Project activities are ongoing. Therefore, the first semi-annual progress report for the period September 1, 2020 - February 28, 2021 has been prepared. We encourage you to read it and check what we managed to do in the first stage of the project.

During the first semester of the project implementation the consortium has established all necessary and required working and project management structures and tools: the partnership has been formalised by signing the Memorandum of Understanding, quality management rules have been developed and commonly agreed. The common development and implementation of the communication strategy and of the project brand handbook are important first results of the project partnership.

ELCA started to become visible and to address to stakeholders via its website www.elcainternationalization.eu and via the ELCA-internationalization LinkedIn-site: ELCA Internationalization: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elca-internationalization/?viewAsMembe…. 

● Work Package 1: Intelligence, collaboration and joint actions planning

During the reporting period, the consortium has commonly developed the methodology for the assessment of the opportunities.Each partner has drafted and delivered the related sector analysis for each of the target markets to the WP-leader, who has composed and compiled the deliverable document (D1.1- Lightweight opportunities and partnership competences). For the assessment of the partnership competences the WP-leader MAV has developed a questionnaire, which has been sent out the members of the involved consortium clusters. The cluster partners have gathered the requested information in meetings with the members of working groups of the clusters, in personal interview and e-mail campaigns. The document, which compiled the information (DT1.2) was finalised and submitted with a delay, after the end of the reporting period. The consortium has started to prepare the strategy plan for the development of the common brand during the first reporting period.

● Work package 2: International missions for innovation

The activities of WP 2 have not been started.

● Work package 3: Monitoring and cross-fertilisation

Activities of WP 3 have not been started yet in the related reporting period.

● Work package 4: Dissemination and communication

Within the related period, the consortium has developed the communication plan of the action and a project brand handbook, which is being used for all communication and information measures and events, related with the project. The project brand handbook provides templates and rules for any publication or project presentation. The website has been developed and made operational. Following the communication strategy, latest information on project events, calls for interaction is to find at LinkedIn. The project is also to find at the European Cluster Collaboration Platform.

All preconditions for an efficient internal and external project communication have been set. The consortium communicates and stores files and information at a sharepoint in MS Teams, which has been set up by the coordinator. The consortium has agreed on its kick-off meeting monthly jour fixe in order to align, to discuss and to coordinate the activities. During the period, even more huddles or short bi-or multilateral meetings have been held. They were very helpful for organising common methodology development processes and joint learning.

The report also included parts such as expected results, impact and continuity of the project.

The full document is available on the official ELCA project’s website in the "Download" tab or at this link: https://elcainternationalization.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/gh-deliv….