INNOVA BIC - BUSINESS INNOVATION CENTRE SRL

Their core work

INNOVA BIC is a Business Innovation Centre based in Messina, Sicily, that helps SMEs and regional actors adopt open innovation practices and connect with research ecosystems. They specialize in bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and business application, particularly in the Southern Mediterranean context. Their work focuses on building innovation-friendly ecosystems through smart specialization strategies, accelerator programs for startups (notably in smart city solutions), and cross-border knowledge transfer between Europe, the Mediterranean, and Latin America.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

INNOVA BIC's H2020 activity spans a compact period (2015–2019) making dramatic shifts hard to detect. Their earlier projects (2015–2016) show a broader scope — international research mobility (NANOREMOVAS), smart specialization with a NEXUS approach to energy-water-agriculture (5TOI_4EWAS), and smart city acceleration (frontierCities2). Their later projects (2017–2019) narrowed toward direct SME innovation support, with InnoMedia and InnTense both focused squarely on helping SMEs adopt open innovation methods. The trajectory suggests a move from participating in large thematic consortia toward owning the SME innovation facilitation niche.

Moving from broad ecosystem participation toward focused SME innovation facilitation, positioning themselves as hands-on intermediaries between research outputs and small business adoption.

How they like to work

INNOVA BIC operates primarily as a participant (4 of 5 projects), joining consortia rather than leading them, though they did coordinate InnoMedia — a smaller Coordination and Support Action. Their 41 unique partners across 20 countries indicate a wide but not deep network, typical of an organization that joins diverse consortia rather than building a tight recurring partner circle. This makes them an accessible, well-connected partner for new collaborations, though they are not a dominant consortium builder.

Broad European and Mediterranean network spanning 41 partners across 20 countries, with a notable Southern European and Mediterranean geographic orientation reflecting their Sicilian base and cross-border innovation mandate.

What sets them apart

INNOVA BIC occupies a specific niche as a Southern Italian innovation intermediary with strong Mediterranean ties — a geography often underrepresented in EU innovation networks. Their combination of smart specialization expertise and direct SME support makes them valuable for consortia needing a partner who can translate research outcomes into practical business uptake in less innovation-intensive regions. For projects targeting the Mediterranean basin or needing to demonstrate regional impact in Southern Europe, they bring both the network and the methodology.

Highlights from their portfolio

• 5TOI_4EWAS
  Largest funding (EUR 170,514), focused on the energy-water-agriculture nexus in the South Mediterranean using a quintuple helix innovation model.
• InnoMedia
  Their only coordinated project, signaling a strategic priority area in media-related innovation support for SMEs.
• frontierCities2
  Smart city accelerator program (EUR 118,550) connecting them to the FIWARE urban innovation ecosystem across Europe.