Innovation and knowledge in SMEs (DK)

Innovation is broadly defined by being a new product, new process, new organization or new marketing, although the relatively broad definition still only results in that 41% of companies in the Southern Region has implemented a process of innovation. The need for companies themselves to create or find knowledge and new technologies is greater than ever, if they should ultimately survive the international competition, where many studies have confirmed that investment in knowledge provides a significant contribution to productivity and growth.

One of the great challenges for Vejen Municipality and the region as a hole, are the lacking human resources. There are relatively fewer people with a longer education and relatively more people without any qualifying and business related education. Irrespective of whether it is employed, unemployed or people outside the workforce Region South Denmark is laying low in the statistic. Some of the explanation can be the overrepresentation of branches there employs persons with a relatively lower educational level but that can only explain part of the relatively lower educational level (Region Syddanmark, Vækstredegørelse 2009).

What is of most importance is the lack of both a high educational level and companies participating in development project. This combination gives great opportunities, but emphases also the great challenges for competitiveness in Vejen Municipality.

• Identifying the needs and ambitions for growth through new knowledge by visits of a business consultant
• Better connectionbetween companies and knowledge people
• Strengthenedcooperation between companies and knowledge institutions
• Eventwith a focus on opportunities for subsidy in hiring academics

• SMEs improve their knowledge level and competitiveness by hiring academics – we will help them through the process.
• Stronger cooperation with educational institutions and national agencies

• Five companies have received a grant under the Knowledge Pilot Programme - http://fivu.dk/en/research-and-innovation/funding-programmes-for-research-and-innovation/find-danish-funding-programmes/postgraduates-in-the-private-sector/innovation-assistant/guidelines-for-the-knowledge-pilot-programme-1/guidelines-for-the-knowledge-pilot-programme
• The companies are very positive and more adaptable than expected
• The companies needs to be help throughout the process
• The Knowledge Pilot Programme scheme has changed the rules, now there must be a named candidate before it can be searched
• The companies must have a single contact person who can coordinate and involve relevant partners

• It is time consuming
• The business consultant needs to have some basic information regarding the different subsidy schemes and knowledge of relevant partners

• Many rural areas has the same challenges regarding knowledge in companies, - there is different projects, rapport and initiatives addressing this challenge, fx Knowledge Alliances http://ec.europa.eu/education/higher-education/knowledge_en.htm
• The Lifelong Learning Programme - http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/index_en.htm
• EDUCCKATE - http://ec.europa.eu/education/higher-education/doc/business/educkate_en.pdf

• There is quite good possibilities of transferability and in WP 1 we are already having different deliberation, for example in the sharing of knowledge with Norfolk and NOFA, there also have a focus on information workers and work experience for the students.

UdviklingVejenvisiting in their daily work companies in the Municipality in which the individual companies' competences, challenges and development potentials are identified.

UdviklingVejen has at the initial meeting, among other things focus on the opportunities and the companies fitness to make use of the different contributions supporting increased knowledge in the companies.

A large part of the process is to help companies to a greater recognition of the value by the addition of new knowledge and their ability to innovate and grow through recruitment of highly skilled employees. The companies identified as being suitable, will then be visited again, where UdviklingVejen will make use of a number of partners, for example, FORCE and TEK Momentum.

The process is accompanied by the possibility to usethe various kind of contribution, for example a knowledge-pilot, a student or an innovation check where UdviklingVejen facilitate and follow up the process.

• The companies will experience better innovation capacity and competiveness
• Fewer unemployed graduates 

Date of production of this project format, - latest version 19.4.2013