The aim of the project is to promote the regional development of the themes based on the smart specialisation strategy, as well as the internationalisation of micro-enterprises using international networks, forms of cooperation and expertise, and thus to promote the vitality of the province. The main objectives of the project are:- Strengthen the expertise of micro-enterprises in the region to an internationally competitive level by bringing them into the functioning of innovation ecosystems- Increase the visibility of the regional smart specialisation expertise in international fora- Increase the natural derivatives of entrepreneurship networks to enable the development and internationalisation of South Savo companies- implement international research expertise in the development of regional industries through cooperation networks and strengthen regional cooperation. — Build a growth, internationality and export pilot network for micro-enterprises and business interfaces (RDI actors) based on the model of microentre. The project’s measures are divided into work packages in the EU: Strengthening innovation ecosystems in the region’s smart specialisation spearheads and engaging micro-enterprises in development and internationalisation networksThe Work Package identifies, in line with the leading smart specialisations (forest, water, food), the most justified existing networks for regional development and promotes the participation of enterprises in networks, their projects and their activities. As beneficiaries, micro-enterprises will be integrated into provincial innovation platforms and networks, making them directly part of global networks. Together with the participating companies, new know-how will be developed in the leading fields of smart specialisation and company research will be carried out to determine the level of competence and internationality of enterprises in the region. In addition, development blanks are piloted together with the companies, which contribute to the strengths of the region. Pilots will be carried out in accordance with the themes.TP2: Construction of a micro-enterprise pilot network for growth, internationality and export. The work package builds a regional cooperation network for microenterprises and integrates it into the national MicroENTRE network of microenterprises. MicroENTRE network’s research-based knowledge-based expertise to promote the growth and internationalisation of micro-enterprises will be transferred to the South Savo region and the network’s good practices will be implemented in South Savo regional micro-enterprises development activities. A virtual communication platform for micro-enterprises in the region will be built and deployed in conjunction with the virtual platform of the national MicroENTRE micro-enterprises network. The platform includes e.g. websites, contacts with network companies and RDI actors, social media solutions, blogs, events, virtual contacts with micro-enterprise group meetings. The platform will also provide information on successful growth and export trials and support services for micro-enterprises.TP 3: Support and systematisation of micro-enterprises, which are scalable and aiming at internationalisation, are aimed at promoting the commercialisation and growth of micro-enterprises through fast and experimental product and service publications. The same aims are to carry out rapid and courageous export experiments and to create a network of growth companies. In order to support the innovation of enterprises, forms of co-development are promoted in different key sectors. The uptake of open and decentralised innovation methods will be promoted more generally by enterprises in order to achieve network effects and verifiable benefits such as new market channels or new co-developed innovations. Pitching workshops for companies are also organised to highlight product and service ideas. In addition, needs- and user-oriented development methods are applied to direct the development of enterprises. They can help companies to identify the needs of users and target groups of products and services and to innovate and design new or improved products and services together with the target group. Businesses will be trained to operate on new digital economy platforms. This could mean, for example, testing the financing potential of an export product or service on global crowdfunding platforms (e.g. Kickstarter or Indiegogo) or financing the entire growth phase of a company through crowdfunding (e.g. Invesdor platform). TP4: Dissemination of experiences, successes and knowledge to enterprises in the region.The work package supports the internationalisation efforts of companies through research and development, the needs of enterprises ahead of them.
