1.     Project Summary

The GREENSMES project tackles the common territorial challenge of boosting green innovation in business within IPA ADRION area and aims to strengthen innovation capacities in the IPA ADRION region through transnational quadruple helix synergies, by cross-collaboration among participating countries and regions in the field of green transition and clean technologies, SMEs support and upskilling, innovation ecosystem building and rural development.

The expected result of the project is to strengthen the competitiveness of companies in the region on the global market, through the introduction of new ecological business practices, technologies and innovations that reduce the negative consequences of their operations on the environment, while at the same time improving the company’s operations.

Through the project, companies will implement activities such as the development of new products and services that have less negative impact on the environment and at the same time are more competitive on the market, the introduction of technologies in production that reduce the consumption of energy and other resources, the use of renewable energy sources, the reduction of harmful gas emissions, efficient waste management and others. These activities will lead to the improvement of the company’s operations through the conquest of new markets, increase of income, optimization of costs and realization of savings, creation of new jobs and maintenance of existing ones, improvement of the quality of products, services and processes, and/or introduction of innovative products or services on the international market.

This will be achieved through direct work with companies, which includes the identification of needs and opportunities for companies to improve business through green practices, technologies and innovations, and support in the implementation of identified solutions. Implementation support within the project includes financing the work of international experts with companies in the implementation of their projects, and direct support from local institutions and organizations in Albania.

2. Key project activities

• Analysis of the state and actors in the innovation ecosystems for the green economy in the partner countries of the project and the development of an action plan for the establishment of a network to support green innovations in SMEs;
• Building a transnational network for green innovation in SMEs:
•  Establishing a database of transnational experts to support companies in testing green solutions;
• Capacity building program of organizations to support the economy in the
• green transition;
•  Program for building the capacity of businessmen;
• Piloting the program of green transnational economic cooperation
• Implementation of a voucher scheme to support 5 local companies for the implementation of green practices;
• Organization of an international competition of best practices in green innovations;
• Creating a transnational catalog of good practices in the green economy.

3. Information

Call:                      INTERREG IPA ADRION – FIRST CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Project Acronym:      GREENSMES

Project Number:       IPA-ADRION00142

Programme Priority: Supporting a smarter Adriatic – Ionian region

Specific objective:    Strengthening innovation capacities in the Adriatic – Ionian region

Start – End Date:     2024-09-01 – 2027-02-28

Total EU Funds:        EUR 1 570 283.04

Interreg Funds:        EUR 1,334,740.58

4. Project Partners

LEAD PARTNER:         TECNOPOLIS – SCIENCE AND TECNOLOGY PARK – APUGLIA

• BUSINESS AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER OF THESSALONIKI
• CITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY BANJA LUKA
• REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY GREEN KARST
• EUROPEAN AFFAIRS FUND OF AP VOJVODINA
• ZADAR COUNTY RURAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
• ALBANIAN DEVELOPMENT FUND
• MUNICIPALITY OF HERCEG NOVI
• NATIONAL CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURIAL LEARNING
• TEAM – TOGETHER EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE CENTER

5. Contact for Albanian partner

Contact     Ingrida Dashi

E-mail        idashi@albaniandf.org

Contact     Ylli Take

E-mail        ytake@albaniandf.org

6. Link of project website and social media

7. Activities

• GREENSMES Events in Apuglia – 12-14 November 2024

8. Newsletters