Small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) play a decisive role in promoting national competitiveness and employment. Not only do they represent the overwhelming majority of companies, they also act as a source of renewal and a driving force for the development of new business areas. Moreover, a large number of SMEs want and need to become international in order to reach new markets and exploit new business opportunities.
R&D operations have become more complex and are also associated with major costs and risks. This means that it is more difficult for SMEs to conduct their own R&D operations than for large companies.
By investing in R&D programmes that focus on SMEs, VINNOVA aims to help these companies increase the knowledge content of their products and processes and thus increase their competitiveness.
