One of the Chamber’s main objectives is to use all available means in order to create an environment in which SME sustainability and development conditions may ripe. An essential ingredient for the success of this effort is to incite and support business towards integration and management of realistic and accessible forms of innovation. The project’s purpose is to provide participants with intensive theoretical and practical training, in order to develop new personal and professional skills that will facilitate innovation integration and management. Trainees will include: - SME Executives - SME Human Resource Managers According to the research and findings of the Training Committee, the most important educational needs of the participants are summarized in limited access towards: - Innovation development and transfer channels - Extroversion and intensive training channels - Integrated innovation methodologies - Competitiveness enhancing innovation management methodologies - Organized production intervention design methodologies - Human resources evaluation and utilization methodologies This project is expected to become the starting point for a rational revision process through, which proper conditions will be created, for the assimilation of cognitive and ideological elements that will enable development of personal and professional skills in the following areas: - Expand professional horizon in relation to innovation (out-of-box thinking) - Experience technological innovation - Experience non-technological innovation - Manage innovation to enhance competitiveness - Direct and manage human resources to achieve objectives - Strengthen professional confidence to take initiatives - Gain confidence in assessment tools - Gain confidence in bottleneck detection tools The following distinct educational activities will take place: A1 : TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION ( 60 participants, 2 flows of 15 days each) - Product innovation: Upgrading product and service specifications - introducing new products and services with enhanced features – expanding to new markets and market shares. - Process innovation: Production process diversification - production process flexibility - control and reduce production costs - quality control and assurance - upgrading technological equipment - upgrade infrastructure. A2 : NON-TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION (60 participants, 2 flows of 15 days each) - Organizational innovation: Implement new organizational methods in operational tactics, in the workplace and in external relations - improving efficiency - increasing productivity. - Marketing innovation: Application of new marketing methods - positioning and repositioning products - responding to the needs of the clientele - opening up to new markets and market shares. The educational activities will be implemented under the organizational responsibility of the hosting partner and with the cooperation of national and regional bodies, community organizations, educational institutions and businesses. The content will feature theoretical training (lectures, presentations) and practical training (workshops), as well as placements in institutions, organizations and companies that are designing, developing and implementing technological and non-technological innovations. Integration and management of technological and non-technological innovations in the production process is a major issue and an ambition, which has repeatedly been the subject of European, national and regional policies, through incentives for immediate application. Implementing this project and co-operating with agencies, organizations and businesses abroad, the Chamber further enhances its already intense extroversion, placing itself in the European entrepreneurship map as a dynamic and effective agency. Recognition and certification of education and mobility results will ensure for participants an equal place in the European labor market, enriched by intercultural awareness and a sense of a unified European identity.