SYNDESMOS VIOMICHANION ELLADOS

Their core work

The Federation of Industries of Greece (FING) is an industry association based in Thessaloniki that serves as an Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) contact point, delivering innovation management and key account management services to Greek SMEs. Their core work involves helping small and medium enterprises access EU funding instruments — particularly the SME Instrument and Fast Track to Innovation — by coaching them through application and innovation processes. Across all five H2020 projects, FING has consistently operated as an intermediary between EU innovation programmes and the Greek SME ecosystem.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2014–2016), FING focused on building foundational EEN infrastructure — enhancing innovation capacity and establishing key account management services for Greek SMEs. From 2017 onward, their scope broadened significantly to include advisory on specific EU funding instruments such as the SME Instrument, Fast Track to Innovation, and FET-Open, with increasing alignment to the energy sector. This shift suggests a move from general innovation support toward more targeted, instrument-specific coaching with sectoral specialization.

FING is evolving from a general EEN service provider toward a specialized advisory role helping energy-sector SMEs navigate specific EU funding instruments.

How they like to work

FING operates exclusively as a participant, never leading consortia — consistent with their role as a regional EEN service delivery partner within larger coordination networks. With 12 unique partners across just 1 country, they appear to work within a stable, domestically-focused consortium structure, likely the Greek EEN consortium. This makes them a reliable, low-risk partner for projects needing Greek SME outreach and industry representation, but they are not a consortium-building hub.

FING has worked with 12 consortium partners, all within a single country (likely Greece), reflecting their role as part of the national EEN consortium rather than a broadly networked European player.

What sets them apart

FING's value lies in being both an industry federation and an EEN contact point — a rare combination that gives them direct access to Greek manufacturing and industrial SMEs through their membership base. For consortium builders, this means FING can mobilize Greek SMEs for pilot testing, market validation, or dissemination far more effectively than a generic consultancy. Their Thessaloniki base also provides access to Northern Greece's industrial ecosystem, which is underrepresented in many EU consortia.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Enhancement SGA4
  Their largest grant (EUR 23,945) and most recent project, representing the mature phase of their EEN service line with the broadest instrument coverage (SME Instrument, FTI, FET-Open).
• CIP-Hellas 2014
  Their foundational H2020 project that established the innovation management service model later continued through four successive Enhancement grants.