The overall aim of SME Coach LT 2015 is to increase effectiveness and efficiency of investment in R&D and Innovation by enhancing innovation management capacity of Lithuanian SMEs -beneficiaries of the new dedicated SME instrument under Horizon 2020, and SMEs with significant innovation activities and a high potential for internationalisation. Specifically, the project will support SMEs - beneficiaries of the SME instrument- in identifying project-specific barriers and weaknesses and gaps in their innovation capacities that hinder realization of growth opportunities, and pointing to suitable coaches to address the identified weaknesses. The second specific objective is supporting SMEs with significant innovation activities and a high potential internationalization in enhancing their innovation management capacities. The proposed support concept differentiates between two types of support: the case level of the innovation project led by the SME - beneficiary of the SME instrument of the Horizon 2020 and in intervention at the corporate level (or "subject") in the case of companies having high innovation and internationalisation potential. The nature of barriers and challenges related to each situation is different. The Key Account Manager will support SMEs SME Instrument beneficiaries in identifying critical issues and gaps with regards to their innovation idea and guide them to relevant lead coach who will support the company throughout their innovation journey. The Key account Manager will use a holistic and dynamic business innovation model, supported by Business Innovation Roadmap Tool, available under Creative Commons License from smE-MPOWER network. When supporting companies having innovation and internationalization potential, but not part of SME instrument, we will use IMP3rove Academy’s diagnostic tool which measures the performance of the company’s innovation management system.

The overall aim of SME Coach LT 2017 is to increase effectiveness and efficiency of investment in R&D and Innovation by enhancing innovation management capacity of Lithuanian SMEs -beneficiaries of the new dedicated SME instrument under Horizon 2020, and SMEs with significant innovation activities and a high potential for internationalization. Specifically, the project will support SMEs - beneficiaries of the SME instrument- in identifying project-specific barriers and weaknesses and gaps in their innovation capacities that hinder realization of growth opportunities, and pointing to suitable coaches to address the identified weaknesses. The Key Account Manager will support SMEs SME Instrument beneficiaries in identifying critical issues and gaps with regards to their innovation idea and guide them to relevant lead coach who will support the company throughout their innovation journey. The Key account Manager will use a holistic and dynamic business innovation model, supported by Business Innovation Roadmap Tool, available under Creative Commons License from smE-MPOWER network. The second specific objective is supporting SMEs with significant innovation activities and a high potential internationalization in enhancing their innovation management capacities. When supporting companies having innovation and internationalization potential, but not part of SME instrument, we will use IMP3rove Academy’s diagnostic tool which measures the performance of the company’s innovation management system. However taking into account the SME context, we intend to use action- based (and case-driven) learning approach to addressing identified gaps in the innovation system. smE-MPOWER tools can support the coaching process.

The aim of SME Coach LT 2019 is to increase effectiveness and efficiency of investment in R&D and Innovation by enhancing innovation management capacity of the Lithuanian SME beneficiaries of the EIC Pilot schemes EIC Accelerator pilot ( SME Instrument), Fast Track to Innovation ( FTI) and Future and emerging technologies (FET-Open) under H2020 and SMEs with significant innovation activities and a high potential for internationalisation. Specifically, the project will support beneficiaries of the EIC Pilot in identifying project-specific barriers and weaknesses and gaps in their innovation capacities that hinder realization of growth opportunities and point to suitable coaches to address the identified weaknesses. The Key Account Manager will support SMEs beneficiaries in identifying critical issues and gaps with regards to their innovation idea and guide them to relevant lead coach who will support the company throughout their innovation journey. To identify SMEs challenges, the Key account Manager will use a holistic and dynamic business innovation model, supported by Business Innovation Roadmap Tool, available under Creative Commons License from smE-MPOWER network. The second specific objective aims at SMEs that have significant innovation activities and a high potential but lagging innovation management capacities. To assess the performance of their innovation management system, we will use IMP3rove Academy’s diagnostic tool or similar tools. Further action plan will be developed. In supporting SMEs we will use action- based (and case-driven) learning approach to addressing identified gaps in the innovation system. smE-MPOWER tools will help support the coaching process.

