Overview of the Project – Main Objectives

The EMBRACE II project aims to promote the development of SMEs located in disadvantageous areas rural, mountainous, underdeveloped urban) and increase their competitiveness and transnational cooperation through Information and Knowledge Society.

The ultimate goal is to formulate and implement sustainable spatial policies and specific interventions that will lead to the increased awareness of SMEs and policy / decision makers of the socioeconomic benefits stemming from ICT and to offer specific ICT tools that will help SMEs better understand and grasp those benefits. Additionally, the project aims to identify and quantify the impacts of ICT on local economic and social development, in terms of better performance, increased competitiveness, internationalization / globalization of SMEs, jobs creation, improvement of living standards, and other indicators, in order to raise the awareness of policy makers. Therefore, the main objectives identified are two:

1. The horizontal and vertical enhancement of the established EMBRACE Network
   (www.e-embrace.net) to new areas and new services respectively.
2. The measuring, evaluation and demonstration of the benefits brought by ICT to enterprises in particular and the local economy in general.

EMBRACE II will build on the experiences and results gained from its predecessor, EMBRACE (“Improving the Access of SMEs from Rural Regions to the Knowledge and Information Society”) that was approved and implemented under the 2nd call of the CADSES Programme.

1. The enhancement of the existing successful network created under EMBRACE with eight new local / regional nodes and one new service
2. The establishment of a Pilot Observatory that will identify and quantify the impacts of ICT on local / regional socioeconomic development, in order to raise the awareness of policy makers.

The project action plan further includes reports and analyses that will support the enhancement / development of these two structures as well as with numerous promotional / publication, evaluation and project management activities.

1. Contribution to the mitigation of dispartities existing within the participating regions
2. Strengthening of the cooperation between old and new Member States, non Member States and countries under accession
3. Increase of competitiveness of the targeted SMEs via the ICT tools offered by the project
4. Increased awareness of SMEs support organizations and policy & decision-makers on data and information as regards ICT impacts on the local/regional level
5. Formulation of more focused policies utilizing the information provided by the establishment of the Pilot SMEs Observatory

1. SMEs located in disadvantageous areas from the participating regions that face difficulties in accessing the Knowledge & Information Society and grasp its benefits
2. Local / Regional Authorities and Business Support Organisations responsible for ensuring the economic and social development and cohesion of their regions, promoting spatial development and supporting SMEs
3. Policy and Decision makers and local / national and European Stakeholders that can use the results and data offered by the project’ s pilot action so as to formulate sustainable spatial & economic development polices that correspond to the needs of the SMEs concerned.