Successful cooperation with key stakeholders in an active network of highly qualified executives both at the regional and European level, allows SEZ to contribute to the achievement of long-term competitiveness and economic benefits for Baden-Württemberg.

SEZ provides assistance in finding appropriate European funding programmes, submitting proposals, implementing and managing cross-border projects to companies, universities, research organizations, industries, administrations, and policy makers from Baden-Württemberg. SEZ also helps facilitate internationalization for entering European and international markets; and in the development of innovative macro-strategies.

The overall goals for SEZ supporting Baden-Württemberg are:

• Developing Baden-Württemberg’s potential and innovation capacity in a manner that ensures its recognition as one of the most innovative regions in Europe.
• Creating sustainable and dynamic partnership networks that connect SMEs and research organizations with progressive partners across the EU.
• Promoting the reputation of Baden-Württemberg as an exemplary region that can be recognized in Europe and worldwide for more than just its high educational standards.
• Creating an open society where both men and women from all sectors have equal opportunities to work in the innovation process.

In order to achieve these goals, SEZ provides advisory and consultancy services to regional and federal innovation projects while also taking an active role in large scale European innovation initiatives, such as Baden-Württemberg’s ERDF Monitoring Committee, the Working Group on Technology Transfer in the framework of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, the Women Entrepreneurship Sector Group in the EEN, and the H2020 Advisory Group on Energy.

In 2016, Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum founded Steinbeis 2i GmbH. This subsidiary was created to complement collaboration with the European Commissioner with SMEs and research and technology organizations in the area of innovation from Baden-Württemberg.

Steinbeis 2i GmbH is a part of the Baden-Württemberg consortium, along with Handwerk International Baden-Württemberg, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing, Baden-Württemberg International, and the Chambers of Commerce Hochrhein-Bodensee, Region Stuttgart, Reutlingen, Rhein-Neckar, Südlicher Oberrhein, and Ulm.

In cooperation with Steinbeis 2i GmbH and the Enterprise Europe Network, SEZ offers customized advisory services and expertise on:

• Finance innovation – finding appropriate European funding programmes, managing proposals for H2020 and other EU programmes, such as Eurostars, COSME, and INTERREG.
• Innovation management – generating and developing innovation ideas into marketable products, systematic project planning, implementation, and project management.
• Internationalization and market entry – building innovation partnerships, facilitating internationalization, and securing access to European and international markets.
• Innovation policy – enabling technologies and developing regional innovative macro-strategies.
• Events and trainings – designing and organizing events such as conferences, congresses, workshops, and training courses on innovative topics at the regional, national, and EU levels.

SEZ is the Contact Point for SMEs in Baden-Württemberg to the European Commissioner of the Minister of Economics, Labour, and Housing of Baden-Württemberg.

SEZ provides Universities of Applied Science and the Duale Hochschule in Baden-Württemberg with information on EU funding and innovative programmes and offers assistance in developing proposals for these programmes on behalf of the Ministry of Research, Science, and the Arts Baden-Württemberg.

SEZ works with a large network of experts who support clients and partners in managing projects and carrying out everyday tasks. One of SEZ’s core principles is personal responsibility – which relies on decentralized operations coordinated through a centralized project management framework. In order to facilitate the efficiency of their project management, SEZ has been using EMDESK as their software solution for running projects since 2010.