REGIONAL WORKSHOP ‘I-GO ASSISTANT FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISES AND I-GO NETWORK LAUNCH’

On May 12, 2022, a regional online seminar “I-GO Assistant For Small And Medium Sized Enterprises And I-GO Network Launch” was held on the Zoom platform and organized by the Green Industry Platform and the EU4Environment Programme. The seminar focused on the official launch of the I-GO Assistant for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) tool, a live demonstration of the I-GO Network and I-GO Assistant tool and the explanation how to best promote it to SMEs.

Hannes Mac Nulty – Green Industry Platform, Manager – introduced the I-GO initiative for SMEs and the results of the pilot project. He noted that the initiative was designed to address the issue of effective interaction with a large number of SMEs and to support them in addressing specific needs. He also explained that the I-GO network is an adapted support structure for interaction between SMEs, SME customers and SME-supporting organizations. “The I-GO network is supporting those who support SMEs,” emphasized the speaker.

 Tracy El Achkar – Green Industry Specialist of the Green Industry Platform – dwelled more specifically about the algorithm of work with the I-GO Assistant tool. She clearly demonstrated how the tool of self-assessment of the enterprise works, how any enterprise can get a description of its resource efficiency status, compare it to the average indicators, and get recommendations for improving its own resource efficiency. She also informed how to get the list of reference materials from the SME Support Center.

In her presentation, Tatiana Chernyavskaya – EU4Environment Project Manager, UNIDO – focused on the presentation and results achieved in the implementation of the EU4Environment Programme Component 2 “Circular Economy and New Growth Opportunities”. Among others, she presented case studies on the practical implementation of the RECP concept in enterprises and the achieved environmental, financial and economic benefits.

Krzysztof Michalak – Senior Programme Manager, OECD – informed about ensuring sustainable development of RECP at national and regional levels through the network of RECP experts, including RECP clubs for SMEs.

More than 80 participants joined the seminar, representing organizations cooperating with SMEs (representatives of business associations, development organizations, government agencies, NGOs, financial institutions and donors). The workshop further developed the cooperation between I-GO and EU4Environment in a series of SME support seminars.

After the main part of the workshop its participants were invited to an interactive session, in which the speakers provided answers to questions from active participants.

The online seminar for Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia was the third, after similar ones organized for Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa.

What’s next?

The I-GO Assistant for SMEs will be tested during next 4–6-month, during which the Green Industry Platform and I-GO Network members will actively promote the tool amongst key groups of SMEs and service providers. The main purpose of this test period will be to get feedback from SME users on the functionality of the I-GO Assistant and the usefulness of the tailored selection of resource efficiency knowledge and support services they are directed to.

More about I-GO Initiative here.

More about EU4Environment Action here.

You can enjoy the English video recording of the workshop here.