1. “Restructura” - Torino 30 11 2007 Interreg III B NEnA – Network Enterprise Alps WP7: Developing and carrying out Regional Pilot Projects – Innovation Assistance Regione Piemonte

2. NeNa Interreg IIIb – Team Meeting Torino 26/28 03 2007 2 WP7: Developing and carrying out Regional Pilot Projects  Objectives: – Strengthening regional net-working and creating benefits for the SMEs and clusters involved – Mobilising co-operation synergies between the partners involved – Contributing to transnational co-operation (WP6) – Creating new partnerships lasting beyond project end  Main scheduled activities: – 7.1 Establishing the “Innovation Assistant” – 7.2 Mobility and training of young professionals – 7.3 Innovation Contest „Timber Construction” – 7.4 Master Course "Timber Construction” – 7.5 Native Resources Certificate – 7.6 Process optimisation – 7.7 Raising energy efficiency in the building sector

3. NeNa Interreg IIIb – Team Meeting Torino 26/28 03 2007 3 WP 7.1 - “Innovation Assistant” 7.1a Establishing the Innovation Assistant  Goal: – Enhancing the innovation potential of SMEs.  Activities: – The innovation assistant is an interesting starting point to support SMEs in innovation and in accessing the field of research and development. The participants involved examine feasibility and then implement the Innovation Assistant in their regions. 7.1b Qualification measures for Innovation Assistants  Goal: – Preparing Innovation Assistants to carry out successful work.  Activities: – In order to enhance the innovation potential of SMEs, a certain amount of training for Innovation Assistants will be necessary. That is why training courses and training measures will be elaborated and offered to the SME’s involved in the project.

4. NeNa Interreg IIIb – Team Meeting Torino 26/28 03 2007 4  In Piemonte’s vision the Innovation Assistance concept needs further specification on the base of an innovative approach  The key objectives are then: 1.Provide innovation assistance and support on a broad inter-Alpine scale 2.Adopt means and tools which can prove innovation is really at the centre of the project 3.Make exchange and interaction between companies of the cluster(s) borderless and limitless 4.Provide networking between the stakeholders of the cluster(s) development 5.Offer NEnA Partners an innovative pilot initiative which could be extended to other cluster sectors and different languages 6.Strengthen NEnA partnership and networking offering a concrete opportunity of further integration 7.Provide a new opportunity and perspective to extend duration of NEnA WP7 – “Innovation Assistance” – The evolution of a concept

5. NeNa Interreg IIIb – Team Meeting Torino 26/28 03 2007 5  Our vision of the Innovation Assistance is that of a permanent forum able to: – Foster a local network creation and implementation – Ensure the highest coverage of the intelligent building “cluster” – Establish strong co-operation links in and between universities, SMEs, experts, public bodies – Satisfy SMEs emerging needs and problems  This Innovation Assistance permanent forum takes place in the form of a “virtual platform” i.e. a Pilot Project that: – is ICT based – is open to all enterprises and operators – is open to the contribution of all the NEnA partners – is the virtual space where the development of optimisation processes is stimulated and started WP7 – “Innovation Assistance”

6. NeNa Interreg IIIb – Team Meeting Torino 26/28 03 2007 6  FOTO

7. NeNa Interreg IIIb – Team Meeting Torino 26/28 03 2007 7 WP7 – “Innovation Assistance”  This virtual platform will enable all the participants to exchange information and documents  Main functionalities: – Certification of each dealer – Management of credits – Flexible creation of new contents and improvement of contents already on line – Uploading files (.doc,.pdf...) – A master file with companies’data (a sort of catalogue) – A calendar of events – (Newsletters…etc)  The platform will be linked to a web-site in English – or in other languages (now is linked in italian to www.mktp.it/nena)www.mktp.it/nena  The platform is Asp-based and running on a Windows Server 2003

8. NeNa Interreg IIIb – Team Meeting Torino 26/28 03 2007 8 WP7 – “Innovation Assistance”  The platform will allow differentiated levels of access and priorities through the allotment of different users’ levels and passwords  There will be three levels of information and interaction: – a basic levels for general information – an intermediate level to allow data input but not publishing – a high level of access to allow both data input and electronic publishing: a final supervisory control is provided for approving data publishing  No technical specific competencies are required for web- publishing  The virtual platform works with an editor WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get): this model enables users to publish contents on-line writing them as a common text editor (Microsoft word e.g.)

9. NeNa Interreg IIIb – Team Meeting Torino 26/28 03 2007 9 The platform – Gathering data: create the base for functioning  The system at first provides an evaluation of the potential of the company accessing the platform by profiling it  The investigation and classification of the enterprise takes place thanks to eight different sets of questions: 1. Firm data 2. Products and services 3. Internal organisation and employees 4. Research & development 5. Co-operation and networks 6. Market and clients 7. Market and distribution 8. Relationship with domotics  The system allows changes to the different questions and sections so that the classification can be modulated/amended modified/ in time following company changes

10. NeNa Interreg IIIb – Team Meeting Torino 26/28 03 2007 10

11. NeNa Interreg IIIb – Team Meeting Torino 26/28 03 2007 11

12. NeNa Interreg IIIb – Team Meeting Torino 26/28 03 2007 12 “Innovation Assistance” – The processing engine  By criss-crossing the answers of the eight sections, the system “engine” analyses and processes the information input by classifying them in ten categories: 1.Complexity 2.Internationalisation 3.Innovation rate 4.Regional focus 5.Networking 6.Local rooting 7.Codified knowledge 8.Tacit knowledge 9.Technological dependency 10.Marketing orientation

13. NeNa Interreg IIIb – Team Meeting Torino 26/28 03 2007 13 “Innovation Assistance” – Classifying output  The engine then reads the categories by measuring them against the two dimensions of a SWOT matrix: – Dimensions internal to the company:  Strenghts: resources and capabilities that can be used as a basis for developing a competitive advantage  Weaknesses: areas in need of improvement – some missing strengths may also be read as a “weakness” – External dimensions (to the market context):  Opportunities: areas of "need" in which a company can perform profitably.  Threats: challenges posed by an unfavorable trend or development that would lead (in absence of a defensive marketing action) to deterioration in profits/sales.  The resulting reading is finally classified in three macro- indexes of competitiveness – Marketing orientation – Innovation rate – Geographic complexity

14. NeNa Interreg IIIb – Team Meeting Torino 26/28 03 2007 14

15. Thank you for you attention!