The EEN OF RWM helps businesses innovate and grow on an international scale. EEN is the world’s largest support network for SMEs with international ambitions.
- What is the problem addressed and the context which triggered the introduction of the practice?
The Enterprise Europe Network of Western Macedoania Region helps businesses innovate and grow on an international scale. It is the world’s largest support network for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with international ambitions. The Network is active in more than 60 countries worldwide. It brings together 3,000 experts from more than 600 member organisations – all renowned for their excellence in business support.
- How does the practice reach its objectives and how it is implemented?
Teams of Network experts in each member organisation offer personalised services to businesses. They know the local business environment and have contacts for business opportunities worldwide. The Network can also offer a targeted approach aimed specifically at all business sectors. Its expert groups cover all key economic sectors, from healthcare to agrofood, from intelligent energy to fashion and textile.
Network member organisations, grouped in regional consortia, are selected through calls for proposals. Individual businesses can’t become Network members, but they can enjoy the many services offered.
- Who are the main stakeholders and beneficiaries of the practice?
• ANKO S.A (host organisation)
• Stakeholders: Region WM, Municipalities, Chambers
• Beneficiaries: SMEs, Clusters, Academic & research organisations, Public & private sector.
Resources needed
The Network is co-financed from programme COSME. Host organisations should have stable and sufficient sources of funding as well as human resources.They should also adopt and perform a realistic work programme according performance indicators have been set at the beginning of the contractual periods
Evidence of success
The consortium “Enterprise Europe Network-Hellas”, consists of 12 organisations spread out in every Greek region. ANKO is the only Greek Development Agency participating in the EEN. In the current FPA (2015 - onwards), ANKO’s main achievements are the following:
Brokerage Events / Company Missions: 12
Number of Clients: 45
Number of Meetings: 140
Achievements: 13
Information events: 9
Event participants: 637
SMEs support on advice & Partnering: 2.040
SME Feedback to the to the EC: 80
Difficulties encountered
ANKO SA / EEN is so far considered to be most reliable business support structure in the region, capitalizing its deep knowledge and expertise in EU matters. EEN staff participates in regional committees and cooperation schemes to better serve business needs as well as to promote EU policy.
Potential for learning or transfer
Partnering services are at the core of the Enterprise Europe Network. The aim is to help clients, primarily SMEs engage in successful partnering processes in Business / commercial collaboration;Innovation / technology transfer;Cooperation related to R&D activities of SMEs and leading to the participation of SMEs in European research programmes such as Horizon 2020.
Network partners may also tailor certain specialised activities to sectors that are particularly important in their region, or to companies with a particularly high potential.
All relevant major service providers in the region dealing with both SMEs and European affairs should be invited to collaborate with the EEN local point.
Host organisations must also demonstrate that they will assign sufficient resources and staff members with relevant competences.
Within a consortium, individual partners are not obliged to run all types of EEN activities and may hence specialise in certain activities.
Tags: Support, SME, Internationalisation
