At the end of 2012 the Baltic Sea Region Programme initiated the cluster “Innovation in SMEs”, starting with ten projects that focused their work on this important topic. During 2013 three additional projects joined the initiative. Most projects are flagship projects within the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea region, namely in Priority SME Networks, Innovation and Education. Maintaining a high level of innovative thinking and entrepreneurship is crucial for SMEs to stay competitive and allow growth in the region. This publication gives an short overview of the 13 projects that were implemented between 2010 and 2014. The projects participated in workshops and surveys to increase the mutual learning and share experience. The findings are summarized. In 2013 a survey was conducted to learn more about the status quo of “Innovation in SMEs” in the Baltic Sea Region and learn more about the relevant topics for the future. More than 600 stakeholders participated in the survey. The publication shows the most relevant questions and answers and draws the conclusions from the survey.

A sound promotion of innovation is essential for the future of the Baltic Sea Region, in particular to support the small- and medium sized enterprises. For this purposes stakeholders from medium-sized businesses, science, politics, and administration met at the seventh Hanseatic Conference in May 2012 in Hamburg. For two days the participants discussed about "Innovation and innovative strategies in the regional policy around the mare balticum" to further strengthen the region. It became evident, that a sustainable promotion of innovation demands a closer cooperation within the regions, on a transnational level but also between administrations and especially between companies and R&D institutions. The Baltic Sea area will only be one of the most innovative and strong regions in the world, if the bordering countries build a unit. This publication included the presented papers and summarizes the discussion of the participants.

This publication gives an overview of the current state and development potential of the Baltic Sea Region and proposes a concrete strategy programme for innovation in regional policies. One prerequisites is a strong cooperation between the regions and states, but also the promotion of regional competition while preserving and strengthening the specific regional cultures around the Mare Balticum. For a competitive Baltic Sea Region, it is also essential that the regional policy supports the innovation in the small- and medium sized enterprises, since 99,8 % of all companies are SMEs and thus the economic and social backbone. A creation of real knowledge-alliances between universities, public administrations and businesses is highly recommended. These political strategies are the result of intensive discussions and experiences of a three year running project with 40 partners from 11 countries around the Baltic Sea Region, called BSR QUICK. They are adopted and recommended by the 47 Members of the Hanse Parlament and 16 Members of the Baltic Sea Academy. The book contains the identical text of approx. 55 pages in English, German and Polish. The book concentrates on - Cooperation and integration - Regional competition and fiscal equalization - Equivalent living conditions and functional division of labor - Independent cultures and regional self-esteem - Endogenous potentials and smart specialization - Regional economic cycles and intense range development - Small and medium-sized enterprises and networks - Innovation and knowledge partnerships Decentralization and autonomy

At the 10th Hanseatic Conference 2015 in Hamburg, representatives from business organisations, academic institutions and policy makers from all countries around the Baltic Sea exchanged their experiences. This book contains the presented papers and a summary of the participants’ discussion. Vocational training has dramatically lost its appeal. More and more young people rather opt for study programmes at the university, and refuse to learn practical skills in vocational education. However, the qualifications of the high number of academics do not match the demand of SMEs for skilled workers and entrepreneurs, as their knowledge is mostly theoretical. At the same, due to demographic changes, the number of school leavers in the Baltic Sea Region is declining. Both developments have led to a dramatic shortage of skilled workers and entrepreneurs which is severely limiting growth and innovativeness of SMEs. In order to overcome this crisis, dual vocational training and dual degree study programmes have to be promoted substantially. In dual vocational training enterprises can actively influence and improve the quality of the education their apprentices receive; and in dual degree study programmes students can test and apply their theoretical knowledge, which they acquire at the university, simultaneously in the enterprises. The contributors of this book describe how this reform of education policy can be implemented in practice.

There is already a great shortage of skilled workers in the EU, increasing due to demographic developments. Through smooth integration into working life, refugees and migrants can make important contributions to overcome the shortage of skilled workers. The successful integration into the job market is limited by a high level of certificate belief in most host countries. Particularly difficult is the assessment and recognition of informally acquired competences which have already been acquired in several years of professional experience. It is at this informal level that refugees would like to continue in the host country. The project pursued this innovative, promising approach of evaluating the actual competencies to achieve a promising integration of refugees into working life in the participating countries as quickly as possible by 1. Identifying competencies, skills and aptitudes through a two-stage assessment procedure. 2. Focused on this, completion of a further training programme with an official educational qualification so that a recognized professional certificate can be obtained. 3.Individual coaching with placement in permanent jobs in SMEs. The project INTACT, was dedicated to the integration of newly arrived migrants into working life. The project was carried out from 15. January 2018 to 14. January 2021 by seven partners from five countries. This publication describes the used methods and experiences of the project.

