Joining forces for SMEs: Enterprise Europe Network, FINNO, and UNIDO come together to boost competitiveness

The new Enterprise Europe Network, UNIDO Action Plan for 2026 to 2028 aims to make this cooperation even more practical, while dedicated FINNO activities are already supporting start-ups and scale-ups with investment readiness and access to international markets.

Through adviser training, SME diagnostics, transformation plans, pilot activities, and cross-border cooperation, the Network, FINNO and UNIDO can help companies access the knowledge, financing opportunities and partnerships they need to become more competitive, resilient and internationally connected.

While SMEs’ importance is clear across all Europe, their economic relevance is particularly evident in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, where they account for a major share of employment and value creation.

However, SMEs across the region face interconnected challenges, including limited access to advanced technologies, insufficient digital skills, a lack of strategic knowledge on Industry 4.0 implementation, and difficulties accessing finance.

To face these challenges, a cross-border approach would allow companies to draw on a wider pool of expertise, technology providers and partners than any single national market could offer. This is where cooperation between the Enterprise Europe Network, FINNO and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) can make a difference. By combining trusted advisers, practical methodologies, technology providers and support mechanisms, this collaboration helps companies access the knowledge and tools they need to act.

Another set of challenges that start-ups and scale-ups face includes limited access to investors, insufficient business skills, a lack of strategic knowledge on go-to-market, and difficulties accessing international customers or partners. To address these challenges, Network advisers jointly provide tools, practical methodologies, and relevant contacts through FINNO activities.

Turning complex topics into concrete business steps

The Enterprise Europe Network and UNIDO have developed a joint Action Plan for 2026-2028 that focuses on Industry 4.0, green transition and digital transformation. The plan aims to help SMEs adopt smart manufacturing technologies, AI and digital tools, while improving operational efficiency, decision-making and competitiveness in international markets.

The Action Plan builds on another project by UNIDO titled Fostering Industry 4.0 for green transition and circular economy in the Western Balkans. The project included an Industry 4.0 readiness assessment to examine how prepared companies were to adopt Industry 4.0 and identify the principal barriers holding them back.

The assessment confirmed that the main constraints were financial and human. Budget is the single most significant barrier, cited by 71% of surveyed firms, followed by a skills gap reported by nearly six in ten companies. It also revealed that many companies were open to Industry 4.0 and considered themselves able to adapt, yet fewer than one in ten had a defined vision or documented roadmap. In other words, openness to transformation has not yet translated into structured planning, and investment often remains reactive.

Building on these findings, UNIDO developed the custom Factory of the Future methodology. A certified adviser conducts the diagnosis on site, maps the firm's operational losses and translates them into a concise, costed transformation plan. This gives the company a practical roadmap, something that many firms currently lack.

A further element of the project was the establishment of the Smart Manufacturing Innovation Centre (SMIC) in Novi Sad, a regional hub supporting manufacturing companies in their digital and green transformation. Through the Action Plan, UNIDO and SMIC will now train and certify a common pool of Network advisers to a shared standard. This means that companies can access the same quality of diagnosis, while identified business needs can be matched with suitable technology and service providers across borders.

Network advisers as the bridge

Network advisers play a key role in translating complex topics such as Industry 4.0 and digital transformation into concrete business actions. FINNO, a cooperation platform of seven Enterprise Europe Network consortia from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia, has been actively supporting SMEs since 2021. Its purpose is to strengthen joint work in helping SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups in preparing for funding, innovation, internationalisation, digitalisation and sustainability or green transition. Network advisers from the participating consortia are central to how FINNO delivers this support. They help SMEs assess their readiness, identify priorities, avoid common implementation mistakes and develop realistic digital transformation roadmaps.

Participating partners combine their expertise, networks and resources, allowing businesses to benefit from a broader support ecosystem, stronger cross-border partnerships and easier access to European opportunities. 

Since 2025, FINNO has expanded its activities within the wider Enterprise Europe Network. Its services are structured around three main services:

• FINNO Matches You - This includes research-to-business, business-to-finance and business-to-business activities, such as the Horizons of Innovation forum and matchmaking through SMIC or the Network's Partnering Opportunities platform.
• FINNO Guides You - Through webinars and information sessions, FINNO helps companies better understand business opportunities, investor readiness, EU support instruments and doing business across participating countries.
• FINNO Success Stories - by presenting concrete examples of companies that have benefited from FINNO services, the platform demonstrates how cooperation can lead to practical business outcomes.

One concrete example of FINNO’s actions is the 3rd FINNO Pitching Academia, organised together with the Network's group of experts focused on start-ups and scale-ups. The programme offers start-ups practical support in checking their investment readiness and preparing their pitch in front of potential investors, by providing a one-month online mentoring experience from 7 to 30 September 2026.

The initiative demonstrates how cooperation can combine expertise from multiple partners to help companies improve investment readiness and connect with wider international business and investor networks. The FINNO Pitching Academia will also be delivered as one of the supporting activities in the pilot programme under the cooperation between the Network and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.

Beyond collaboration with UNIDO, FINNO also connects with a wide range of partners and initiatives, including EIT, the Regional Cooperation Council, the European Innovation Council, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the CEFTA Secretariat, the Western Balkans Investment Framework and WB6 Chamber Investment Forum.

What success could look like by 2028

Looking ahead, cooperation between the Network, FINNO and UNIDO will continue to grow, creating further opportunities to connect expertise, support services and partners across the EU with specific focus on Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. The shared goal for 2028 is clear: to enable more SMEs to successfully implement digital technologies, participate in international markets, attract investment and collaborate across borders. Together, these efforts contribute to stronger innovation capacity, better integration into European value chains and greater resilience through sustainable and digitally enabled business models.

Success also extends beyond formal indicators. It means stronger trust and collaboration among SMEs, greater willingness to invest in innovation, wider adoption of digital solutions and more frequent business partnerships. Ultimately, it means that companies increasingly see cooperation, shared expertise and international networks as a natural part of their business development and growth.