The first Exchange of Experience (EoE) meeting of the FI4INN project was held from October 3-5, 2023, in Prague, Czech Republic, hosted by the Business and Investment Development Agency CzechInvest. Attended by ten project partners and two representatives of associated stakeholders, the meeting aimed to share best practices, enhance partners’ expertise in financial support schemes, coordinate project activities, and analyse the Czech innovation support ecosystem. Key topics included the results of a questionnaire survey and focus groups with business representatives, the development of a Virtual Knowledge Centre, and expertise improvement in equity/quasi-equity instruments, loans, and guarantees.
The meeting began with presentations on the project’s progress, particularly in Work Package 1 (WP1), highlighting data analysis on support systems for SMEs and start-ups. Key findings revealed qualitative differences between Western and Eastern Europe due to historical and economic backgrounds, with a general satisfaction among institutions but objections to traditional support methods. The meeting also addressed the development of the Virtual Knowledge Centre, intended to collect examples of innovative support schemes. Experts from the European Investment Fund and the Czech National Development Bank also attended the opening day and introduced the partners to banking instruments for innovation development, their advantages and disadvantages and, above all, recommended suitable approaches that have been successfully applied before.
The second day focused on the Czech innovation support ecosystem through lectures and a also study visit in Pilsen. Experts discussed various support mechanisms for SMEs and start-ups. Representatives of Technology Agency and CzechInvest showed mainly examples of best practise that can be shared and passed to other CE regions and countries. The study visit showcased the Pilsen Innovation Ecosystem, highlighting its comprehensive support for innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors through initiatives like the Centre of Robotics and the TechTower.
The EoE meeting facilitated valuable exchanges on innovation support, enhanced partner expertise, and fostered collaboration. The insights and best practices shared during the event, particularly regarding the Czech innovation ecosystem, are expected to significantly benefit the FI4INN project and contribute to the development of more effective financial support schemes across Central Europe.