An overview of the achievements of each partnership can be found below. This includes details on a series of new tools and innovative collaboration methods for enhancing SMEs internationalisation activities that could help inspire other cluster organisations.

Strand 2 - Implementation Phase

Strand 1 - Preparation Phase

Some concrete examples of the partnerships’ achievements

LASER-GO GLOBAL signed cooperation agreements in six countries

LASER-GO GLOBAL brought together six clusters from the healthcare, health tech and photonics sectors targeting USA, Canada, Singapore, South Korea, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. In the course of the eight trade missions, a total of 463 contacts with players of the global photonics and medtech sectors were established, including intermediary entities, universities, distributors, SMEs, incubators and investors. The partners participated in around 220 meetings with key stakeholders and they attended more 16 events in the target markets, including conferences, trade shows, networking events and workshops, Significant visibility and awareness of the project has been raised through B2B meetings with key actors in the target markets, presentations in dedicated workshops and the publication of different articles and reports.

Twenty-two MoUs were signed and six more are being prepared together with six letters of commitment from the business intermediaries and the companies in the targeted markets to confirm the intention of the involved parties to pursue business opportunities for SMEs. Around 40 leads for business cooperation initiatives have been identified between European SMEs and stakeholders in the target markets and 12 cooperation agreements have been signed by companies thanks to the activities carried out at the trade missions.

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NF4 established built strong business connections for SME members

The NF4 (New Frontiers in Food Fast Forward) partnership mobilised five clusters and around 560 SMEs active in food innovation, including in improving sustainability. Four countries (Brazil, Canada, China and the US) are being targeted through business missions, granting vouchers directly to SMEs for internationalisation activities and operating a “help-desk” offering on-demand assistance to SMEs. Activities with Canada brought specifically strong results where European SMEs participating in the project signed five non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and four business contracts, set up one collaborative project, and opened one subsidiarity. The business contracts resulted in a significant increase in turnover for the SMEs involved. The partnership, as an entity, also signed MoUs with Natural Products Canada and with a regional business association in Brazil.

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MobiGoIn brought increased turnover for participating companies

MobiGoIn built up cooperation partnerships with international stakeholders and initiated business collaborations for European SMEs in four countries outside Europe (USA, Canada, China and Singapore) in two targeted ecosystems (automotive and smart cities) in the field of mobility related technological innovation.

The participating companies were highly satisfied with the project emphasizing the following main advantages derived: better approach and understanding of the targeted foreign markets, getting more prepared to access the targeted countries, and facilitation of initiating potential collaborations. In a satisfaction survey, out of the 16 answering companies, 9 of them declared a raise of their turnover since the beginning of the project ranging from 500% (1), 100-125% (2), and from 5 to 20% (6). The remaining of them stated that they are still developing their product so it is too early to talk about a raise of the turnover.

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EU-TEXTILE2030 finds international partners for cooperation in five markets

The seven cluster partners of EU-TEXTILE2030 focused on the advanced textile materials industry, providing textile solutions with specific functions for various applications. The project implemented joint international activities in Colombia, Israel, Japan, South Africa and Taiwan. They conducted five highly successful business missions that were also combined with participation in trade fairs and business conferences. These greatly helped attendants in acquiring thorough and up-to-date knowledge about market and technological developments globally and in local target markets. Participating clusters and companies were successful in finding new partners for inter-cluster, business and technology cooperation and further consolidating already exiting contacts. The Partnership signed five cooperation agreements clusters and other organisations in 3rd countries. European SMEs participating in the project signed 12 business agreements with partners in Colombia, Israel japan and Taiwan.

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SPACE2IDGO develops collaboration with Colombian partners

SPACE2IDGO established broad cooperation between aerospace public and private stakeholders from Europe and Colombia through activities founded and organised under the ESCP4i programme. Corallia and Aerospace Valley clusters, two SPACE2IDGO members, signed an agreement with the Associacion Colombiana de Productores Aerospaciales (ACOPAER) that focus on developing bilateral activities between the two sides. ACOPAER promote the integration, development, growth and organisation of the Colombian aerospace industry.

SPACE2IDGO also signed a partnership with the Scientific Committee of the Aerospace Sector (COCSAE) which is an initiative lead by professors from several Colombian universities, engineers and business people interested in fostering aerospace projects in Colombia. COCSAE supports public and private entities in the industry and academia as well, by counselling the new participants in the creation and execution of their aerospace-related projects.

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ESCP-4i partnerships continue to collaborate in promoting SME internationalization

Four ESCP4i partnerships signed a Memorandum of Understanding to share resources, good practices and lessons learned for boosting the internationalisation and support of innovation uptakes primarily to the Chinese and the US markets. The participants are European Cleantech Internationalization Initiative - EC2i; Mobility Goes International-in Action – MobiGoIn - Action; European Strategic Cluster Partnership for Advanced Smart Packaging - AdPack² and New Frontiers in Food-Fast Forward - NF4. The idea is to support each other and join forces in supporting competitiveness of European SMEs through internationalisation opportunities and more. The newly-born cross-ESCP-4i consortia includes in its structure 20 cluster organisations.

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Testimonials from clusters and SMEs: