The aim of the Smart SMEs project is to understand to what extent SMEs that produce, process and apply natural fibres use digitalization tools and approaches. The project will also evaluate obstacles that prevent SMEs from exploiting the full potential of digital solutions. Digitalization measures are only successful when company managers want and support them. SMEs, however, tend to have small management teams that are overwhelmed by other tasks, leaving them little time to identify and use the potential offered by digitalization. Businesses in rural areas have the additional problem of often unreliable internet connections. The Smart SMEs project - cofinanced by the European Parliament through the Alpine Region Preparatory Action Fund (ARPAF) - will contribute to finding solutions to overcome existing barriers. The SAB led project will be specifically focusing on enterprises in biobased value chains that produce, process and apply natural fibre-based materials, both cultivated and recycled from biological waste. The project is therefore tackling the idea of sustainable transformation in the Alpine region through the bioeconomy concept. This will involve gathering existing digitalization knowledge from research institutions, clusters, digital innovation hubs and other service providers, evaluating the digitalization level of SMEs, pinpointing issues that hamper the implementation of digitalization as well as demonstrating precise measures (technical and non-technical) to overcome existing barriers.
The compendium of the Smart SMEs project, summarizing the main results is available HERE
The WP5 Report on Policy recommendations is available HERE
The factsheet for WP 4 Conceptualiszation of new approaches is available HERE
The WP 6 concept on « building a Sustainable Network for Smart SMEs in the Alpine Region chains » is available HERE
A report on the analysis of transferability of the methodology to other value chains is available HERE
A Synthesis Report of the Action plan for digitalization of value chains is available HERE
A Synthesis Report, mapping the actual state of play and needs is available HERE
A collection of good practices and existing tools is available HERE
Factsheet for the private sector: good practices and tools for transfering knowledge on digitalization to SMEs is available HERE
Factsheet for policy makers: good practices and tools for transfering knowledge on digitalization to SMEs is available HERE
Factsheet for research centres: good practices and tools for transfering knowledge on digitalization to SMEs is available HERE
A list with tools for SMEs that help to organise their flows, communication and production in a smarter way is available HERE
A report on best practice for the digitization on the wood and agrifood supply chains of SMEs is available HERE
A report on the actual state of play and needs in canton Valais (Switzerland) is available HERE (French version), (German version)
The promotional video of the project is available HERE
A Synthesis Report of the Action plan for digitalization of value chains is available HERE
Corner stones
• Project duration: 01.08.2019 – 31.05.2021
• Total budget: € 309.833
• Cofinancing by the European Parliament through the Alpine Region Preparatory Action Fund (ARPAF): EU € 278.850
Partners
• Schweizerische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für die Berggebiete (SAB) (Lead Partner)
• ecoplus. The Business Agency of Lower Austria Ltd. / Clusters, Austria
• BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH, Germany
• Poly4EmI hosts by Anteja ECG d.o.o., Slovenia
• University of Maribor, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Slovenia
• Hub Innovazione Trentino – Fondazione, Italy
• Autonomous Province of Trento, Italy
Contact
Peter Niederer, SAB, peter.niederer@sab.ch
