The KAIROS consortium, in accordance with the objectives of previous projects KANT and MAKEOVER, wants to improve the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises in the Triveneto macro-region in order to help in achieving the targets fixed by the Europe 2020 strategy for a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The consortium is aware that the competitiveness of enterprises from Triveneto is strongly dependent on their growth in terms of pursuing innovation and increasing innovation capacity management. Even if Triveneto is a dynamic area from an economic and entrepreneurial point of view (high propensity for family companies) and institutional bodies are effective in supporting local economic development, the credit crunch first and the successive economic crisis afterwards have strongly affected the macro-region. Furthermore, differences in the cost of labor, globalization of the markets, economic and cultural growth of geographical areas once underdeveloped have almost swept away the previous industrial leadership of our economies. Systematic R&D and innovation approach can partly stem this trend and maintain the competitiveness of our enterprises in the global market. In order to respond to these challenges, the KAIROS consortium wants to improve the innovation capacity and/or innovation management capacity of SMEs in Triveneto area. To achieve this purpose, specific objectives have been identified, shared and agreed on by all partners: - KAIROS will support an accurately selected group of innovation-oriented SME’s from the Triveneto macro region, in order to design, create and maintain an Innovation Management System (IMS). These companies will be provided with a specific service for enhancing the innovation management capacity (EIMC), in order to include a systematic innovation approach as an asset for growth and competitiveness; - KAIROS will support SME Instrument beneficiaries from Triveneto (both Phase I and Phase II) with a Key Account Management service focused on helping the companies to better exploit the SME Instrument opportunities during the assisted phase and afterwards, in order to reduce time to market and increase company growth, building on the experience gained during the pilot project KANT and the project MAKEOVER. KAIROS will foster the “International horizon” of innovation in Triveneto, involving companies with high innovation potential in a special club. - KAIROS activities and results will be promoted through the Enterprise Europe Network, which IDM belongs to. The network will be used to host local events and debates to raise the awareness of local stakeholders about the European Standard for Innovation Management CEN/TS 16555-1, its meaning, the benefits and the best way to apply it for the creation of a new paradigm in local SME’s in relation to innovation management; - KAIROS will deliver up to 7/10-day service packages according to the invitation from EASME; - KAIROS will use different assessment methodologies, compliant to CEN/TS 16555-1, identified and experimented during previous KANT and MAKEOVER projects, adapting the choice to the peculiarities of SME’s beneficiaries.
