Work Integration Social Enterprise (WISE) are social enterprises that focus on improving employment prospects for those farthest from the labour market. The WISE model has proven effective in the EU, where it has been applied with different specific forms and objectives (springboard and permanent schemes), responded to the immediate need for employment while supporting the social and professional growth of people in the long term. They have a strong pedagogical dimension in terms of initiating training and educational programs designed on the basis of existing potential (at professional level and in its participation in society) and develop the individual potential within the enterprise.

The INNO-WISEs project is the result of the cooperation between four key research & technological entities, three local authorities and five WISE consortia and networks. They aim at tackling all technological gaps by identifying these technological and skills shortages within WISEs in Central Europe in order to evolve an ICT application and architecture that improve or develop their technological and management competences. The main goal of this project is to provide managerial and technical tools for WISEs through an ICT platform and training programmes, which will enable the WISEs to fully understand and use technologies introduced in their enterprises.

The INNO-WISEs project aims to tackle all development needs of WISEs’ sectors from technological gaps to skills shortages through the production of a flexible ICT platform and some training programmes. This ICT platform and the training programmes are expected to have an impact on the sustainability of the WISEs engaged in the project and thus in their region’s economic growth and social inclusiveness.

The Innovative Technological Platform will provide WISEs with key technologies both managerial and technical (e.g. supporting innovative production processes). Thus, this tool will support WISEs in developing innovative products, services and processes linked to the
economic sectors they work in (i.e. waste management, recycling and reuse, sustainable tourism and agriculture). The Platform is created following actual users’ needs and will host the Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) training modules, making them available to users.

The training programmes will focus on Technological and Managerial competences’ training for Work Integration Social Enterprises managers and employees. These programmes will directly support WISEs’ innovative capacities and the development of a more entrepreneurial mind-set by supporting key abilities currently lacking such as innovative managerial and organisational skills ability. They include face-to-face training modules contents, all the training materials, the contents and materials developed for the MOOC modules.

The INNO-WISEs project, which gathers 12 partners, has a strong and highly qualified transnational dimension involving partners from five Central European countries (Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Poland and Belgium), key research and technological entities, groups of WISE consortia in the Central Europe countries and a European Network of WISEs.