The SME Cluster Growth project aims at empowering SMEs in the engineering sector to ensure their maturation and stable growth by equipping them with horizontal skills and knowledge. This will be achieved via a collaborative effort of higher education institutions (HEIs), future skills and business growth professionals and university-industry relationship experts that will respectively contribute to the advancement of SMEs’ operational, attitudinal and adaptive capacities. The project will do this via (i) SME cluster growth training (ii) student business consulting, and (iii) a launch of cross-border facility sharing schemes. More particularly, the consortium will:1. Identify cluster growth needs of SMEs in 6 project regions and 65 (6x10 + 1x5) good practices on successful SME growth strategies (Mapping);2. Develop and implement SME growth mobility and training programmes for a group of 60 (6x10) SMEs including workshops, peer learning and cross-border hot desk schemes (Learning); 3. Launch cross-border network support structures in science parks and business organisations in the form of hot desks, university access points, and facility sharing for SMEs to explore growth opportunities (Facility sharing);4. Match 24+ (6x4) MA & PhD students with SMEs to conduct in-house research and 24 (6x4) BA students to take up business challenge projects in the areas facilitating cluster growth (Consultancy & practice-based learning);5. Develop and pilot test the ‘Change of Perspective Programme’ where 6+ academics and 6+ business professionals exchange their workplaces for a day to experience a different environment (Learning);6. Build 6 cluster growth networks through forming stakeholder councils and community and capacity building events in the partner regions and linking the project cluster SMEs to the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) for visibility, network and future collaboration opportunities (Growth).
The aim of the project is to equip SMEs with horizontal skills and knowledge so that to ensure their stable maturation and growth by drawing HEIs and business professionals to develop and support (i) SME cluster growth training, (ii) student business consulting, (iii) cross-border mobility and facility sharing and (iv) regional growth stakeholder community building activities.
Whilst SMEs constitute 99% of the European business arena and provide employment opportunities to around 94 million people, they face many obstacles to growth, including a shortage of skilled human resources and limited access to information. Being the motor of the EU economy, the ongoing development of cross-functional human resources remains critical. Research shows that clusters and networks involving scientific organisations and universities are essential for SME innovation.
<< Background >> Whilst SMEs constitute 99% of the European business arena and provide employment opportunities to around 94 million people, they face many obstacles to growth, including a shortage of skilled human resources and limited access to information. Being the motor of the EU economy, the ongoing development of cross-functional human resources remains critical. Research shows that clusters and networks involving scientific organisations and universities are essential for SME innovation. << Objectives >> The aim of the project is to equip SMEs with horizontal skills and knowledge so that to ensure their stable maturation and growth by drawing HEIs and business professionals to develop and support (i) SME cluster growth training, (ii) student business consulting, (iii) cross-border mobility and facility sharing and (iv) regional growth stakeholder community building activities. << Implementation >> The SME Cluster Growth project aims at empowering SMEs in the engineering sector to ensure their maturation and stable growth by equipping them with horizontal skills and knowledge. This has been achieved via a collaborative effort of higher education institutions (HEIs), future skills and business growth professionals and university-industry relationship experts that will respectively contribute to the advancement of SMEs’ operational, attitudinal and adaptive capacities. << Results >> The main results of the project are (i) SME Cluster Growth Mobility and Training Programme, (ii) The Student SME Consultancy and Change of Perspective Programme and (iii) a launch of cross-border facility sharing scheme through the establishment of 7 Hot Desks in different European regions.