The five innovative services selected on IP issues (IP for start-ups, IP.CC Coaching&Clubs, IP Creative Industries, Gaining competitive advantage using IP and Trade fairs and IP protection), will be very soon tested in selected SMEs through the implementation of several pilot actions in each Partner’s country. Each Partner has therefore selected an area of intervention, suitable to test the services, taking into consideration the types of SMEs present, the main problems which affect the area and the expected results from the pilot action.
The Chamber of Commerce of Venice will focus its activities on local enterprises located in the Province of Venice and in the Veneto Region. They are mainly Small - medium companies involved in the commercial and technological sectors
Austriawirtschaftsservice will consider the whole Austrian territory, and will involve SMEs coming from several technology sectors (e.g. ICT, biotechnology, medical technology, mechanical, electrical or chemical engineering) and from the sector of creative industries.
The Chamber of Commerce of Constanta will operate in the “macro region 2”, which can be divided in two different areas: the north-east mainly related to trade and services sectors, production of furniture, textile, footwear, pharmaceutical, agriculture, and the south-east where SMEs deal mainly with energy production, tourism, metallurgy, equipments and machines and construction materials.
The Chamber of commerce of Kilkis, instead selected the region of Central Macedonia, which is a mainly agricultural land. The industries involved are mainly textile, electrical, engineering and construction, aluminium, plastic, food and beverages and furniture. Furthermore also high-tech industries are present.
The other Greek partner, Greek International Business Association represents normally the interests of exporters in Northern Greece, although also the area surrounding the city of Thessaloniki is quite involved in their activity. Due to its peculiar mission, SEVE will implement its pilot actions in SMEs coming from a diverse range of areas but with a common feature: they are SMEs which deal with export activities both in and outside EU and which participate in trade fairs (mainly manufacturing, agricultural, textile and food).
Coming then to Hungary, the Central Hungarian Innovation Centre, which is located in the biggest Industrial park of the country, will select SMEs coming from the Central Region, in particular from Budapest and Pest county: small enterprises (2to49 employees) which deal with innovative technology.
On the other side, the Chamber of Commerce of Veszprem represents the namesake county, located in western Hungary. SMEs are here employed mainly in the following sectors: chemical, building, wood and food industry, but also the sector of tourism is very important thanks to the favourable geographic attitudes of the area.
Ancona Chamber of Commerce will implement the pilot actions in its province, which comprises about 50.000 SMEs operating in different sectors, in particular in Mechanical engineering, Textiles-clothing, Agro-food and Electronics. Numerous are the small workshops, which represent about 30% of the total number of provincial SMEs and 70.65% of the manufacturing companies technologically advanced and able to blend innovation with tradition.
The Chamber of Commerce of Uzice covers the area of south-west Serbia and of other Serbian regions and the most represented sectors are: metal and electrical industry, wood processing, chemical and agriculture.
CHALLENGES AND MAIN PROBLEMS TO FACE
According to the Partners’ analysis of the local situation, these are the main problems faced by SMEs in the selected regions:
· Lack of awareness on how the IPR system works (on national and international basis) and on the real value of the IP for SMEs business
· Lack of information on IPR issues and of legal harmonization between national and European law
· Difficulties in management IPR issue due to small size of enterprises
· Low innovation capacity due to lack of cooperation, communication and information among SMEs and the central government (especially in Hungary)
· Fear and incapacity to face the main risk coming from IP infringements (e.g: copying)
EXPECTED RESULTS:
The implementation of the innovative services, would help national SMEs to find and use new tools and method to strengthen (or even to create) their IP strategy and generally speaking to increase their competitiveness and their business.
Having a deeper look at local expectation, we can underline the following expected results:
· Learn from IPR good practices and consequently improve the knowledge and the awareness level of SMEs involved
· promote SMEs Research and Innovation and support relations among Universities and Research Centres
· Minimise the risks of being victims of infringements and of being copied
· Enhance productivity and competitiveness thanks to a better IP knowledge
· Strengthen the Partners’ network (and knowledge) for IP activities, developing also ad hoc infrastructures (where possible)
· Make SMEs more independent in the search of their own IP protection strategy