From Portugal 2020
Título: Incentives for Skills Development and the Internationalisation of SMEs | Joint Projects – Internationalisation
NOTICE: 35/SI/2018
DESIGNATION: INCENTIVES FOR THE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNATIONALISATION OF SMEs | Joint Projects – Internationalisation
OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME:
. POCI – Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation
. Lisboa2020 – Lisbon Regional Operational Programme
THEMATIC OBJECTIVE: OT3 – Strengthening the competitiveness of SMEs
INVESTMENT PRIORITY: PI 3.2 – The development and implementation of new business models for SMEs, particularly with regard to internationalisation
Type of Intervention – TI 52: Internationalisation of SMEs
Project Title: FROM PORTUGAL 2020
Project Codes: POCI-02-0752-FEDER-045147 / LISBOA-02-0752-FEDER-045147
Main Objective: To strengthen the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises
Regions of Intervention: North, Centre, Lisbon and Alentejo
Promoter/Beneficiary Organisation: ASM – Portuguese Textile and Clothing Association
Co-organiser/Beneficiary organisation: ATP – Portuguese Textile and Clothing Association
Project Approval Dates: 26/12/2019 Project Start Date: 01/09/2019 Project Completion Date: 31/12/2020
Total Eligible Cost: €11,042,311.82 Financial
support from the European Union:
. POCI/ERDF – €6,027,093.87
. LISBON/ERDF – €38,408.04
PROJECT SUMMARY:
The ‘From Portugal’ project clearly falls within the category of internationalisation. All activities and actions were planned with the aim of strengthening the business capabilities of Portuguese SMEs in the Portuguese textile and clothing industry and fashion sectors for internationalisation, to intensify their internationalisation processes (particularly in the textile and homeware sectors), as well as to facilitate their integration into Industry 4.0 (here, emphasis is placed on the growing use of digital tools, through the application of technologies and processes associated with Industry 4.0).
Strengthening the “business capabilities of SMEs for internationalisation” constitutes one of the Investment Priorities of Axis II (Strengthening the Competitiveness of SMEs) of the POCI, within which the specific objective of this AAC and the proposed project falls; this objective is to promote training processes and initiatives, thereby enabling an increase in the export base and capacity of SMEs, as well as their international recognition.
The development of the structured programme, which is based on intervention in a group of SMEs, thus embodies the objective set out above; in the current climate, internationalisation is the cornerstone of the expansion and sustainability of businesses and the sector as a whole. The domestic market, in addition to being small, is going through a difficult period as a result of the cyclical economic crisis witnessed in recent years and the austerity measures implemented. The FP 2020 is in line with this strategy.
The project’s internationalisation process is based on the integrated participation of Portuguese companies in major international trade fairs, with a view to promoting domestic products and boosting exports, and is also underpinned by international promotion and marketing initiatives aimed at raising awareness of and gaining access to new markets, with a focus on priority markets and segments.
The planned action plan incorporates common and coherent solutions to problems or opportunities to be explored (as can be seen in the SWOT analysis drawn up for the companies involved).
Furthermore, all the support provided to companies throughout the process aims to consolidate a corporate culture of internationalisation, equipping companies with the capabilities to proceed independently.
However, it should be emphasised that the project is not limited to planning and organising companies’ participation in international trade fairs. Throughout its various editions, it has sought to adapt its strategy to new market trends and changes in the competitiveness paradigm, aiming to promote improvements in the companies’ competitiveness factors. The internationalisation strategy plays a key role in adapting new products to meet the challenges of fashion and design, innovation, technological integration and quality.
