STEP RI ZNANSTVENO - TEHNOLOGIJSKIPARK SVEUCILISTA U RIJECI, DRUZBA ZOMEJENO ODGOVORNOSTJO ZA INOVACIJEI TRANSFER TEHNOLOGIJE

Their core work

STEP RI is the Science and Technology Park of the University of Rijeka, operating as Croatia's regional innovation hub for SME support and technology transfer. Their core activity is delivering Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) Key Account Management services — coaching Croatian SMEs through EU funding instruments like the SME Instrument, FTI, and FET-Open. They also support start-up ecosystem development and transnational entrepreneurship programs. More recently, they have expanded into training early-career researchers in open science and innovation skills.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

STEP RI's early work (2015-2017) centered squarely on Enterprise Europe Network services — innovation coaching, key account management, and start-up support for Croatian SMEs. From 2019 onward, while maintaining the KAM service line, their keyword profile broadened to include FET-Open, FTI, and other specific H2020 instruments, suggesting deeper specialization in navigating the full EU funding landscape. Their most recent involvement in DIOSI (2021) signals a pivot toward researcher training and open science, extending their technology transfer mission upstream to the doctoral level.

STEP RI is broadening from pure SME coaching toward researcher training and open science, positioning itself as a full-spectrum innovation intermediary bridging academia and business.

How they like to work

STEP RI always participates as a partner or third party — they have never coordinated an H2020 project. With 21 unique partners across 13 countries from just 6 projects, they operate in relatively broad consortia and do not appear to repeat the same partner clusters. This suggests they function as a regional node in wider European support networks, contributing local SME access and coaching capacity rather than leading project design.

Despite their small project portfolio, STEP RI has built connections with 21 partners across 13 countries, reflecting the pan-European nature of EEN and start-up support networks. Their reach is broad but shallow — many different partners rather than deep repeated collaborations.

What sets them apart

STEP RI is one of the few Croatian university-affiliated science parks actively delivering EEN Key Account Management services, giving them direct pipelines to innovative SMEs in the Adriatic region. Their combination of university ties and private-sector SME coaching makes them a natural bridge for anyone needing to reach Croatian innovators or test technology transfer in Southeast Europe. For consortium builders, they offer on-the-ground SME engagement capacity in an under-represented EU region.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SSBI-CRO-KAM5
  Their largest funded project (EUR 17,385) and the culmination of four consecutive KAM service contracts, demonstrating sustained EU trust in their SME coaching delivery.
• DIOSI
  Marks a strategic shift into open science and doctoral training — their first project outside the EEN/KAM service line, signaling expansion of their mission.
• TransUP
  Their only project focused on start-up ecosystems and transnational soft-landing services, showing capacity beyond standard EEN coaching.