Zavod za projektno svetovanje, raziskovanje
in razvoj celovitih rešitev
Čučkova ulica 5, 2250 PTUJ
Tel: 02 749 32 24
Fax: 02 749 31 17
PROJECT DRAFT
»SMART BUSSINESS VS CRISIS«
ACRONYM: SUCCESS
1. Project background
It is clear that EU faces a difficult time this year as the effects of the world and European
economic crisis put pressure on economy, jobs and welfare of European citizens. A
squeeze on credit, falls in house prices and tumbling stock markets are all reinforcing a
slump in consumer confidence, consumption and investment.
Europe is faced with most difficult circumstances and the right response to the sudden
downturn is very much needed. In difficult times, the temptation is to feel powerless, but
the crisis can also represent an opportunity to redefine, reshape and to boost up the
development and economy. In order to overcome the current condition, swift, bold,
ambitious, well targeted actions, supported by partnership approach of the key players at
every level can make a difference.
To contain the scale of the downturn and to stimulate demand, EU members need to
face today’s challenges on how to open up to new finance for SMEs, to cut
administrative burdens, to kick-start investment and to modernize infrastructure.
The EU Commission has already presented ‘A European Economic Recovery Plan’1,
where the second pillar stresses the importance of actions to reinforce competitiveness
in the long term. One of these actions are also innovative ‘smart investment’, which have
a long term positive and multiplicative effect on economy growth, creation of new jobs,
energy saving and can strengthen Europe’s capacity to benefit from globalization.
The represented project proposal will identify and support ‘smart business ideas’ and
solutions of SMEs, which will foster already mentioned ‘smart investments’ by
developing innovative potentials in a new way. The project proposal will support ideas
which will lead to investments that are innovative, competitive, energy efficient,
environmentally friendly and enhance the quality life of citizens. Due to the fact, that
economy circumstances have changed, new framework of support and cooperation from
all important key players is needed. Governments, financial institutions and R&D
organizations, which represent support environment for SME’s, will have to exploit new
synergies in order to find tools suitable for effective answer to economy crisis. To boost
the innovation potentials of SMEs, new solutions need to be:
 Timely: so that they quickly support economic activity during the low demand
 Targeted: towards the source of the economic innovative challenge
1
COM (2008)800 final, Brussels, 26.11.2008
Zavod za projektno svetovanje, raziskovanje
in razvoj celovitih rešitev
Čučkova ulica 5, 2250 PTUJ
Tel: 02 749 32 24
Fax: 02 749 31 17
 Coordinated: so that they multiply the positive impact and ensure long term
sustainability.
With the implementation of the project proposal, institutions, organizations and SMEs
from Central Europe will identify and develop new methods of cooperation which will
help SMEs to gain new knowledge, tools and support to develop innovative business
ideas, which could mean a step towards economy recovery.
2. Project general aim and specific goals
General aim
The general aim of the proposed project is to enhance the innovative potential of
SMEs by identifying new targeted and efficient organizational, financial and
administrative framework conditions and support for SMEs IN NEW ECONOMIC
CIRCUMSTANCES.
Specific goals
 Identification, promotion and exchange of SMEs ‘ innovative smart business
ideas’ to stimulate demand in economy crisis between EU members based
upon future regional needs
 Redefining and setting-up new links between key players of the innovation
system to tackle new economic circumstances ( Public institutions, R&D,
financial organizations and SMEs)
 Common recommendations of new mechanisms and tools of key players for
boosting innovative potential of SMEs across Central Europe to stimulate
demand
3. Activities
WP0: Project coordination and project management
WP1: Analysis of legal and administrative support environment for innovation
development in Central Europe
 Identification of innovation ‘bottlenecks’ (legal and administrative barriers,
governance approaches, organizational problems, communication problems
between key players) for each participating country
 Identification of legal, framework and administrative support institutions (national,
regional and local authorities, chambers of commerce and craft, regional
development agencies) across Central Europe
Zavod za projektno svetovanje, raziskovanje
in razvoj celovitih rešitev
Čučkova ulica 5, 2250 PTUJ
Tel: 02 749 32 24
Fax: 02 749 31 17
 Transfer and exchange of ideas and proposals to set-up new support tools to
boost the innovation potentials in economy crisis between ‘old’ and ‘new’
members
WP2: Identification, promotion and exchange of innovative ‘smart business ideas’
 Analysis of future regional needs of Central Europe
 Identification and determination of criteria for innovative ‘smart business ideas’
 International tender for selecting innovative ‘smart ideas’ across Central Europe
 Selection of top 10 innovative ‘smart ideas’ in each country
 Presentation, promotion and exchange of innovative ‘smart ideas’ between
participating countries
WP3: Preparation of knowledge support mechanisms and tools designed for
innovative ‘smart business ideas’ in new economic environment
 Identification of knowledge support institutions and organizations (universities,
research institutions and other R&D organizations) across Central Europe
 Presentation and linking ‘smart ideas’ to knowledge support institutions and
organization across Central Europe
 Preparation of knowledge plan of mechanisms and tools for innovative ‘smart
ideas’
WP4: Preparation of financial support mechanisms and tools designed for
innovative ‘smart business ideas’ in new economic environment
 Identification of institutions which can offer financial support to SMEs (financial
institutions, risk capital investors, public institutions offering grants, funding
schemes etc.) across Central Europe
 Presentation and linking innovative ‘smart ideas’ to financial institutions across
Central Europe
 Preparation plan for financial support of innovative ‘smart ideas’
WP5: Preparation of common recommendations for innovation friendly
environment, linking framework and administrative, knowledge, and financial
mechanisms and tools in new economic environment
 Preparation of common recommendations for innovation friendly environment
with support of key players of the innovation system (Public institutions, R&D,
financial organizations and SMEs) on a national level for each participating
country
 Preparation of common recommendations for innovation friendly environment
with support of key players of the innovation system (Public institutions, R&D,
financial organizations and SMEs) for the Central Europe region.
Zavod za projektno svetovanje, raziskovanje
in razvoj celovitih rešitev
Čučkova ulica 5, 2250 PTUJ
Tel: 02 749 32 24
Fax: 02 749 31 17
WP6: Dissemination and transferability
 Seminars, press conferences, leaflets, strategy guideline
 Transnational conference ‘Smart business boost’
4. Expected results
 Analysis of status quo of legal and administrative support environment for
innovation development in Central Europe
 Analysis of future regional needs of Central Europe
 Establishment of a platform for transfer and exchange of ideas and proposals to
set-up new support tools to boost the innovation potentials of SME’s
 Selection, presentation, promotion and exchange of innovative ‘smart ideas’
between participating countries
 Preparation of knowledge plan of mechanisms and tools for innovative ‘smart
ideas’
 Preparation plan for financial support of innovative ‘smart ideas’
 Preparation of common recommendations for innovation friendly environment
with support of key players of the innovation system on a national level and for
the Central Europe region.
5. Innovative aspect
 Re-design of existing environmental support tools for boosting innovative
potentials in new economic circumstances
 Supporting investments that are innovative, competitive, energy efficient,
environmentally friendly and enhance the quality of life
 Database of innovative ideas ready to invest, business partner search
 New common recommendations for innovation friendly environment for SMEs