The INNOVA SME program, promoted by the Innovation and Development Area of the Government of Salto, completed its evaluation stage with the presentation of 23 business projects aimed at improving productivity, optimizing processes, increasing sales and strengthening the competitiveness of local businesses.
The final evaluation instance was carried out by a tribunal made up of Pablo Da Cunda, head of the Innovation and Development Area of the Government of Salto, and Germán Zundl, representative of the National Research and Innovation Agency (ANII), an institution specially invited to participate in this stage.
During the day, the results of a work process were known in which the participating companies, with the support of specialized external advisors, identified difficulties and opportunities for improvement, analyzed alternatives and prepared proposals adapted to their needs.
Among the projects presented, initiatives related to productivity, process optimization, new marketing strategies, increased sales, administrative management and the incorporation of technologies, among other areas, emerged.
From everyday challenges to innovative solutions
INNOVA PYME was designed by the Innovation and Development Area with a practical approach, seeking to enable companies to transform their daily challenges into concrete opportunities for improvement and growth.
In the first stage, each participating company received five hours of specialized technical assistance, during which they worked together with external advisors to identify problems and develop innovative, viable solutions in line with their possibilities.
Once this process was completed, the proposals were presented to the court for evaluation and eventual award of financial support of up to $50,000 per project, intended to facilitate the implementation of the proposed solutions.
Innovation that generates concrete results
Pablo Da Cunda highlighted the diversity of the proposals and the potential impact they can have on the development of participating companies.
“It was very interesting to see how problems that companies face every day were transformed, with the appropriate support, into concrete projects. We found very good ideas that can directly impact productivity, sales, administration and business efficiency. That is the innovation that we want to promote from the Government of Salto: an innovation that reaches companies and generates results,” he expressed.
Likewise, he pointed out that “innovating does not always mean incorporating great technologies. Sometimes it means finding a better way to produce, sell, manage or serve customers. The important thing is that companies can identify these opportunities, develop solutions and have tools to carry them out.”
Strengthen business competitiveness in Salto
INNOVA PYME is part of the actions that the Innovation and Development Area promotes to strengthen the business sector of the department, promote the incorporation of knowledge and facilitate access to tools that contribute to improving the competitiveness of local companies.
Through this initiative, the Government of Salto seeks to promote a culture of applied innovation, providing technical assistance and economic support so that companies can turn their challenges into concrete solutions, improve their operation and generate new growth opportunities.
Source: www.salto.gub.uy
