INERRAnT – INterregional Ecosystem for entRepreneurship, ReseArch and Technology    

Programme Name:     INTERREG IPA CBC ITALY-ALBANIA-MONTENEGRO

Project Title:   INERRAnT – INterregional Ecosystem for entRepreneurship, ReseArch and Technology

Project Acronym: INERRAnT

Duration:              24 months (15.03.2018 – 14.03.2020)

Programme Objective: Strengthening the cross-border cooperation and competitiveness of SMEs

Project Priority: Creating an innovative ecosystem, inter-linked with research and entrepreneurial actors in public-private logic.

Programme Priority Specific Objective: Enhance the framework conditions for the development of SME’s cross- border market.

 

Lead Partner:            CONFINDUSTRIA Lecce Italy (THE INDUSTRIALISTS’ ASSOCIATION OF THE LECCE’S PROVINCE

Partners:

• P2. DHITECH SCARL (DHITECH HIGH TECHNOLOGICAL DISTRICT)
• P3. CCIT (Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Tirana)
• P4. KISH (Albanian Confindustry)
• P5.RDA-UBA (Regional Development Agency – Ulcinj Business Association)
• P6.  RDA BKP (Regional Development Agency for Bjelasica, Komovi and Prokletije)
• P7. Asocciated Partners ENEA – Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Economic Sustainable Development
• P8. Asocciated Partners (The Albanian Centre for Business Research and Training)
• P9. Asocciated Partners (Municipality of Ulcinj)

Project Summary:

In the past years, Countries have understood the importance to bet on innovative entrepreneurship, promoting the launch of companies based on the research activities of youngs, researchers, startuppers. However, in the territories involved in this Programme, the lack of funding and networking opportunities are hampering these enterprises to grow. Moreover, research centers often do not know how to turn successful ideas into concrete products and services.

This project aims at creating an innovative ecosystem, inter-linked with research and entrepreneurial actors in public-private logic, able to foster dialogue between different territories, enhance collaborative research actions, supporting talents mobility and strengthen the capacity of attracting private capitals. To realize this, it will implement the following main operative steps:

Supporting the creation of an interregional network among the main stakeholders: research and technological centers, companies and public administrations; Defining a model for the technology centre, exportable in Albania and Montenegro and based on the Italian 20 years’ experience; Facilitating knowledge sharing & talents mobility. The Main outputs of the project will be: The Interregional Ecosystem, networking businesses, research centers, technological districts and Public Administrations, an international cluster for the promotion of Spin-offs, Start-ups, and innovative organizations operating, in the mid-long term, as an international Hub able to catalyze experiences, knowledge and expertise; the Albanian Technological Center, set in Tirana;

International liveshows and workshops across project partners’ territories, to promote the project cluster, attract private investment funds, and look for new creative talents and potential innovative SMEs; continuous training Fund

Main Objectives of the Project:

The Programme’s specific objective INERRAnT is connected with, is “Enhance the framework conditions for the development of SME’s crossborder market”. In order to achieve it, it proposes as main overall objective an innovative ecosystem, inter-linked with research and entrepreneurial actors in public-private logic, able to foster dialogue between different territories, strengthen

collaborative research actions, supporting talents mobility and enhance the capacity of attracting private capitals. This ecosystem, through the International Digital innovation Hub, composed by laboratories of innovative ideas, innovative companies (spin-offs , spin-outs, start-up) and by Public-Private Laboratories, will guarantee: • support for SMEs in identifying appropriate needs, opportunities and Technological options possibly by redirect them to qualified subjects in the DIH network (public and private); • mentoring and training at the factory (managers and operators); • support in the construction of Industria 4.0 projects; • strategic consulting on Industry 4.0 domains (legal – IPR, taxation, business modeling, investment project evaluation); • facilitating knowledge sharing and talents mobility, strengthening competencies and skills of the main R&D stakeholders and involved partners and developing innovative contents through which conducting research activities aimed at producing new scientific and technological expertise; • support for access to public and private funding. In order to realize this, 3 specific objectives will be implemented: • SO1 – Promoting new Innovative Companies and collaboration among main territorial stakeholders; • SO2 – Facilitating knowledge sharing & talents mobility; • SO3 – Supporting relations with international institutions and market placement of products/services

Specific Objectives of the Project:

• SO1 – Promoting new Innovative Companies and collaboration among main territorial stakeholders.The promotion of innovative companies belonging to IPA area will be fostered by the creation of an interregional ecosystem in public-private key, which aims at becoming a recognized institution in Europe. The creation of an International Digital Innovation Hub will enable the creation of a network of “territorial actors of innovation”, consisting of University, Competence Center, Cluster, Research Centers; Technological District, Incubators, FabLab, Investors, Local Authorities. In addition, the project foresees the organization of Liveshows across partners Countries, with the purpose of collecting data on a large-scale, getting close to the everyday lives of the area, making the project known and promote innovative enterprises affiliation to the cluster.
• SO2 – Facilitating knowledge sharing & talents mobility In order to promote the knowledge sharing among the stakeholder of the economic ecosystem, the project envisages the production of scientific publications and training session, with the purpose of encouraging the development of entrepreneurs capable of developing sustainable organizations. In addition, the International Digital Innovation Hub will have a strategic role. It will contribute to the introduction of new ideas, deepening new technologies and business trends, identifying opportunities that go beyond the current business, building relationships, approaching knowledge and skills of the business community, the opening of real ‘strategic options’ on technologies and business models to be tested. In order to share knowledge by spreading best practices and project outcomes, the project envisages the realization of three permanent industry 4.0 liveshow.
• SO3 –Supporting relations with international institutions and market placement of products/services. The project aims at developing an international ecosystem that will involve a high number of innovative companies and public actors belonging to the area. The IDIH will become a recognized spokesperson of their real interests and needs. This new institution will be able to represent them from EU institutions, by taking part to technical roundtables, committees, BEI etc. This network will also work to guide companies along the process towards the market. The development of technology roadmaps will allow more efficiently driving research, collaboratively implementing technologies needed to meet identified objectives, helping to use more effectively public and private investments, with an increase of cluster competitiveness. Moreover, the ICT platform will be a precious tool to allow the constant communication among all the actors involved, at both local and interregional level.

Activities:

• Working Package M: Management
• Working Package T1: Setting Of The Interregional Ecosystem
• Working Package T2: Technological Services
• Working Package T3: Pilot Actions For Knowledge Sharing & Talents Mobility
• Working Package C: Communication

Project Main Result

INERRAnT ecosystem will guarantee: • R1: Promotion of new Innovative Companies and collaboration among main territorial stakeholders; • R2: Knowledge sharing and talents mobility, by strengthening competencies and skills of the main R&D stakeholders and involved partners and developing innovative contents through which conducting research activities aimed at producing new scientific and technological expertise; • R3: Relations with international institutions and identification of emerging opportunities for market placement of innovative products/services, in line with the smart specialisation strategies of each region.

Project Main Outputs

• 1 Interregional Cross-Border Ecosystem defined
• 1 Cross-Border Technological Network established
• 1 Cross-border Innovation Hub established
• 1 Technological Centre established in Tirana