Within the framework of the RISE project, the South Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency carried out company assessments and mentoring activities involving Hungarian food industry companies and businesses related to the food sector. The aim of the work was to provide participating companies with practical feedback on the development opportunities of their digital, energy-related and circular operations.
The RISE project was implemented with the support of the Interreg Danube Region Programme and aimed to strengthen the competitiveness of food industry SMEs operating in the less developed areas of the Danube Region. One important element of the project was the testing of self-assessment and mentoring tools that help companies review their own operations, identify development points and define realistic development directions that can be implemented step by step.
A total of 11 companies took part in the domestic pilot assessment process. Within the project, 25 company assessments were carried out: 10 companies participated in digital readiness assessments, 10 companies in energy efficiency assessments, and 5 companies in material circularity / circular operation assessments. In several cases, more than one tool was applied to the same company, which made it possible to examine development opportunities not in isolation, but in relation to each other.
The assessments were not intended to rank or rate the companies. The aim was to provide practical feedback tailored to the companies’ own operations. After reviewing the situation of the participating companies, the mentoring process resulted in recommendations that included both short-term steps and medium-term investment or organisational development directions that may require further preparation.
The digital assessments covered, among others, online presence, digital customer management, inventory and supply chain processes, data protection, automation and basic cybersecurity issues. The energy efficiency tools focused on measuring energy consumption, tracking costs, managing peak loads, building and infrastructure improvements, and the use of renewable energy. The assessments related to circular operations primarily identified development opportunities in packaging, material use, sustainable sourcing, waste reduction and customer communication.
One important value of the pilot process was that the participating companies differed in size, operational background and level of maturity. This made it possible to test the RISE tools not only as a theoretical framework, but also in real company situations. The experiences gained from the assessments contributed to the refinement of the methodology and helped ensure that the mentoring process was more closely connected to the everyday decision-making situations of companies.
In connection with the assessments, the companies received individual feedback materials, development recommendations and preliminary roadmap-type guidance. These did not offer ready-made solutions for every situation. Instead, they helped companies better understand where it is worth starting with quick, low-cost interventions, and which topics require longer preparation, investment decisions or external expert support.
One of the important lessons of the RISE project is that digital, energy-related and circular transition in SMEs does not necessarily begin with large, all-at-once investments. In many cases, significant progress can already be achieved if a company measures its operations more regularly, organises its data more effectively, appoints internal responsibilities, simplifies paper-based processes, or manages its energy and material use more consciously.
The project results show that companies are open to this type of practical support, especially when it does not provide general advice, but is adapted to the company’s own operations, capacities and development opportunities.
The RISE project was implemented with co-financing from the European Union under the Interreg Danube Region Programme.
