INNOGROW

Stara Zagora Regional Economic Development Agency (SZREDA) has received approval for two more good practices from Bulgaria under the INNOGROW project, co-funded by INTERREG Europe. The number of localized good practices is one of the key objectives of the project to promote the exchange of useful experience in the regions of Europe. As a partner in the project, SZREDA has sent three good practices that facilitate the access of start-ups and small businesses to financial resources.

 The policy brief in hand presents the highlights of INNOGROW study activity on the enablers and barriers of innovation adoption by rural economy SMEs. The main issues presented are drawn from the survey that was conducted by project partners in their regions. The aim of this policy brief is to provide insight on the current level of innovation capacity of rural economy SMEs, the enabling factors and the obstacles affecting rural SMEs' capacity to invest in new technologies and engage in collaborations, existing and potential benefits of innovation adoption and the impact of innovation on business operations.

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 The provision of business support services in the form of advisory and technical assistance is considered a key enabler for sustainable SMEs development, allowing companies to increase their competitiveness and capacity to access new markets. The mission of the 1st Interregional INNOGROW workshop on 'Innovation support centres', hosted by FLA in Lecco, Italy, was to exchange ideas and experiences on the establishment of innovation support centres and to draw inspiration from successful business support schemes.

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