The aim of SME Coach LT 2018 is to increase effectiveness and efficiency of investment in R&D and Innovation by enhancing innovation management capacity of the Lithuanian beneficiaries of the funding schemes SME Instrument, Fast Track to Innovation ( FTI) and Future and emerging technologies (FET Open) under H2020 and SMEs with significant innovation activities and a high potential for internationalisation. Specifically, the project will support beneficiaries of the SME instrument in identifying project-specific barriers and weaknesses and gaps in their innovation capacities that hinder realization of growth opportunities and point to suitable coaches to address the identified weaknesses. The Key Account Manager will support SMEs SME Instrument beneficiaries in identifying critical issues and gaps with regards to their innovation idea and guide them to relevant lead coach who will support the company throughout their innovation journey. To identify SMEs challenges, the Key account Manager will use a holistic and dynamic business innovation model, supported by Business Innovation Roadmap Tool, available under Creative Commons License from smE-MPOWER network. The second specific objective aims at SMEs that have significant innovation activities and a high potential but lagging innovation management capacities. To assess the performance of their innovation management system, we will use IMP3rove Academy’s diagnostic tool or similar tools. Further action plan will be developed. In supporting SMEs we will use action- based (and case-driven) learning approach to addressing identified gaps in the innovation system. smE-MPOWER tools will help support the coaching process.

The project was implemented with the aim to improve the quality and relevance of Higher education (HE) by improving students’ entrepreneurial skills. The project idea was based on the entrepreneurial learning concept which focused on innovative and active learning methods and a multidisciplinary approach which was successfully implemented during students’ SMART internships. The project was targeted to empower HE to work with business in a more intensive and collaborative manner, to bring theoretical knowledge and learning experience closer to reality of working environment, to develop the necessary skills for employability. The innovative methodological approach to students' internships was based on the principles of interdisciplinary, team-work, problem-based, project-based, inquiry-based learning as well as close collaboration between HE and business companies. The innovative methodological approach to students' internships during the project was theoretically and practically tested in the partners' countries. The project consortium was composed of 6 institutions from 4 EU countries: 4 universities (Lithuania, Italy, Finland and Cyprus) and 2 business organizations (Lithuania, Cyprus). The outputs of the project:1. Analysis of good practices on innovative approaches to internships in HE. The developed analysis provided cases from the participating EU countries on the state of art of internships, trying to identify innovative elements which could serve as a basis for the organization of the SMART practices. This research contributed to further development of the project outputs.2. The methodology of SMART practice (guidelines how to develop and integrate innovative approaches to internship in HE). The main points in the methodology: general concepts and principles; approaches to internships; methods; responsibilities; assessment and evaluation of students’ practice; roles of HE educators (tutors) and business representatives (mentors); students’ selection process; identification and selection of problems; presentation of the results of internship, etc. The developed methodology was piloted in Lithuania, Italy, Finland and Cyprus in 12 multidisciplinary students’ teams.3. The Handbook for SMART practice. The main part of the Handbook was dedicated to the tools used for the preparation, implementation and evaluation of the SMART internship. It provides a list of 33 tools with their descriptions, listed in a chronological order. A successive index re-organized them according to the temporal and logical phases of the internship. The Handbook aimed to provide a guidance for HE organisations on planning, organisation, implementation and evaluation of SMART internships.The main target groups of the project were university students, academic staff and business representatives. All the groups were directly involved in the project piloting activities. Their positive feedbacks proved the high relevance of the project results. Multiplier events presented the project outputs to a wide audience. The direct long-term benefit of the project attained for the partners’ organizations (universities and their students). The impact is evidenced from the participants’ (students, tutors, mentors) feedbacks and related to the development of students’ entrepreneurial skills, the establishment of the new university-business collaboration schemes and platforms, integration of multidisciplinary groups into the innovative solutions of real, work-related challenges raised by business organisations.