Skills for innovative SMEs

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Expected Outcome: Establishment of an SME support scheme through the Enterprise Europe Network, which delivers transnational skills-matching, recruitment support, and innovation management services to innovative SMEs across Europe. This support scheme has the following expected outcomes: Innovative SMEs have reduced labour and skill shortages through a transnational mobility scheme, which allows them to recruit and train highly skilled researchers from abroad; SMEs have improved innovation capacity to support research and innovation (R&I) projects and increased participation of highly skilled staff employed in R&I through recruitment and training; Researchers gain new knowledge and skills in industrial innovation and business management, through employment and training in innovative companies. Scope: To facilitate the innovation to investment journey and boost competitiveness, the EU needs to promote skills and quality jobs and help SMEs strengthen their innovation potential, by addressing labour and skills shortages, as highlighted in the Competitiveness Compass for the EU. Europe faces a growing challenge in meeting the demand for skilled talent in strategic sectors like clean and circular technologies, energy, health, biotech, agriculture, bioeconomy, digital technologies, aerospace and civil security. The progressive loss of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers, also known as the ‘leaky pipeline’, is further increasing these skills shortages. Nearly four in five SMEs say they cannot find the talent they need. The lack of access to skills, including the latest scientific knowledge and capacity to manage innovation processes effectively, have been identified as major barriers for innovation in SMEs, especially among start-ups and scale-ups. In line with the 'Choose Europe for Science' initiative, this action is expected to set up a transnational mobility scheme to provide lump sum grants (via FSTP) to innovative SMEs who have experienced skill shortages and difficulty in recruiting innovation talent. The action builds on the successful results of the ‘European SME innovation associate pilot’, which was launched in three consecutive calls under the Horizon 2020 work programmes 2016 – 2020. An evaluation study[1] of this pilot found that the grant was instrumental for most SMEs to recruit an innovation associate and that most supported SMEs were able to bring the results of their innovation projects to market. The insights from this earlier action should be reflected in any proposal. The action also complements Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions (MSCA), by providing additional work opportunities for researchers/early-career professionals holding a PhD, including but not limited to those who completed the MSCA fellowship, and aim to gain further experience in the private sector. Existing structures, such as the European Universities alliances, may offer SMEs further access to trainings, resources, networks…