ELCA coordinates the SILEO Eurocluster project co-financed by the Single Market Programme (SMP/COSME Pillar) of the European Union. SILEO gathers 7 key lighting and furniture clusters from Austria, France, Italy, Romania and Spain, representing jointly more than 3.000 SMEs.
SILEO will support the EU SMEs of lighting & furniture sector to recover fully from the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, become more resilient to future shocks or crises, be better prepared for disruptions in supply and value chains, more sustainable in their business operations and stronger connected to industrial and advanced technologies ecosystems.
With a set of wide-ranging but well-crafted direct financial and non-financial actions, SILEO aims to prepare clusters to answer the digital and circular transition needs of SMEs. The SILEO project will offer an open innovation favourable environment for business upgrading, with accompanying expert consultancy, sector tailored cost-benefit analysis to decrease the risk in advanced technologies uptake for companies.
The project proposes direct financial funding scheme through financial support to third parties (cascade funding), joint talent placement services and internationalization actions to accelerate the recovery of lighting and furniture SMEs, support them in becoming more resilient to future shocks, better prepared for disruptions in supply and value chains, greener in business operations and stronger connected to technology ecosystems through strategic partnering.
The SILEO project will provide the EU lighting & furniture SMEs with the following business support services:
• International Hackathons “SILEO Tech challenge – Hack Days to Drive Innovation in Lighting & Furniture” – hosting technology providers like DIHs, Competence Centres, Incubators, and tech-savvy companies showcasing products and solutions answering the needs and challenges of the lighting & furniture SMEs;
• SILEO Business Digital Transformation Vouchers (FSTP scheme) for lighting and furniture SMEs to support cross-sector collaboration between companies and digital technology providers/experts and facilitate SMEs in accessing the expert consulting for digitalisation, advanced technology exploring and business transformation.
• SILEO Advance Technology Uptake Vouchers (FSTP scheme) for lighting and furniture SMEs to facilitate integration of new technologies into company production and service processes to support resilience, digital and green transformation.
• SILEO joint service for SMEs for attracting talents – “SILEO talent placement vouchers” (FSTP scheme) supporting identification of best talents among young professionals.
The SILEO project partners:
1. ELCA – EUROPEAN LIGHTING CLUSTER ALLIANCE, Italy (Project Coordinator)
2. Cluster Lumière Association, France
3. Cluster d’Illuminacio de Catalunya – CICAT, Spain
4. Rete di Imprese Luce in Veneto, Italy
5. BIC Building Innovation Cluster, Austria
6. Transylvanian Furniture Cluster, Romania
7. Cluster Legno, Arredo e Sistema Casa FVG, Italy