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WHAT THINGS+ IS ABOUT?

Introducing service innovation into product-based manufacturing companies

Despite vast investments and development of innovation technologies, many industries in Central Europe still focus on product manufacturing. Low cost competition from non-EU counties, together with gradual commoditisation further challenge their competitiveness. Thus, it is essential especially for SME companies to adapt their skills and successfully overcome rapid changes, following innovation and technological progress. Servitisation of products through adequate human capital investment could be one of the solutions for a greater prosperity on an ever-changing market.

THINGS+ project aims to enrich portfolio of companies with additional services that can increase value delivered to customers and improve their position on the market, by strengthening entrepreneurs skills in service innovation management.

THINGS+ project is focused in transformation of traditional companies into regional innovation motors, with no excessive investments. Key output will be a new approach to improve entrepreneurs’ skills that help them introduce service innovation into manufacturing companies and increase prosperity on changing markets.

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19.06.2019

NEWS

It’s ongoing -the second pilot action in Friuli Innovazione

10 SMEs from Friuli Venezia Giulia and Lombardia regions are taking part in the second round of the servitization pilot action implemented by Friuli Innovazione.
These SMEs operate in different sectors, from furniture to food sector, from engineering to artificial intelligence and were already oriented and open to introduce Service Innovation Methodology in their business model.
Learn more >>

11.06.2019

NEWS

SMEs started with workshop on servitisation in Ljubljana

Workshop’s key takeaways: Why develop a service if it is all about the product? What are the best practice examples from which companies could learn? For example, how did boutique winemakers conquer foreign markets? Why and how did the producer of protective clothing completely change the business model and offered the market a comprehensive service in which protective clothing was just part of the offer? Learn more >>

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Digital Library

THINKS+ partners present their project outputs in this section. Click on the files and learn more about our work.

Things+ Developed Tools

Communication

Things+ developed tools
Things+ developed tools are available also in SI, SK, HU, DE, IT, CRO, CZ language. Please visit Things+ google drive, and send us request for the access to the files.

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Archive news and event

Please find our past news and events on the following link >>

Kick off meeting was successful

PROJECT OUTPUTS

Output 1

METHODOLOGY & ACTION PLAN

The main objective is to create a methodology for the improvement of entrepreneurs’ skills on the development of product-based services. The methodology will be based on existing partial methods and good practices that PPs are using in their business support programs. Main tools for this methodology in O.T1.1 - Key tools portfolio for servitization of CE product-based manufacturing companies, and the O.T1.2 - SIM guidelines to create a new offer based on Product-Service System for CE manufacturing SMEs, will serve as overarching instruction for SIM implementation.

OUTPUT 2

LOCAL PILOT & TRAIN THE TRAINERS

Specialization in Central Europe Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS) is the title of the second thematic work package. Here preconditions for testing the new Service Innovation Methodology on the field will be set-up. First a train-the-trainers activity will introduce the SIM to ≥ 20 innovation experts offering KIBS to CE companies. Second the trained experts will implement local users workshops with ≥ 100 CE SMEs. Finally THINGS+ partners will also jointly design the business model for implementation and transfer of the SIM outside the project consortium.

OUTPUT 3

PILOT ACTIONS

Take-up of innovative services in the CE manufacturing industry: 100 manufacturing SMEs in project partner regions from industrial sectors will test the newly acquired competencies to introduce new product-based services in their portfolio. It is expected that 40 % of the new services introduced by the pilot SMEs are accepted on the market. 10 % of pilot projects will be able to internationalize their new offering during the project timeframe. THINGS+ partners will closely support this group of companies with tailored business services.

OUTPUT 4

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

During the activites within WP4 the project team will analyze current legislative situation and develop a Policy Recommendations Paper based on outcomes and results of other thematic WPs as well as on results of policy local pilot actions performed in regions: Veneto and Lodzkie. The developed recommendations will contain new service innovation support schemes, which will support emerging sectors and new cross-sectorial themes and proposals for policy impact evaluations.