Summary

According to the European Eco-innovation Action Plan, eco-innovation in companies leads to cost reductions, improves their ability to seize new growth opportunities and enhances their reputation among customers.

EXAGE aims to contribute to making Europe a united society driven by green technologies and eco-innovative processes, products and services. With EXAGE, a special place is reserved for those entrepreneurs and SMEs that focus their business on smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, resource efficiency and low carbon emissions.

Description

In the context of the current economic overturn and of the already consolidated globalization trends, enterprises keep find it more and more necessary to move their attention to international markets in order to expand their businesses, find new business models, and increase their competitiveness. In the specific case of entrepreneurs, achieving this goal is a much harder endeavour due to the lack of appropriate skills, capacities, training, and business contacts

The EXAGE project intends to help new entrepreneurs by giving them a helping hand in the initial stages of their projects. On the other hand, host entrepreneurs, as experienced and established as they might be will find it extremely useful and convenient to belong to such a vast network of entrepreneurship as the one that EXAGE plans to establish. In addition, EXAGE's focus on Eco-Entrepreneurship and Green Business will allow for entrepreneurs in these sectors to further develop their skills and knowledge on the current trends, technologies, market niches, and business models so as to make their learning period much more profitable and fruitful.

Objectives

• Entrepreneurs in the green sector, be it energy efficiency, sustainable growth, green commerce, or whatever green activity it might be, will enjoy certain priorities in the EXAGE project so as to create a specific network of entrepreneurs in such business activities. 

• New entrepreneurs will be given the opportunity to travel abroad and learn on the job directly from an already settled and experienced host entrepreneur, who will be actively encouraged to include the newcomer into his/ her running business projects to foster the development of new ideas and models. 

• The establishment of such a vast network of entrepreneurship will allow the EXAGE project to gather information on the most common obstacles and challenges entrepreneurs currently face, so that they may obtain the managerial skills required to sort them out. 

• The constant environment of international collaboration will make new ideas, concepts, and approaches sprout out of the encounter of two usually separate worlds: those of the new entrepreneurs and the experienced ones. 

• This international environment of collaboration will likewise help participants raise the awareness that it is necessary to look beyond the limits of one's country to innovate and create something new at a national and European level. 

• This network will enhance market access and the identification of potential partners for new and established businesses in other EU countries. 

• SMEs from remote EU regions will be encouraged to exchange experiences and enhance learning and networking with other entrepreneurs from other European countries and regions.

UNINETTUNO Role

In the WP1, UNINETTUNO takes part to all consortium meetings, contacts other IOs or partnerships present in its region/country in order to identify opportunities for collaboration, participates actively in the social networks promoting the activity of the EXAGE project and implements and reports on a semester basis on the promotion activities planned.

In the WP2, UNINETTUNO promotes the programme through its website, networks and by sending individual mails or making individual phone calls or visits. Present the EXAGE project and disseminates promotion material in relevant events. Organizes two Info Days in its region to present the programme. Provides interested HEs and NEs with the application form, business plan and Europass CV templates. Identifies and takes part to major business meetings, conferences and events to present the programme.

In the WP3, who leads, UNINETTUNO defines the methodology for building relationships between NE and HE, including the categories of entrepreneurs according to motivations. UNINETTUNO manages the knowledge about all the support technical, financial and cultural guides to NE.

In the WP4, UNINETTUNO assures the control of the no-profit rules. Verifies the maximum duration of the stay and the amount of the funds established by the EYE programme will never be exceeded. Generates an "Afterwork plan". Teaches a training course using the didactic material proposed by the Support Office from the European Commission.

Partners