Click here to browse website of the China IPR SME Helpdesk.

COUNTRY

COSME countries.

ORGANIZATION IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT

Development Solutions, European Chamber of Commerce in China and University of Alicante.

START & END DATE OF THE PROJECT

2008 – ongoing. 

WHO FUNDS THE INITIATIVE

European Commission EASME/COSME.

TARGET GROUP

Of the estimated 21 million SMEs in Europe, approximately 30% have international business activities, and 10% of these SMEs do business with or are affected by business with China, meaning that the entire SME target audience of the China HD is an estimated 630,000 companies. This is a significant number which is growing annually, reflecting SME internationalization and global value chain integration. It is also noteworthy that the Chinese government is now introducing policies which encourage its SMEs to invest overseas, with Europe being a key destination. Since its launch in 2008 the number of EU SMEs using the China HD has increased year-on-year, reaching an estimated 200,000 individual users to date. Despite the progress made, this number represents only a minority of the total target audience, with many SMEs not yet being familiar with the China HD services.

AIMS OF THE PROJECT

The initiative aims at:

• Supporting European companies in their internationalisation strategies towards China.
• Raising awareness of the importance of IP as a business asset and increasing the overall participation of European companies within the Chinese market.

METHODOLOGY

The Helpdesk provides strategic information and advice to European SMEs and intermediaries concerning the following key areas:

• Helpdesk Enquiry Service – confidential advice: individual SMEs and SME intermediaries can submit IPR related enquiries directly to the Helpdesk via phone, e-mail or in person, getting access to a panel of experts to receive free and confidential first – line advice within three business days.
• Materials – country factsheets, industry and business: focused guides and training materials addressing IPR issues in China. The Helpdesk can also provide intermediaries with articles about IPR in line with the geographical scope of the project: China IPR SME Helpdesk – Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. These articles are written by IP experts and can be used to supplement newsletter content or within other relevant publications.
• Online Services: the multi – lingual online portal provides easy access for all EU SMEs to find information regarding the services of the Helpdesk, including guides, E-learning modules, event information and webinar recordings. The live chat featured on the online portal enables visitors to pose their IP queries to experts in real time. Users can subscribe to the blog Your IP Insider, the project newsletter or follow the Helpdesk on our various social media channels.
• Training: the helpdesk arranges training events and webinars on IPR protection and enforcement in Europe and China, tailored to the needs of SMEs. To accomplish these goals, the Helpdesk cooperates with partner organizations, SME intermediaries, and legal professionals to inform EU SMEs regarding strategy and management of intellectual property rights in China.

Among the services which have been recently launched, the Helpdesk now features an innovative and interactive tool to increase familiarity of EU SMEs with IP issues in the Chinese market: the Serious Game, an online competition that guides participants through common business scenarios linked to IP challenges, which provides an immersive context for situational learning. This new business tool allows participants to increase their knowledge and awareness about managing intellectual property when entering the Chinese market.

The Game begins with the SME in its office in Europe, before the move into China. The SME is allocated an initial budget of 300k that will be used to create products, attract clients, create partnerships with other companies to manufacture and distribute products, protect the business by registering IP and much more.

Following a first stage of creation of the product that can belong to the technology, clothing, chemicals, toys, software and furniture fields, the player has to face diverse choices when entering the Chinese market.

IP registration: following the design of the product the player has to decide whether to register certain features of the products or not.

Trade fair: the player can choose to attend a trade fair, where there is the potential to meet partners and gain visibility for your product.

Office set-up: the player can set up an office in China, hire staff and decide whether to include confidentiality clauses with employees, introduce trade secret protection measures and non-compete clauses for staff.

Enforcement: this is an ongoing process throughout the game. Pop-ups alert the player to infringements found in the market. Each time the SME has a choice: investigate and collect evidence, send cease and desist letter, legal action or simply ignore. For legal action, there are three choices: administrative action, judicial and inform customs.
It is possible to hire a lawyer and detective to help register IP and discover and battle infringements.

