10 Tools to Enable the Innovation Potential of High-Tech Photonics SMEs

Europe’s high-tech Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) have a large share in developing smart products in the field of photonics and other Key Enabling Technologies (KETs). They are one of the backbones of Europe’s economic power, yet despite great innovation potential they often lack management skills and cross-sectoral market insights to leverage their products on the market. The EU funded project RespiceSME addressed these needs and developed a toolbox to boost the innovativeness and competitiveness of high-tech photonics SMEs. The tools were conceived to support cluster managers and business developers in consulting SMEs on business strategy. This handbook provides a practice-oriented description of these tools outlining implementation guidelines on: Evaluating the innovation potential of high-tech SMEs Delivering support and advice to SMEs for improving corporate innovation management and formulating a strategy for Innovation Enabling high-tech SMEs to exploit their potential and put novel products succesfully on the market Bolstering the competitiveness of SMEs by initiating transnational and cross-sectoral cooperation To illustrate tools and methods the handbook also presents best practices collected in the framework of the RespiceSME project. All templates and tools are available online: http://www.respice-sme.eu/respicesme-toolbox/the-respicesme-handbook/