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Benchmarking Sectoral e-Business Policy
Initiatives for SMEs A study by empirica
GmbH,Databank and IDATE
Hannes Selhofer empirica GmbH Lisbon, 12
November 2007
A study commissioned by the
European Commission
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Agenda

• Study objectives and approach
• Policy case studies
• Good practice elements
• Facilitators and barriers
• Conclusions and recommendations

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The mission
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"However, there is no sufficient knowledge,
analysis and assessment of those sectoral
policies and private-public partnerships that may
exist in this field, so that others can learn
from them. This benchmarking action is launched
in support of the relevant thematic priority of
the eBSN, with a view to assist in identifying
and assessing relevant policy measures, within
and outside the eBSN members." (Terms of
reference, cf. call for tender ENTR/06/17)
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Study objectives
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• Find examples of sectoral e-business policy
  initiatives
• in support of SMEs
• in EU27, EEA, US, CAN, JAP, China, India, South
  Korea, Singapore
• regional or national initiatives
• Identify good practice elements
• innovative approaches practices
• lessons learned
• Encourage debate among stakeholders
• Benchmarking Report and Booklet
• Organisation of an eBSN Workshop (Paris, July
  2007)
• Presentations

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Main study phases
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• Phases III "Stock-taking" of relevant
  initiatives
• in the countries covered with support of national
  correspondents
• Search criteria ("policy", "e-business",
  "sectoral" )
• INTERIM REPORT (at eBSN WS Berlin, May 2007)
• Phase III 15 policy case studies
• More detailed analysis of selected policies
  (with support of correspondents)
• Focus on outcomes impacts, lessons learned,
  facilitators and barriers
• Phase IV Synthesis ("good practices")
• Comparative assessment of different approaches
• FINAL STUDY REPORT (at eBSN WS Lisbon, Nov 2007)

Jan. '07 - Jun. '07
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Jul. '07 - Sep. '07
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Oct. '07 - Nov. '07
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The 15 policy case studies
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Duration of the 15 initiatives
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Public sector funding / duration
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• 3 categories
• Smaller initiativeslt 1 million per year
• Medium-sized programmes 1-5 million per year
• Large framework programmes gt 5 million per
  year

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Sectors addressed
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• Group 1 Initiatives targeting a broad range of
  sectors
• Cross-sectoral projects with a matrix-structure
• Sectoral aspects as an operational choice, e.g.
  for provision of grants
• Group 2 Manufacturing
• notably automotive and textile
• various other manufacturing sectors
• Group 3 Other sectors
• Construction
• Software industry
• Tourism
• Retail

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Activities and approaches
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• ICT-SMEs 2010 (France)
• Sectoral B2B network initiative (Korea)
• DDTA initiative (Italy)
• CANARIE e-Business Programme (Canada)

• B2B network projects
• Facilitating data exchanges
• Agreements among stakeholders
• Policy as a coordinator
• Support for individual companies
• Provision of information resources
• Grant schemes
• Improvement of framework conditions for
  e-business
• Legal regulatory aspects
• Development of standards and interoperability
• RTD, software solutions development

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• PROZEUS (Germany)
• Digital SME (Portugal)
• Digital Future (Greece)

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• eSLOG (Slovenia)
• KITARA, VERSO (Finland)
• buildingSMART (Norway)

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Types of policy initiatives
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ICT-SMEs 2010 ALFA buildingSMART CITAX DDTA TASK D
igital SME (RIAT phase)
Digital SME (SIED phase)
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highly
highly
relevant
relevant
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Sectoral focus
Sectoral focus
PROZEUS
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eSLOG
side
side
Digital NL Digital Future
aspect
aspect
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0
Single firm
Networking
Mixed
Single firm
Networking
Mixed
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0
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support
projects
approach
support
projects
approach
Firm focus ---gt value chain orientation
Firm focus ---gt value chain orientation
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Framework for the assessmentof good practices
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Phase in the policy life-cycle
Dimension of analysis
Focus in identifying good practices
Examples of good practice elements
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Going new ways innovative policy approaches
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• Creating communities of interest
• Leveraging large companies as pioneers
• Showcasing of e-business projects
• Enable pilot actions and test-beds
• Combine central management with local
  implementation(s)

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Gaining from networkinghow to get stakeholders
involved
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• Work with local/regional networks and promoters
• Involve industry experts and specialised ICT
  service providers
• Define platforms / interfaces for cross-sectoral
  exchanges and networking
• Anticipate conflicts of interest ensure neutral
  coordination and moderation of working groups
• International dimension of the cooperation

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Communicating effectively internally and
externally
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• Excellent internal coordination between
  management and implementation
• Effective links with the business community and
  usage of sectoral communication channels
• Communication and dissemination of best practice
  examples
• Usage of multipliers for communication to
  potential beneficiaries
• Exchanges with stakeholders outside the industry

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Improving business processes how individual
enterprises benefit
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• Measure return-on-investment, assess and document
  project results
• Focus on motivated and advanced SMEs
• Recognise the importance of standards
  interoperability
• Address business managers
• Focus on specific applications or processes

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Integrating digitally the wider effect on
sectors
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• Framing of initiatives create a win-win
  situation for different players among the target
  group
• Creation of critical mass larger and longer-term
  initiatives
• Ensure participation of large enterprises in
  projects
• Recognise the importance of organisational
  changes and innovation
• Thorough value-chain analysis for cross-sectoral
  approaches
• Importance of project management project leaders
  that are recognised by all parties
• Holding projects accountable

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Facilitators and barriers
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• Facilitators
• Commitment and support of industry associations
• Ability to exploit synergies in using resources
• Competitive pressure on SMEs (search for
  cost-cutting opportunities)
• Ease of participation in programmes
• Barriers
• Conflicts of interest among target group
• Complexity of technological issues (e.g.
  e-standards)
• Mistrust towards ICT service providers among SMEs
• Costs for technology implementation
• The "grant trap"

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Conclusions
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• Sectoral approach to be recommended
• facilitates involvement of stakeholders
• suitable framework for addressing advanced
  e-business goals
• Challenges of a sectoral approach
• cross-sectoral nature of B2B business exchanges
• in particular for SME suppliers
• Sectors best suited for initiatives
• Manufacturing sectors
• here integration with suppliers / retailers
• Construction

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Recommendations for future initiatives (i)
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• Recognise importance of management skills
• e-Business in SMEs is linked with firm strategy
• entrepreneurs need to understand concepts
• Ensure ease of participation but demand
  documentation of results
• Avoid administrative burdens during the
  application phase
• However, if a grant is provided, companies should
  share their experience with others
• Stay focused on harmonising data exchanges
• e-Business is about substituting paper-based
  processes
• Efforts should focus on supporting SMEs in
  developing the requested capabilities

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Recommendations for future initiatives (ii)
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• Enhance knowledge sharing and cooperation among
  SMEs
• Foster positive attitude towards cooperation
• Tourism as a role model
• Use modular approaches in policy design
• Complexity of advanced e-business goals requires
  longer-term programmes
• To stay flexible, a modular approach can help
• Consider increasingly the cross-border and
  European dimension
• Most initiatives are regional or national
• Relevant issues to enable and ensure single
  (e-)market to be identified and addressed

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More information contact
empirica GmbH Hannes Selhofer Oxfordstr. 2, 53111
Bonn, Germany E hannes.selhofer_at_empirica.com
T (49) 228 98530 36
Study Team
www.empirica.com
www.databank.it
www.e-bsn.org info_at_e-bsn.org
European Commission
www.idate.fr