Var med och kraftsamla för ökad spetskompetens inom områdets gemensamma tematiska kunskapsområden

This funding opportunity supports projects and pilot studies that strengthen sustainability, digitalization, and competence within Småland and Öarna's common thematic knowledge areas. The program targets small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as the final beneficiaries. Projects should address at least one of five thematic knowledge areas for smart specialization: Forest and Wood, Food, Digital Service Development, Industrial Development, and Tourism. The initiative aims to develop skills for smart specialization, including industrial transformation, entrepreneurship, business adaptability, and increased knowledge content in business processes and products. Projects can establish collaboration structures to increase interaction between SMEs, support systems, and relevant academic institutions, or enhance the support system's ability to collaborate broadly across knowledge and geographical boundaries. All projects must contribute to gender equality (Goal 5) and reduced inequality (Goal 10) from the UN's Agenda 2030 and demonstrate how they address one or more of Småland and Öarna's six common regional challenges: slow climate transition, non-gender-equal labor market, weak skills supply, weak competitiveness, low innovation rate, and difficulty achieving digitalization effects.