East Marmara Regional Innovation Strategy (2014-2018), which designed in line with East Marmara Regional Plan (2014-2023) by EMDA, was introduced in order to set a course for building innovation ecosystem in the region. In this regard, the Strategy underlines the availability of qualified and conscious human resources as a requisite and seeks for embedding a culture and business climate in the region’s economic rational. This project emanated from the regional innovation strategy aims to invest in Lifelong Learning (LLL) services to generate relevant skills and competencies for an innovative region in accordance with the needs and expectations of the SMEs in Tr42. To this end, it strives for developing a comprehensive intervention logic addressing both the SMEs and the agents providing SMEs institutionalization support. This logic will be driven under EMDA-LLL Center by means of Investment Support Offices. Within the scope of our project: A New Regional Innovation Business Model will be developed. The local needs will be found out with the conduct of a needs analysis through a field survey in Kocaeli composed of both quantitative and qualitative methods and then a workshop of 25 local service provider bodies to SMEs. A modular e-Platform will be established as a software tool for training, learning, evaluation and management of multimedia educational content. It will consist of (1) an e-training module which allows online training of users; (2) an innovation consultant for SMEs that will contain the web-based tools for application/implementation/evaluation phases of training of trainers module, training of innovation consultants module and SMEs training module; (3) management of training service which will give the possibility of the consortium specialists to allow access to different users and to manage digital content for educational packages; (4) a digital library module; (5) a user interface module and (6) an administrative module. eLearning tools that will be functional in raising awareness and bringing about consciousness in informatics-based conduct of innovation Training tools for raising innovative SMEs, innovation consultants and their trainers in order to suggest a relevant human capital to the region that will be steering the objectives of this project. Through ten work packages and outputs, 15 staff from EMDA (1 from KOSANO) will be raised as trainers and innovation consultants, 25 SMEs will receive consultancy, 140 innovation consultants will be raised and 70 trainers of innovation consultants. These results to be achieved during the project will be the habitat for undergoing the initiatives and action for learning and innovative SMEs. The project consorsium consists of East Marmara Development Agency (Turkey), Kocaeli Chamber of Industry (Turkey), Sabancı University (Turkey), SC IPA.SA-R&D Institute for Scientific Research and Technological Development in Automation-Informatics (Romania), The Institute of Entrepreneurship Development (Greece), Hochschule Wismar University of Applied Sciences (Germany), Servicios Integrales de Contratación e Intermediación DOMINUS, S.L. (Spain) and ATI erc gGmbH Education, Research and Furtherance of Cooperations (Germany). The project will ensure the target groups to receive systematic and notable services for enhancing their innovation, to have the chance for making use of ePlatform for exchange of information, asking for feedback and ideas, free access to eLearning tools and getting in touch a unique network for cooperation, coordination and business conduct. The project will advance transnational cooperation among the partners via flow of information and enable them to develop new innovation tools jointly. In respect of the relevant regional/national/European level stakeholders that are concerned with innovation and SMEs, they will be introduced the outputs of the project as best practice of Tr42 for driving the regional innovation agenda via the multiplier events. In this light, both EURADA and S3 Platform that are bodies steering Europe’s regional innovation studies will be introduced this project. In short, this project reflect a strong transnational cooperation for development of innovation among two universities, two business agents, two research institutions and two public bodies in four program countries and it brings about strong attachment for achieving systematic and sustainable services derived in accordance with individual characteristics of the target group and global facts and prospects. Therefore, it is both realistic and ambitious setting up an equilibrium between constraints and opportunities. With such a unique framework, this project will be incorporated into the institutional processes of EMDA not only during but also after the implementation process with all its outputs and offer sustainable services to the region.
Innovation is a major driving-force of economic growth, social development and job creation in the contemporary knowledge-based economic outlook. East Marmara Development Agency (EMDA) is an institution that operates in line with international, national and regional policies and strategies in order to ensure regional development. In this direction, a strategy of developing innovation management consultancy was defined both in the East Marmara Regional Plan 2014-2023 and the Regional Innovation Strategy on the Basis of Smart Specialization 2014-2018 in order to increase the competitiveness of the region. Within the framework of this strategy, EMDA carried out certain activities related to innovation management consultancy since 2016. One of these activities, which is also the basis of our project, is the InnoTEAM Competition Project. This project aims to measure, compare and improve innovation management capacities of the SMEs in the region. While carrying out this program, human resources who can analyze the innovation management capacity of the companies and draw a roadmap in this area was the most important need in the region. Based on this need, our InnoHabitS Project was designed and implemented. In this context, our project aims to raise human resources to increase innovation management capacity of the SMEs in the East Marmara Region in the light of global trends and regional dynamics. Objectives of the project are defined as increasing awareness of innovation in the region, developing a new regional innovative business model, designing an e-learning platform, online and interactive training materials, raising 15 staff from EMDA and KOSANO at the first stage and providing training to 25 SMEs, 140 candidates of innovation consultant and 70 candidates of innovation consultant trainers under EMDA-LLL at the second stage. Our project aims to raise human resources to improve innovation capacity of the SMEs in the region via lifelong learning and develop a new regional innovation business model in line with global trends, regional needs and dynamics. In this respect, the direct target groups consist of the employees of the SMEs in the region while the indirect target groups consist of the employees of OIZs, TDSz, Chambers, TTOs and other relevant stakeholders to be raised as the candidates of consultants and trainers. Initially, the target groups and local stakeholders were informed about the project activities in The Kick-Off Meeting. Then, a need analysis was made to draw a general framework of the project outputs and activities. Within the scope of a new regional innovation business model, “An Overview of Innovation Management and Innovative Business Model Workshop” was held to discuss the problems which the SMEs encountered and develop suggestions to on innovation management as part of the need analysis. Additionally, online survey and depth interviews were conducted with SMEs as part of the field study. After reviewing literature, researching international, national and regional policies, strategies were developed to constitute a new regional innovation business model with the contribution of all partners. In the light of the regional needs and global trends, training materials were designed to improve the innovation management capacity of our target groups. Through these materials, 2 stages training programs were carried out to raise human resources in the region. At the first stage, 14 staff of EMDA and KCI received trainings by the project partners as the candidates of trainers and innovation consultants to guarantee the sustainability of the derived services. 14 SMEs were analyzed in terms of innovation management capacity and prepared action plans specific to the firms by the trained staff as a part of on-the-job training. At the second stage, these trained staff provide online trainings to the target groups under EMDA-LLL due to COVID-19 restrictions. With these trainings, 44 employees of 35 SMEs from different sectors, 125 candidates of innovation consultant and 38 candidates of innovation consultant trainers from OIZs, Tekno parks, TTOs, Chambers and universities were entitled to get participation certificates. Furthermore, an e-learning platform was developed to provide free access to training materials and resources for improving knowledge on innovation management and brings all partners and the target groups together. Within the scope of project dissemination at international level, the project was evaluated as a good example for the other development agencies after presenting in the "Developing Skills for the Future of Economy" event organized by EURADA. After all, project results were introduced to the attention of regional and national stakeholders to develop further collaboration opportunities at the closing symposium. To sum up, the innovation management capacity of the SMEs in the region was improved and human resources were raised through the project outputs and activities.