Partnerships are also given importance during the game. A diversity of channels have been set to meet potential partners every now and then in order to make sure they are given due attention, improve the relationships with them and reduce the likelihood of infringements.

A pop-up menu is always available to ask for help or for more information during the game.

Each service has a price and depending on the decisions the player will take during the game, the initial allocated budget will decrease or increase by generating revenues.

The game lasts 30-40 minutes. Success is measured on final profits, which are directly impacted by how effectively the player protected his/her ideas and products in game. The game may also end with bankruptcy if infringements are allowed to run rampant.

Back in January 2019 the China IPR SME Helpdesk organized a live session for the Serious Game with TERA Tehnopolis (a joint-venture of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, the City of Osijek and the Osijek-Baranja County aimed at the development of a knowledge-based economy) in Croatia. With over 20 participants (start-ups, students and faculty staff), the session was geared towards gaining familiarity with IP matters in China in an interactive way. Before the game, Helpdesk Staff informed participants about the purpose and services of the Helpdesk, and after completion of the game the Helpdesk was available to answer any queries of those that played.

To play the Serious Game on your computer click here to download for a Windows OS based system.

Click here for a Mac OS based system.

The China IPR SME Helpdesk Team developed a dedicated training manual with practical tips and suggestions on how to conduct in-house training sessions utilising the Serious Game. Ideal for business associations, HR and training departments as well as start-ups and business students. The manual is available for download at this link:

China IPR SME Helpdesk Serious Game Training Manual.

RESULTS ACHIEVED

In 2017 the Helpdesk reached 1,886 SME participants in 49 events among which 29 training events in EU and 20 in China. Since the start of the current phase in September 2018 until present date the Helpdesk delivered 7 workshops around Europe with more than 150 SMEs. The China Helpdesk staff was present at 5 of the most relevant Trade Fairs and Matchmaking sessions such as EEN Annual Conference, ICT2018 and Trustech participating at over 100 pre-scheduled business-to-business meeting presenting the free services of the project.

KEY CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING THE INITIATIVE AND SOLUTIONS USED TO MITIGATE THEM

Identifying and reaching SMEs can be challenging. The owners and managers of SMEs are generally absorbed with day-to-day business operations and might not even be aware of the IP risks they face, let alone know where to seek IPR advice.
The China IPR SME Helpdesk seeks partnerships and collaboration with local business intermediaries such as clusters, regional development agencies and chambers of commerce to proactively suggest joint training sessions aiming to raise awareness and provide support to as many SMEs as possible across Europe and enlargement countries such as, Turkey, Serbia, Ukraine, Montenegro, Moldavia, etc.

LESSONS LEARNED

The initiative builds on several years of data gathering. There has been a significant improve in the level of understanding regarding the importance of IP, especially among innovative companies across a multitude of areas. The 4th industrial revolution and the widespread use of technology has enhanced the necessity of a strong IP protection and enforcement.

SUSTAINABILITY OF THE INITIATIVE AND POTENTIAL REPLICABILITY

The Helpdesk met a real and urgent need amongst stakeholders for accessible, jargon-free and affordable IPR information with regard to Greater China. In addition, in the delivery of the project the implementing consortium’s innovative methods and problem-solving approach resulted in the project delivering targeted needs-driven services to EU SMEs. Considering the advancement of European SMEs into the global market, the project maintains its relevancy and seeks to improve its operability in future phases.

In particular Pomeranian Export Broker is one of the six strategic projects to be implemented under the Regional Strategic Programme named “Pomeranian Creativity Port” of the ROP of PR 2014-2020 whose main aim is to increase the efficiency of companies and improvement of competitiveness of higher education.

The Pomeranian Export Broker will be developed through three main branches of activities:

• Introduction to export, by identifying potential exporters in the region and prepare SMEs to export through educational and consulting activities.
• Development of the export of Pomeranian companies on chosen markets, by promoting the region and facilitating foreign contracts, participating to trade fairs and organizing economic missions etc.
• Grants for SMEs by financially supporting companies willing to participate to international trade fairs, exhibitions and economic missions etc.

