INVEST IN SKANE AB

Their core work

Invest in Skåne is the regional investment promotion agency for the Skåne region in southern Sweden, based in Malmö. Their core function within H2020 is delivering Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) innovation support services to SMEs — including innovation health checks, key account management, and helping small companies access EU instruments like the SME Instrument. They act as a regional intermediary connecting Swedish SMEs with European innovation opportunities and funding programmes. All their EU project activity is channelled through the Swedish EEN consortium (SWENNIS), where they serve as a consistent delivery partner rather than a research performer.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015-2018), Invest in Skåne focused on general innovation management services — key account management, innovation specialists, and broad SME support through the EEN framework. By 2019-2021, their portfolio shifted toward more specialized EU SME support tools: SME Instrument coaching, EIMC (Enhanced Innovation Management Capacity) services, and structured innovation diagnostics like Innovation Health Checks and IDD4SME. This reflects the EEN network's own evolution toward more formalized, tool-based SME support rather than generic advisory.

Moving toward specialized, tool-based innovation diagnostics for SMEs — likely to continue as EEN formalizes its service portfolio under Horizon Europe.

How they like to work

Invest in Skåne operates exclusively as a participant within the Swedish EEN consortium (SWENNIS), never as coordinator. Their 14 unique partners across a single country (Sweden) indicate they work within a stable, nationally-organized consortium rather than building diverse international partnerships. This is typical of EEN member organizations — reliable consortium partners within a fixed national network, not independent consortium builders.

Their network of 14 partners is entirely Sweden-based, reflecting the nationally-organized structure of the Swedish EEN consortium (SWENNIS). They are a regional node in a domestic network rather than a hub for international collaboration.

What sets them apart

Invest in Skåne brings regional economic development authority and direct access to the Skåne business ecosystem — one of Sweden's most dynamic regions with strong ties to the Øresund cross-border area (Malmö-Copenhagen). For consortium builders, their value is not technical expertise but rather SME outreach and business support infrastructure in southern Sweden. They are a gateway to Skåne's SME community, not a research or technology partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Swennis 2020-2021
  Largest funded project (EUR 102,315) with expanded scope covering SME Instrument coaching, EIMC services, and innovation diagnostics — shows maturation of their EEN role.
• SWENNIS2
  Their entry point into H2020 EEN activities (2015), establishing the long-term pattern of continuous Swedish EEN consortium participation.