Around 99 % of all EU companies are SMEs which provide up to 70 % of all jobs. Generally, SMEs have good future growth prospects, however they are specifically well equipped to solve environmental problems, hence grow in the green economy. Nowadays, the biggest bottleneck is the significant skills shortage in most economic sectors while job vacancies in SMEs and overall unemployment, in particular youth unemployment, is steadily growing. A a result of cooperation between educational institutions and industry entities, work-based learning has become a prominent tool to eliminate bottlenecks and create conditions for further growth in innovative market segments. To continuously coordinate education and skills requirements, and address skills shortages, higher education institutions along with education and training providers, and economic chambers from 7 countries built up and established an alliance for the following sectors: "Water, Wastewater, Waste and Circular Economy". This alliance was then extended to 13 countries with 74 education and labour market actors and continues to perform its duties as the "Eco Innovation" centre of competence in the long term. This publication contains the relevant curricula, application notes and experiences as a result of the project WWW&CE with the following partners: Hanse-Parlament (DE), Panevezys Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts (LT), Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (LT), Vilnius Builder Trainings centre (LT), Hungarian Association of Craftsmen Corporation (HU), Kontiki-Szakkepzö Zrt (HU), Chamber of Craftmanship and Enterprise in Bialystok (PL), Bialystok Foundation of Professional Training (PL), Nordic Forum of Crafts (NO), Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (FI), Wirtschafts-Förderungsinstitut der Wirtschaftskammer Steiermark (AT).

Since the mid-twentieth century, the environment in which we operate is in fact described as turbulent, i.e. characterised by an unprecedented amount, rate, intensity and complexity of changes. In such a volatile environment the survival of an enterprise, and the more so its development and maintenance of high competitive position, seem to be extremely difficult. On the one hand, changes can create opportunities and provide the enterprises with chances for the development, on the other restrict or even block the possibility of their functioning in the market. In the monograph an attempt was made at classifying the civilization changes the modern entrepreneurs have to face in the fight for maintaining high competitiveness of their enterprises. Good practices are presented, for example the economic activation of seniors for companies. This book is a scientific publication for the purpose of its drafting, a review of most recent scientific literature on enterprise competitiveness and innovation and the direction and pace of socio-economic changes, with a particular focus on demographic changes, was conducted. This publication was developed as part of the flagship project of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region “Innovative SMEs by Gender and Age (QUICK-IGA)”.

This volume presents a collection of different views and perspectives, featuring both theoretical and empirical contributions, to provide deep insight into the role of innovation and of non-technological innovation (NTI) in contemporary business. It illustrates how NTI encourages organizational development as well as competitive advantage. Chapters display a variety of research methods, both qualitative and quantitative, including case studies, best practices, surveys, novel approaches to interpretations, concepts and theories. Together they contribute to a significant extension of the existing knowledge on non-technological innovations and their role in organizations. This volume highlights the effects of marketing and organizational innovation strategies on companies’ innovation and overall performance, while demonstrating that the effects of NTI may vary depending on the phase of the innovation process, and how it differs within small, medium and large enterprises from manufacturing and service industries. It explores the bidirectional relationship between technological innovation (TI) and NTI, and considers the competences needed to implement NTI. The book is written for scholars and academic professionals from a wide variety of disciplines addressing issues of organizational change and innovation, new management techniques and strategies, and the sustainable growth of organizations. It may also be an interesting source of knowledge for graduate and postgraduate students in management.

At the 9th Hanseatic Conference 2014 in Hamburg, representatives from business organisations, academic institutions and policy makers from all countries around the Baltic Sea exchanged their experiences. This book contains the presented papers and a summary of the discussion of the participants. The elimination of discrimination by gender and age in working life is an important social concern, regardless of economic needs. But increased labour force participations of women and older people are also essential for economic reasons in the light of demopgraphic developments and changed conditions. Currently high and ever growing shortage of entrepreneurs, managers and professionals are the factors that increasingly limit economic development. There is an urgent need to make better use of local labour potential, particularly via higher labour force participation of women and older people in general. Global competition requires high innovation and strong increases in productivity of the entire Baltic Sea region, and especially in the countries to the south of the Sea. The innovations and productivity of companies benefit from increased proportion of women. The greatest innovation and productivity reserves lie in the staff and organisational development, including education; improvements in this respect stipulate equal opportunities and strengthen competitiveness. This publication was developed as part of the flagship project of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region “Innovative SMEs by Gender and Age (QUICK-IGA)”.

The topic that is disclosed in the scientific publication “Building the socially responsible employment policy in Baltic states” is certainly relevant to the context of national economy and social policy. Experience shows that socially responsible employment policy measures are especially widely used in the old EU member states. Relevance of socially responsible employment policy is not decreasing because unfavourable economic conditions aggravate the employment of certain groups of people (especially the long-term unemployed, low-skilled, having low marketable professions and other persons). The content of the scientific articles by the authors of this publication allows to answer reasonably to questions about the development of socially responsible employment policy in the Baltic states. The results of accomplished analysis are relevant to the fact that they allow to reveal the problems that are encountered in the development of socially responsible employment policy. A special focus is given to the employment of females and elderly employees to boost the innovation performance of companies.