GIS - TRANSFER CENTER FOUNDATION

Increase the competitiveness of enterprises by focusing on technology and know-how transfer between SMEs, research, industry and educational institutions in the sphere of energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and ICT for the Sofia and Nishava districts

Project No.: 2007CB16IPO006-2009-1-43

GIS Transfer Center Foundation, Bulgaria

Ilko Stoyanov
Project Manager, Bulgaria
e: inventa@einet.bg

Silvia Ivanova
Project Coordinator, Bulgaria
e: silvia.d.ivanova@gmail.com

01/01/2012

01/02/2013

Energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and ICT are seen as priority areas in which are increased focus on promoting innovation could bring substantial benefits to both the European and global economies in achieving competitiveness and environmental sustainability. These technologies are applicable in all the sectors of economic life and are still underexploited by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe. The project aims to promote and introduce these new horizontal technologies, management techniques etc. to the SMEs in the targeted border areas of Serbia and Bulgaria and thus to achieve sustainable economic development. By studying the current needs for new technologies of SMEs in the priority areas and finding solutions for those needs in the research organisations and research driven SMEs the action will assure long term business growth and increase the economic synergy of the cross-border region. The economy of the area of University of Nish and Sofia region is interested for the development of bilateral relationship in all sectors of economy and especially in the part of connecting of knowledge and technology, so by implementing the project jointly the beneficiaries will improve the capacity of regional potential usage.

Expected result and activities
I. Preparatory works for project implementation
Setting up the project team – signing contracts and job description elaboration. Drafting of Internal Project Manual. It is to give a detailed description of the services to be delivered to the companies visits, technology audit, business and technology needs, profiles, etc. It is to provide a common understanding by all partners of the services to be delivered within the project. Project brochure –in Bulgarian and Serbian - to serve as a “business card” of the project.
Project website elaboration. Besides providing detailed project information, the website will be designed as a technology transfer platform for matching the requests and offers from SMEs and the RTOs respectively.
Two Promoting press-conferences – in Bulgaria and Serbia.

II. Awareness raising up and promotion
Aiming at better integration of the local SMEs on the Cross-Border Market and at increasing their competitiveness. These shall be organised as separate events – financial and awareness seminars, conferences. They will be a tool to raise the SME’s awareness on energy efficiency, RES and ICT, existing financial schemes and programmes, specific issues with regards to innovation financing and management as horizontal issues and on future trends in these areas also.
Speakers, moderators, presenters will identified from among the partners’ staff and external experts. For the events will be used modern and interactive methods, providing participants with quality information kits, ensuring good networking opportunities for the participant SMEs.

ІII. Innovation demand - Technology needs assessment of SMEs in the priority areas
At least 50 companies from each cross border region will be visited. Technology needs assessment goes through company visits carried out by a project officer and a representative of the company and/or using internal expertise. A technical assessment (TA) report is elaborated, providing precise description of the problems discussed and suggestions on how the SME can improve its performance.
The TA service will include energy efficiency assessment, new technologies and methods for eco-innovation, etc. The visited/assessed SME prcedes onto dissemination of technology offer (TO) or technology request (TR). The TOs and TRs will be gathered in a catalogue containing all profiles. The catalogue will be uploaded on the project website.

IV. Innovation supply – key technologies survey and technology roadmapping
The project partners cosider that the action results need to have long-term impact. This is why the services delivered will have to address not only the current pressing needs of SMEs (as identified in Activity 3), but their future technology needs as well. The latter will be based on a key technology survey and a technology roadmapping exercise. The activity envisages:

• desk research – collection of at least 50 target research organizations in Nish and Sofia disrict
• establishing connection with the major stakeholders in the targeted region
• visiting research organisations and research driven SMEs
• elaboration of business and technology capabilities profiles (RTOs) of the visited and assessed organisations.

V. Organization of a technology and business brokerage events
The events will be organized both in Bulgaria and Serbia and is to serve as a brockerage/matching platform. The event will bring together the SMEs and the RTOs studied from Act. 3 & 4. The project team will screen the technology requests and offers and will identify possible matches. The events will start with key technologies survey and technology roadmapping missions will be organized for the participants - SMEs from one side of the border willing to promote their technologies/find solutions will be assisted to visit potential technology recipients/suppliers from the other side of the border.

VI. Elaborating mechanisms for technology transfer and business collaboration services

As a result of the project activities a dynamical web-based platform will be established for publication, exchange and communication of technology needs and technology offers. It will include technology and business profiles, information on actual events in the sphere of technology exchange, forums. The platform will be maintained in Bulgarian, Serbian and English languages. In order to ensure its sustainability ot will be incorporated under the structure of the present websites of University of Nis and GIS Transfer centre and will be offered as an additional tool for gathering TOs and TRs to the local stakeholders’ websites in Bulgaria and Serbia.

VII. Promotion and publicity

This activity includes regular (monthly) media coverage – introducing the project activities in local papers and electronic media. Two press-releases will be published respectively in Bulgarian and Serbian media. A poster summarizing the goals, participants and achieved results by the project implementation will be elaborated and disseminated.
At the end of the project activities both partners will organize two press conferences (Sofia and Nish) for project results visibility and for dissemination of the projects results.

• GIS - Transfer Center, Bulgaria
• Agency for Economic Development, Bulgaria
• Faculty of Economics at the University of Nis, Serbia
• Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nis, Serbia

Small and medium enterprises, research organizations, nongovernmental organizations, local development, business networks, business incubators and similar business entities.