IT platform as a tool to support products innovation manufactured in enlarged Europe

The information about IT platform created in project funded by EC in the 6
^th
Framework Programme are presented in this paper. This platform is expected to become a single tool to manage complex activities related with a whole collaborative product development cycle. SMEs need a simple, cheap and easy to use tools to manage data exchange, to speed up project management, to support design and knowledge management. Most of the tools they use for such activities at present, are available for local use only without collaboration interfaces. On the other hand, using a number of different tools instead of a single one will not allow an easy project processing within partnering networks. To manage their activities, smaller suppliers rely upon simple Project Management tools such as MS Project or even Excel, which are good for initial planning, but inadequate for project control and adaptation. The current situation concerning the business software market in Poland as an one example of the Eastern European coutries was considered to use the Extended Enterprise Management (EEM) platform.