NEWS: SME Capacity Building Workshops Supporting the Green Transition of Businesses

Within the GREENSMES project (Activity 2.2), the SME Capacity Building Programme has been implemented to support small and medium-sized enterprises in developing greener, more resilient and competitive business models. Partners across the Adriatic-Ionian region organised workshops to provide SMEs with practical knowledge, tools and guidance for integrating sustainability and innovation into their operations:

LP Tecnopolis Science and Technology Park (Italy) organised a networking meeting for SMEs in the Apulia region, bringing together companies along with representatives of regional innovation and development bodies. The event focused on innovation financing and the green transition framework, while also introducing personalised consulting services for SMEs aimed at supporting the integration of sustainable solutions into business processes.

PP2 Business and Cultural Development Centre – KEPA (Greece) delivered a workshop in Thessaloniki focus

ed on green innovation and business development. SMEs from various sectors explored green economy concepts, green skills and innovation opportunities, and assessed their current level of green innovation as a basis for future action planning.

PP3 RDA Green Karst (Slovenia) organised a training addressing sustainable innovations and circular business models. SMEs worked on practical topics such as energy efficiency, waste management, sustainable procurement and green marketing, and developed initial steps towards implementing green innovations within their companies.

PP4 Zadar County Rural Development Agency – AGRRA (Croatia) conducted interactive exercises in which participants analysed their current business practices and co-developed ideas related to energy efficiency, circular economy, sustainable supply chains and digitalisation, supported by self-assessment tools and action plan templates.

PP9 Municipality of Herceg Novi (Montenegro) hosted a capacity building workshop introducing SMEs to EU green policies, good practices and innovation self-assessment tools. Participants identified key challenges and opportunities and drafted initial ideas for Green Innovation Action Plans, with follow-up mentoring foreseen.

Looking Ahead

These SME Capacity Building Programme represent one of key pillars of the GREENSMES project. By combining local expertise with transnational cooperation, the programme empowers SMEs to adopt sustainable innovation practices, respond to emerging green market opportunities, and strengthen their long-term competitiveness. Further partner-led workshops and tailored support activities will continue throughout the project, ensuring that SMEs across the region are actively supported on their path towards a greener future.