Innovative Trainer (IT) will increase the capacity of Business Trainers and Mentors (BTMs) to support SMEs throughout

Europe by developing a Train the Trainer blended learning training resource on Non Technological innovation. By updating their skills, BTMs will be better placed to provide guidance on how to innovate to small businesses, better adapting their services to changing business beneficiary groups & sectors and ultimately improving the innovation performance and growth of the enterprises they serve.

Individual interview with a representative of the government department responsible for SME sector development. The objective of this survey is to gain a deep understanding of current barriers and issues facing BTMs across Europe, particularly their attitudes to training and obstacles they perceive to business innovation.

Interviewer: Country: Date: Interviewee: Institutions/Department:

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Innovation from the conceptual perspective 1. Do SMEs understand the concept of innovation? 2. Do SMEs understand the key elements of innovation? Innovation from the strategic perspective 3. Do SMEs understand that innovation is a strategic part of growing business? 4. Are SMEs aware of the effort to include innovation as part of their strategy? 5. Do SMEs understand how to exploit innovations in their industry? Organizational conditions for generating innovation 6. Do SMEs actively seek out innovation opportunities? 7. Do SMEs actively avoid innovation? 8. Do you think SMEs are seeking for a balance between market demands and their own innovation initiatives? 9. Are SMEs typically led by someone who can promote innovation? 10.Do you think the members of the SMEs have the time and incentives to engage in innovation activities? 11.Do you think SMEs take into account at the selection processes, training, compensation and promotion the skills necessary for innovation development? 12.Do SMEs typically have an innovation culture? 13.Do SMEs have an organizational structure prepared for innovation? 14.Is innovation in SMEs driven by customers? Technological innovation and product / service 15.Do SMEs typically track the new technologies related to their core competences? 16.Are SMEs interested in find out how the different technological developments can benefit their innovation flow? 17.Do SMEs know appropriate methods and tools for implementing innovation? 18.Are SMEs structured to manage innovation projects? 19.Can SMEs manage different types of innovation?? 20.Do SMEs has a suitable enviroment for the knowledge generation? 21.Do SMEs promote creativity and innovative concepts generation?

22.Do SMEs anticipate the organizational effort required for the different innovative initiatives? 23.Have SMEs considered the social acceptability of those innovacitons that involve profund changes in ways of working? 24.Do you feel that present Government policies help to nurture/promote an innovation culture within SMEs give an example(s) 25.Can you put a value on the Government initiatives targeting innovation in SMEs (monetary and others) (add a scale here) 26.Does the Government measure the added value to GDP that these initiatives generate? If so, how much? (add a scale) 27.How does the Government propose to bring innovation within the reach of all SMEs? 28.With respect to Government funded research projects, what strategies are currently in place to ensure that as many of those projects as possible become drivers for innovation at the SME level?

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