Supporting eco-innovations towards international markets (SUPER)

Title	Supporting eco-innovations towards international markets
Abbreviation	SUPER
Project number	PGI00014
Programme	Interreg Europe 2014 - 2020

Project partners

County Administrative Board of Östergötland (Sweden) (lead partner)
Linköping University (Sweden)
Vaeksthus Zealand (Denmark)
Murcia Business Innovation Centre (BIC Murcia) (Spain)
Province of Utrecht (Netherlands)
Podlaska Regional Development Foundation (Poland)
Tipperary County Council (Ireland) (did not participated in the extension project)
Western Macedonia University of Applied Sciences (TEIWM) (Greece)
Vidzeme Planning Region (Latvia)
Public Institution Lithuanian Innovation Centre (Lithuania)

Improve the implementation of regional development policies and programmes, in particular, programmes for Investment for Growth and Jobs and, where relevant, ETC programmes, that support the delivery of innovation by actors in regional innovation chains in areas of “smart specialization” and innovation opportunity.
Objective for the extension of the project: Improve eco-innovation policy instruments through new projects and improved governance to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 and promote the development and return of SMEs to international markets.

Eco-friendly business and innovation support tools in partner regions will be identified and analyzed.
The methodologies developed by the Linköping University (Sweden) will focus on identifying and analyzing the needs of SMEs in the area of eco-innovation in the partner regions, analyzing the barriers and potential of the commercialization and internationalization of environmentally friendly innovations as well as the transfer of good practices to support and develop such business and innovation areas. In the result an action plan for the development of support tools will be developed to improve the competitiveness and innovation capacity of regional SMEs.
Recommendations will be developed for public sector stakeholders in this field.
The competitiveness and innovation capacity of Vidzeme region' s environmentally friendly SMEs will be promoted.
Additional activities:
Develop a report on how Covid-19 has affected eco-innovative SMEs,identify examples of good practice.
To establish cooperation with the stakeholders involved in the project - SMEs, local governments, innovation policy makers and support organizations, educational and research institutions to identify the consequences of Covid-19 and development opportunities.
Familiarization and transfer of partner countries' research and good practice to partners in 2 interregional meetings.
Dissemination activities.

Within the framework of the project, according to a common methodology, the analysis of the needs of SMEs in the area of environmentally friendly innovation from partner regions will be analyzed.
The analysis of the barriers and potential of the commercialization and internationalization of environmentally friendly innovations as well as the transfer of good practices will be done to support and develop these areas of entrepreneurship and innovation.
In the result, an action plan will be worked out for the development of support instruments (including SAM 1.2.1. in Latvia) to improve the competitiveness and innovation capacity of regional SMEs.
A report on the impact of Covid-19 on eco-innovative SMEs has been developed, an example of good practice has been identified and analyzed.
Recommendations for the improvement of eco-innovation policy are provided.
Increased knowledge of project stakeholders about innovation support tools and potential benefits for SMEs.
The experience of the partner countries in mitigating the consequences of the Covid-19 crisis has been acquired, co-operation in the development of new projects has been started.

Total: 1 677 252 EUR

Vidzeme Planning Region: 110 107 EUR

Budget of extended period:

Total: EUR 397 075.38

Vidzeme Planning Region: EUR 36 412.40

01.04.2016. – 31.03.2021.
Extension period:
01.10.2021 –30.09.2022

Rita Merca
Mob. tel.: +371 29476373
e-mail: rita.merca@vidzeme.lv