This action shall provide specialized consulting services addressing innovation management capacity to SMEs with significant innovation activities. Beneficiaries of the SME instrument will receive support to enhance their innovation management and advice about the coaching process. The most innovative SME within the regions of Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y León and Galicia will receive and advanced innovation assessment based on the Improve tool and an action plan to fulffill the gaps.

Finishes and coatings are an essential element in the design and production of furniture. They determine both aesthetics and technical characteristics and functional features. They also require the review of legislative conditions related to health, safety at work and the environment.The latest innovations in finishing and coating products allow to reduce the environmental impact of the furniture, achieve greater resistance to scratching and abrasion, and meet current aesthetic requirements. At the same time, the innovations allow innovating in the final product and accessing new markets by presenting different furniture or carpentry elements.The main objective of the project is the transfer of knowledge of furniture finishes and coatings, to achieve an easier learning and a promotion of the final product innovation.Project Objectives:1) Transfer of knowledge of furniture finishes and coatings.2) Comparison of systems, finishing products and regulations between countries.3) Development of content and specific training tools in the field of furniture finishes and coatings. The joint development of the project with the participation of transnational entities has allowed greater scope and more ambitious results. Both the variety of finishing and coating products and the methods of application differ between countries: while in Estonia natural finishes, such as waxes and oils. are applied, in Spain, the United Kingdom and Italy mainly varnishes and coatings are used. The incorporation of necessary skills, knowledge and competencies on finishes and coatings requires a dynamic and fluid interaction between the FP and other actors within the innovation system at the transnational level. FUTUREfacing is based precisely on the joint work of VET providers, companies, social agents and technology centers with specific and complementary knowledge. The project consortium during its duration has developed:3.1) Intellectual products: A manual of finishes and coatings, a virtual varnish simulator and a specific database on finishes and coatings.3.2) Multiplier event: an international conference on finishes and coatings.3.3) Joint training activities for teachers.3.4) Dissemination activities: project web platform, conferences, newsletters, etc. The activities of the project have been addressed both to the students and teachers of FP as well as to the companies of the furniture sector and to the prescribers. Therefore, they have been invited to participate in all initiatives. In the case of joint training activities aimed at teachers, of the five scheduled days, one has been open to the general public. The results of the project are at all agents in the furniture's value chain disposal through its website. The manual has provided updated information about the products, the virtual simulator represents a unique opportunity to acquire or develop key skills in the application of finishes (as demonstrated in the different stays at educational centers) and the database allows to easily locate both products and suppliers.

This action shall provide specialized consulting services addressing innovation management capacity to SMEs which possess significant innovation activities. Beneficiaries of the SME instrument will receive support to enhance their nnovation management and advice within the geographicar area of Asturias, Galicia, Cantabria and Castilla y León.

C-VoUCHER aims to develop new circular (cradle to cradle) value chains, disrupting traditional linear (cradle to waste) business models by means of cross-fertilization with Design Thinking experts and Circular Disruptors. This approach is empowered by 6 Regional entities (2 leading ones from SE and DK and 4 learning ones from ES, FR, PL and RO), which together with their 41 clusters representing 5,763 SMEs (linked as 3rd Parties, including 11 gold, 4 silver and 7 bronze label ones) will work, at cross-border level, on embedding circular economy (CE) model in their Smart Specialization Strategies. C-VoUCHER is the proof-of-concept framework where 24 selected Classic SMEs from traditional industries (Agro-Food, Health, Sea, Textile, and Manufacturing), will be offered an innovative 4-phase Circularity Program to develop 12 Circularity Solutions, to be then introduced in 42 Adopter SMEs with similar challenges. The regional CE Champions will be showcased to create ‘school’ at Regional Level and beyond. The project will leverage €6M of complementary funding for CE Champions and Adopters (provided by private and public investors). Also, a ‘Circular Design Toolkit for Regions’ will be produced to mainstream the methodology in the other EU Regions. The project will be coordinated by FBA, the European leader in Financial Support to Third Parties and supported by BLUMORPHO (Business and LEAN Innovation Accelerator) and Fundingbox Communities (expert in online marketing and community building). Industry actors: MADE (representing manufacturing companies), ARLA (biggest Scandinavian dairy producer), Green Ship of the Future (private partnership working for cleaner maritime industry), Neuca (Polish entity from Health sector), Lifestyle & Design Cluster (specializing in Textiles), will help to define the industry challenges. C-VoUCHER will demonstrate how Europe can disrupt traditional value chains and become the Europe of entrepreneurial regions.