The EU-funded project reveals the role of technology parks as innovative agencies in the management of capital investments and financial support to SMEs.
Málaga TechPark has participated this morning in the first virtual meeting of the European project ‘Innoinvest’. The main goal of this project is to support SMEs that are in the process of launching innovative products or technology (R&D) by finding tools and methods to improve the investment process, especially by facilitating the SMEs cooperation with corporate companies
The project, promoted by the European Commission within the framework of the Horizon 2020 program, is developed by the consortium formed by Málaga TechPark together with the Poznan Science and Technology Park in Poland, the WISTA Science and Technology Park in Berlin-Adlershof, the Tallinn Science Park Tehnopol of Estonia, a European park that is also a member of the IASP, the World Association of Science Parks which has its headquarters in the Malaga technopolis.
This first virtual meeting set out the work plan and methodologies that will be developed throughout the year that the project lasts. In this period, technology parks will show their role as innovative agencies of their companies. They will work on the development of support tools in the internationalization and investment processes for SMEs’ innovative technologies/solutions to ensure the best quality in the selection of the SMEs and their management staff and proposals.
The technology parks involved in the project, as innovation agencies, will pay attention how to choose the best qualified and experienced experts to the process of evaluating ideas. Besides, the main emphasis will be put on the validation process in order to ensure the SMEs feedback from the potential business partners and facilitate them to start the cooperation with corporate companies and acquire the financial (short or long term) support.
These agencies will be responsible for selection of the SMEs, evaluation, validation leading to obtaining the capital by SMEs. The results of the project can enhance also the possibilities of obtaining by SMEs not only the short but also the long-term capital from business and financial partners which can enhance SMEs growth, competitiveness and facilitate their focusing on profitability of innovative solutions.
Málaga TechPark continues its visibility strategy in the Horizon 2020 framework program. The tech park participated in the Target SME project last year, also together with the Poznan Science and Technology Park and the Tallinn Science Park Tehnopol, in order to promote the development of located SMEs in European innovation spaces through marketing tools.