Www.transact-innovation.com TRANSACT – the transfer of start-up support mechanisms to different contexts, project results and conclusions Petra Brüning

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TRANSACT – the transfer of start-up support mechanisms to different contexts, project results and conclusions

Petra Brüning

The European Day of the Entrepreneur

Sofia, 5th November 2004


aims at the transfer of successful university based start-up support schemes, which have proven their excellence in regional, national and European evaluations to partner universities in the Candidate and Accession Countries.

Project Background


TRANSACT contributes to

- the successful integration into the EU enlargement process by transferring best practice,

- the dissemination of knowledge,

- the enhancement of an entrepreneurial culture

- the promotion of business ideas and

- the strengthening of the Accession Countries' regional and international linkages.

Project Background


European Incubators:

Innovation und Bildung Hohenheim GmbH, Germany

Attempto Service GmbH, Germany

Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Spain

CREALYS, France

Internal project evaluation:

Fraunhofer Institut für Systemtechnik und Innovationsforschung, Germany

Partners


AC partners:

Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech

Republic

INNOTECH, Innovation Park of the Technical

University of Budapest Ltd., Hungary

University of Tartu, Institute of Technology,

Estonia

University of Agronomic Sciences and

Veterinary Medicine, Romania

Partners


TRANSACT Process

Funding ends

Fu

nd

ing

Su

sta

ina

bil

ity

Identification

Definition

Exe-cution

Evaluation

Expansion within the university/region

Spreading to other universities/regions

Idea

Plan Outline Draft

Completion

EvaluationContinuation

Improvement

Identification

Development

Implementation


Project Process and Methodology

- THE best-practice doesn’t exist!

- all good practice examples are best practice under the given preconditions – and at a certain time at a certain location

- a one-to-one transfer is rarely possible and depends significantly on cultural and socio-economic differences between the provider and the receiver of a measure

TRANSACT follows the approach of collaborative planning instruments (especially Open-Space-Technology)


Project Process and Methodology

Collection and

evaluation of data

Decision on critical success factors

Pre-selection of approaches

Establishment of a network of relevant

players

Collaborative planning:

Conferences

Feasibility Study

Implementation


Conferences and Open-Space-Technology

In order to fulfil the needs of the partners in the accession countries at the best possible rate a conference was held in each of the participating countries.

May: Tartu/Estonia

September: Bucharest/Romania

January: Prague/Czech Republic

March: Budapest/Hungary


Conferences and Open-Space-Technology

- the most important topics to the participants were raised and discussed

- TRANSACT partners, experts and relevant decision makers were brought together in one place, integrating them into the planning process

- all relevant parties are committed to the project

- planning is facilitated, knowledge is shared and approaches are selected

- "action teams” were established.

During these conferences the Open-Space-Technology was used to make sure that


Most Important Results I

Business Simulation Competition

One of the identified problems is the lack of awareness among potential entrepreneurs in the Accession Countries.

Therefore a business simulation competition was proposed during the TRANSACT Conference in Budapest, in which students from all partner universities can participate.


Most Important Results I

Business Simulation Competition

The International Business Simulation Competition is a computer based simulation for students interested in starting their own business.

It focuses on the reproduction of the typical phases a start-up company is going through facing business, technical and social challenges.

Participants have to go through different stages of business activity:

Business

IdeaBusiness

PlanMarket Entry

Business Operation


Most Important Results II

Contacts to Student Organisations

Entrepreneurial awareness among students has been raised by

- contacts to student organisations- presentations concerning start-up support measures that have been or will be held.

Additionally, information and success stories of young entrepreneurs are being sent to the students directly via the student newsletters, e.g. in the newsletter “MÜHELY”:


Most Important Results III

Strengthened Network at the partner institutions

Integrating relevant decision makers from inside and outside the universities into the planning process of the conferences and the conferences themselves has helped the partner to gain greater power in order to improve their start-up support. It was possible to integrate into all of the conferences representatives of

- Universities (rector, professors, teaching staff, students)- Ministries (e.g. Ministry of Economic Affairs,.....)- Government (e.g. City Government)- Science Parks, Innovation Centres, Patent Centres, Business Advisory Centres, ...- Research Institutions- Chambers


Most Important Results III

Strengthened Network at the partner institutions

Together with this enlarged network and supported by the TRANSACT partners

- new proposals for start-up support,

- structural changes in the partner institutions and

- new collaborations

are on their way.


Most Important Results IV

Establishment of Academic Incubator

In Bucharest, an Academic Incubator has been started. Students with business ideas and professors, who are supporting them in writing their business plans, are given the necessary infrastructure to start their projects, e.g. rooms.

On the conference, an action team on the Academic Incubator was launched in order to extend the start-up support activities to an integrated approach.


Thank you for your attention

Petra Brüning

Innovation und Bildung Hohenheim GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany

[email protected]

Documents

Www.transact-innovation.com TRANSACT – the transfer of start-up support mechanisms to different contexts, project results and conclusions Petra Brüning