacity to Go International and Innovate) is an EU-funded project that supports the digital transformation of small and medium-sized companies as well as mid-caps in Europe. It connects companies to digital experts, referred to as "Digital Enablers".

The initiative will make the collaboration of SMEs with Digital Enablers possible and easy by having the latter visit for one month a company in another European country whose needs for digitalisation match their expertise. During this period, the Digital Enabler will help the company to set up and initiate a project that will lead to its digitalisation and respond to its necessities.

Partners from all over Europe joined and shared the vision of a program for the digitalisation of SMEs. The partners of DigitaliseSME are Digital Innovation Hubs in Germany (BVMW-Kompetenzcenter Berlin-Brandenburg Mittelstand 4.0), Romania (Iceberg - AltBrasov), Spain (FUNDECYT-PCTEX), the Netherlands (PhotonDelta) and Czech Republic (CzechInno), under the leadership of European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME.

DigitaliseSME is "Preparatory Action" that has been requested by the European Parliament - that means the results of the project could provide the basis to develop a broader EU program.

The project will benefit strongly any company aiming to digitalise: by registering with our portal they can be paired with a Digital Enabler that will study and work on their unique case, saving significant time on searching for an expert and saving the cost of his/her fees, as the Digital Enabler is provided with a grant from DigitaliseSME.

Digital Enablers will have the chance to join an EU-funded project that supports their sector and can provide them with visibility and strengthen their reputation. They will have the chance to work in a company abroad for a month, building new business contacts and enlarging their networks.

To know more, you can visit the project's website.