INTERREG 6A - Pioneering SMEs Innovative SMEs as Forerunners to Master the Grand Challenges of the 21st Century

The German-Danish border region is strongly characterized by SMEs. Areas of strength include tourism, renewable energies, manufacturing, or crafts. SMEs face challenges in terms of digitalization, automation, and sustainability. Some local SMEs are traditionally active in less technology-oriented areas. Catch-up processes for sustainable and digital transformation of markets would be cost-intensive and risky.
The project aims to address the challenges by increasing innovation and digitalization potential to increase economic growth and competitiveness of SMEs as well as the future viability of the program region.
Project outcomes: Tailored collaboration will promote student-supported innovations in SMEs. In this way, current knowledge acquired during studies will flow into everyday business life. ARTEMIS will identify the needs of the SMEs and it will develop a joint concept for initiatives, which are implemented and evaluated with 30 companies. Partners from both sides of the border are involved in each initiative. A permanent cross-border network of actors is established to support innovation capacity in SMEs and to improve the intercultural climate.
The approach is characterized by the application-oriented transfer of knowledge from universities to companies and the evaluation of success factors. A broad German-Danish pool of students from complementary study programs finds the best candidates for individual company challenges to jointly develop the most promising solutions. The matching process creates a new unique added value, with a focus on cross-border collaboration. The project will mobilize potentials and synergies for innovation and knowledge transfer.
Relevance of cooperation: objectives would be achieved far less effectively at national level. More innovation and internationality, e.g., via sales markets, shall contribute to equalizing the competitiveness of the border region. Opportunities become visible; the diverse pool of knowledge is used - instead of working in parallel side by side. The partners get the opportunity to get in contact with actors across the border, to exchange knowledge, to carry out cooperation and to expand their network.