COUNTRY

Poland

ORGANIZATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT

1) Pomeranian Development Agency (Leading Partner)
2) Pomeranian Regional Chamber of Commerce
3) Free Entrepreneurship Association (INSME Member)
4) Gdansk Business Incubator STARTER
5) InvestGDA
6) Pomeranian Science and Technology Park

START & END DATE OF THE PROJECT

July 2016 – June 2023

WHO FUNDS THE INITIATIVE

1) European Funds – Regional Programme
2) Office of the Marshal of the Pomorskie Voivodeship
3) European Regional Development Fund

The total project budget is PLN 84.04 million (ca. 19.900.000,00 EUR)
Project subsidizing is PLN 64.08 million (ca. 15.000.000.00 EUR)

TARGET GROUP

Micro – small and medium entrepreneurs that are directed towards beginning export activity, export growth and acquiring new markets.

AIMS OF THE PROJECT

1) increase the number of Pomeranian SMEs active in foreign markets;
2) diversify the export markets of Pomeranian companies;
3) increase the participation of Pomeranian companies in national export;
4) strengthen the brand of Pomeranian (Polish) companies.

METHODOLOGY

To achieve these objectives the initiative works on three different fronts:

1) Identification of companies in the region that: a) would like to export but do not have yet the skills to start b) are already exporting but would like to enter new markets; c) have the potential to export but have been inactive in foreign markets. The identification will serve as a basis to develop a database of these companies and their market potential, products and services as well as work with them to prepare to export.

2) Development of the export of Pomeranian companies on chosen markets through the implementation of a process for the systematic exchange of knowledge and networking including meetings, seminars and conferences, training courses, trade fairs and missions in order to acquire new knowledge, solidify the competences of companies and establish contacts with relevant business partners.

3) Support to the export activities through grants available to MSMEs with head office in the Pomeranian Voivodeship or business institutions that represent SMEs, with a special attention to selecting projects that adhere to accomplishing the objectives of agreements for smart specializations of the region (e.g. off-shore, port and logistics technologies; interactive technologies in information-rich environment; technologies eco-efficient in the production, transmission, distribution and consumption of energy and fuels in construction; medical technologies within the field of lifestyle diseases and the ageing period).

RESULTS ACHIEVED

So far, as for September 2018, almost 800 Polish companies received support in internationalization of their businesses, ranging from increased export competencies as the result of numerous export-related seminars and conferences, through companies exhibiting individually at selected fairs and trade events all over the world thanks to financial support in the project, to participation in business missions and brokerage events which resulted in B2B meetings all over Europe and in China, Israel, USA, Canada, Japan.

Expected results include 1300 supported SMEs participating in seminars, conferences, trade fairs and business missions, 475 international cooperation events promoting Pomorskie and its entrepreneurs, 102 SMEs receiving financial support for individual internationalization-related activities abroad.

KEY CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING THE INITIATIVE AND SOLUTIONS USED TO MITIGATE THEM

Among the key challenges in implementing this initiative,  it is worth mentioning the ineligibility of advisory and consulting services in the project. Such services are not available for clients, although they often express interest in this kind of support. So far the catalogue tools available in the project has not been modified. Synergies have been identified, however, so that clients in need of advice related to export promotion are directed to other bodies offering similar support, like the Enterprise Europe Network hosts.

LESSONS LEARNED

Two years of implementing this initiative showed that to achieve better results the partners should focus on a few markets at a time instead of supporting all possible targets simultaneously. Consequently, the partners decided to choose 5 strategic directions per year and concentrate their efforts to maximize the results.

SUSTAINABILITY OF THE INITIATIVE AND POTENTIAL REPLICABILITY

The initiative will contribute to the development of the SME sector in the region due to expected export growth and its consequences (increase in employment levels, profitability, innovativeness and competitiveness of companies).
It should also contribute to the growth and competitiveness of the whole region as its international ties will increase. The image of the region and its companies should also be affected positively.
The partners hope to initiate and strengthen an upward trend in globalization of the region’s companies.
As other Polish regions do not follow this model, positive results may increase its potential for replicability and enhance similar actions elsewhere.