The Study Case of: The observatory on innovation capacities of SMEs a self-training experience

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The Study Case ofThe observatory on innovation
capacities of SMEs a self-training experience

• (Enrico Rovida, Team Srl, North Western regions -
  IT)

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1. Where

• North-West Liguria, Piemonte, Lombardia
• 40 of the national GDP is generated in these
  regions
• The industrial triangle
• decline of heavy industries
• predominance of SMEs and tertiary sector
  (traditional and innovative)
• rooted craft industrial culture still existing
• Industrial clusters (a fifth of the 200 in Italy)
  are located here
• Centres of research and universities
• The labour market from a heavy reduction of
  generic and skilled workers to an increase of
  technians and qualified employees

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2. Which target sector and why

• Innovative services and businesses
• Spin-offs
• ICT (But not only! )
• Very small/micro companies
• High level of fragmentation
• Key sector for SMEs creation of a favourable
  environment to innovation

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3. Which target group

• A group of 8/10 people of North West
• entrepreneurs, managers, professionals of
  businesses strongly connected with own
  territorial/sectorial context
• Motivated in an auto-training experience on
  better understanding how innovation/competitivenes
  s and knowledge are interconnected and affect SMEs

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4. The Observatory on-progress

• Growing confidence of the group in a
  non-traditional training experience with Action
  Learning
• Starting as an etero-direct group to become a
  auto-direct group
• Defying and respecting a workplan and its
  milestones (8 meetings, website,)

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5. The Observatory just now

• Shared methodological approach based on
• Audit procedure (tested twice)
• Target group top level of SMEs (entrepreneurs
  and managers)
• Sample of 50 SMEs
• Deadline January 2009
• Output data processing and final report, meeting

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6. And after SME ACTor?

• The North-West Observatory is a model of how to
  conceive a concrete methodological approach to
  innovation in SMEs, that is transferable in
  other regional contexts.
• The association AISCRIS (Confindustria -
  Technological and Innovative services) is already
  oriented to support this successful initiative
• Stakeholders (ministries, agencies) will be met
  quite soon.