TOPIC2INNO

In a survey undertaken in 2011 for DG Enterprise and Industry, SMEs and SME support organisations considered the inability to manage innovation processes efficiently and effectively as the second most important barrier to SME innovation (after 'lack of financial resources'). The TOPIC2INNO project aims at delivering services enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs by the Enterprise Europe Network TOPIC. Its geographical area covers the Paris Ile-de-France region, the Centre region, New Caledonia and French Polynesia. The project will be implemented during a 24-month period, from the 1st January 2015 to the 31st December 2016. The objective of this project is to: - Provide SMEs benefiting from the SME instrument with a regional support (“Key Account Manager”, hereafter KAM) - Provide a selection of SMEs that are capable of growth and successful internationalisation with an evaluation of their innovation capacities, and an action plan to address identified bottlenecks. (“Innovation Management System Advisers”, hereafter IMSA) The project will aim at initiating between 170 and 190 service packages. This number is based on the following assumptions: a. More than 50 SMEs selected for phase 1 during the two-year duration b. More than 30 SMEs selected for phase 2 during the two-year duration c. Continuation of the SME journey from phase 1 to phase 2 or support by IMSA after phase 1 d. High interest from SMEs to benefit from the IMSA service