Specific Support Action for SMEs in Information and Communication Technologies

SEE-Innovation was a Specific Support Action aiming to assist SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) from candidate and third countries from the region of South-eastern Europe (SEE) to participate actively in EU-funded research in the field of Information Society Technologies. It was a sister project of IS2WEB – targeting a different audience and a wider geographical area (South Eastern Europe: four Western Balkan countries as well as Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, and Greece). However, the approach was a similar one.

Instead of addressing all SMEs operating in the area of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in South-eastern Europe, SEE Innovation identified a specific group of companies through a survey that show high degree of innovativeness and research potential. These formed the target group of further activities of the project.

First, in the framework of the mentoring workshops SMEs and SMEs groupings were informed on the funding opportunities offered by the EU Framework Programme (FP), and how they could proceed in order to secure funding for their research and innovative ideas.

Then, by participating in the Know-how transfer events they received useful information on the current trends in specific areas of the Information Society environment, as well as on the ongoing related research activities.

Finally, through the participation in the networking activities, they had the opportunity to meet other key actors from the research community, and pursue joint research initiatives.

In addition, SEE-Innovation partners actively supported those ICT (Information and Communication Technology), SME’s and SME groupings that demonstrated strong innovative potential to transform their research idea to a successful research project, by providing individual partnership coaching.

Team:

• Magª. Désirée Pecarz (project leader)
• Dipl-Übers. Carmen Siller (project leader)
• Magª. Elke Dall
• Dr. Barbara Kieslinger
• Magª. Andrea Christiane Mayr

Section: Research Policy & Development

Partners:

• Association of Information Technology Companies of Northern Greece
• Bulgarian Association of Software Companies
• Macedonian Association of Information Technology
• Romanian Association for Electronics and Software
• TUBITAK Scientific and Technologcial Research Council of Turkey
• University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna
• Planet (Greece), TESEO (Belgium), SEPVE (Greece), BASSCOM (Bulgaria), ARIES (Romania), YUINFO (Serbia), ISSETI (Albania), ZaMirNet (Croatia), MASIT (Macedonia), TUBITAK (Turkey)

Tags: Southeast Europe