PXTRA-SMEs Project

Improving policies to boost SME competitiveness and extraversion in EU coastal and rural areas where aquaculture is a driver of the regional economy

Partnership:

The project leader is the Region of Peloponnese (GREECE), while the partners include Liguria Region (ITALY), Northern Chamber of Commerce in Szczecin (POLAND), Bucharest-Ilfov Regional Development Agency (ROMANIA), Lapland University of Applied Sciences (FINLAND), University of Patras (GREECE), Western Development Commission (IRELAND), Ligurian Marine Technologies District (ITALY), and Public Institution National Regions Development Agency (LITHUANIA).

 

Goals:

IMPROVING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF SMEs IN REGIONS WITH AN AQUACULTURE BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM

Over 90% of businesses in EXTRA-SMEs regions are inland and coastal SMEs operating throughout and around the aquaculture value chain, contributing to growth and job creation. Along the chain, these economic operators face systematic shortcomings in reaching international markets and exporting their products. To this end, EXTRA-SMEs will support public authorities in joining forces and exchanging experiences in a) administrative simplification, b) expansion into new markets, c) innovative value-added solutions, d) advanced training for staff, and e) resolution of stakeholder conflicts of interest.

EXPECTED IMPACT

• Increased capacity of 200 public administration employees to effectively support the competitiveness of SMEs
• €14 million released to support projects to modernize the broader network of aquaculture SMEs
• Increased awareness and consensus building among the broader aquaculture sector, workforce, and citizens to support internationalization measures for locally operating SMEs (over 1,000 people).

MAIN RESULTS AND BENEFICIARIES

• 8 action plans to improve the policy instruments addressed, for the benefit of managing authorities and beneficiaries
• 4 interregional seminars, 2 site visits and 1 symposium on policy learning at EU level to promote capacity building among partners and stakeholders – 13 instructions to transfer lessons learned to EU public authorities
• Four joint thematic studies and analysis of reports on local needs and paths to improving the internationalization of SMEs.

 

Total Project Budget: €1,765,617.00 of which €167,300.00 for DLTM scrl (75% financed)

Duration of the Project: 01.06.2018 – 30.05.2023 (3 years of development and 2 years of monitoring)

 

Project Website: www.interregeurope.eu/extra-smes/

Email extraSMEs2018@gmail.com

FB: www.facebook.com/IEprojectEXTRASMEs/

X: https://twitter.com/ExtraSmes

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/extra-smes-project-280329174/

 

Newsletter archive

NEWSLETTER 1 of 10/30/2018

NEWSLETTER 2 of 05/10/2019

NEWSLETTER 3 of 10/29/2019

NEWSLETTER 4 of 04/29/2020