The Task Force SoftPower –Competences and soft skills in innovation agencies at the break of a new model for innovation support in the EU – was established by the Taftie Board in June 2017.

Its activities were developed from September 2017 until April 2019.

The main objective of the SoftPower Task Force was to provide TAFTIE members with a clear picture of the competences that they should incorporate in the near future, based on the trends of the future innovation promotion dynamics within the EU.

The first discussion event of the ‘SoftPower’ task force, entitled “National agencies at the break of a new model for innovation support in the EU: the innovators’ views”, was held on the 25th of January 2018 at the premises of the Representation of the European Commission in Lisbon, Portugal. The event was organised by ANI – Portugal’s National Innovation Agency with the support of the task force members and aimed at collecting views and inputs from the community of innovators in Europe on the role of innovation agencies. Report

The 2nd discussion event of the ‘SoftPower’ task force, entitled “National agencies at the forefront of a new model for innovation support in the EU: the funders’ perspective”, was held on the 30th of May, 2018 at the European Investment Bank in Kirchberg, Luxembourg. The event was organised by Luxinnovation with the support of ANI Portugal and the other task force members, and aimed at collecting the views and inputs from the community of innovation funders and investors in Europe on the role of innovation agencies. Report

The 3rd discussion event of the ‘SoftPower’ task force, entitled “National agencies at the break of a new model for innovation support in the EU: the advisory services providers’ perspective”, was held on the 29th of November, 2018 at the Hotel Rikli Balance in Bled, Slovenia. The event was organised by SPIRIT Slovenia with the support of ANI Portugal and the other task force members, and aimed at collecting the views and inputs from the community of innovation support service providers in Europe on the role of innovation agencies. Report

Research was conducted as part of the TAFTIE Taskforce to develop a clear picture of the non-financial support services provided by innovation agencies, and to better understand the competencies and skills required to deliver them. The report focuses on the findings of a bespoke survey that was designed and implemented with TAFTIE members in 2018, as well as a series of qualitative interviews, workshops and focus groups conducted in 2018 and 2019. The innovation agencies included in the study are: ANI (Portugal); Bpifrance (France); Business Finland; CDTI (Spain); ENEA (Italy); Enterprise Estonia; Enterprise Ireland; FFG (Austria); VLAIO (Belgium); Hamag-Bicro (Croatia); Innosuisse (Switzerland); Innovate UK; Innovation Fund Serbia; Innovation Norway; ISERD Israel; Luxinnovation (Luxembourg); MITA (Lithuania); NKFIH (Hungary); RVO (Netherlands); PtJ Juelich (Germany); SPIRIT Slovenia; TACR (Czech Republic); TTGV (Turkey); Vinnova (Sweden). Report

The final report of the Task Force “Innovation agencies as catalysts of change: understanding the value of non-financial support for European innovators” shares the findings and conclusions of the ‘Soft Power’ Taskforce. As its final output, it summarises all the actions that were carried out and the conclusions taken from them. All TAFTIE member agencies were part of the discussion events and/or the survey conducted in the scope of this Taskforce. Report

An internal final report, with additional conclusions, is available for Taftie Members in the Members Area Library of the website (Activities Reports).