TRANSACT – the collaborative approach and its influence on networking Petra Brüning PAXIS PROJECTS JOINT WORKSHOP Salamanca, 23 th June2005

Project stages Funding ends Funding Sustain ability Identification Definition Exe- cution Evaluation Expansion within the university/ region Spreading to other universities/ regions Idea Plan Outline  Draft Completion Evaluation Continuation Improvement Identification Development Implementation

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

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

In order to fulfil the needs of the partners in the partner regions at the best possible rate a conference was held in each of the participating countries. March 2004: Budapest/Hungary January 2004: Prague/ Czech Republic September 2004: Bucharest/ Romania May 2004: Tartu/ Estonia Collaborative planning: conferences

NAC Partner X aim Initiatives deriving out of actions taken under the European Charter for Small Enterprises Collaborative planning: conferences Integration of all relevant players into the planning process Fist step: invitation to the conference

Use of Open-Space-Technology in order to  raise and discuss the most important topics  bring TRANSACT partners, experts and relevant decision makers together in one place  integrate them into the planning process  ensure the commitment of all relevant parties  facilitate planning, share knowledge and select approaches to be implemented  establish “action teams” Collaborative planning: conferences

- 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 Collaborative planning: conferences Successful integration of the following players into all of the five conferences

Rectorate Professors Ministries Motivation Preparation Pre-seedMarket Entry Seed INCUBATION (Academic Incubator) development Target group in order to establish start-up companies that participated in the conference Members of target group in order to establish a support structure like an Interface Unit (IU) that participated in the conference: Network Banks, VC, BA Professors, Students (Post)graduates (would-be) entrepreneurs entrepreneurs

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

Together with the network several approaches were checked for their feasibility. Several pilot initiatives launched in order to prepare the ultimate aim of preparing a technology transfer interface unit, especially on  Awareness  Training  New project proposals with a strengthened and more powerful network Feasibility Study and Implementation

Bucharest  “Call for ideas” prior to TRANSACT conference -Students were invited to hand in their business ideas and to further develop them into business plans together with professors -Some of these ideas were presented at the TRANSACT conference -Helped to raise awareness among students -Helped to show the already existing creativity in the university -Helped to show the already existing willingness of professors to support the students’ ideas and to support entrepreneurship Examples Integration of Students and active professors into the conference

Bucharest Examples Three action teams were established on the conference: - awareness raising - creativity inside the university - academic incubator Regular TTMs (TRANSACT TEAM MEETINGS) in order to plan next actions

Bucharest Examples Within the network, the following trainings are or will be offered: MSc Course in “Project Management” Intensive training course in IPR Course on Research Activities for students, young graduates and teaching staff Two Final Examination Theses: “The Academic Incubator” and “Intellectual Property in Agriculture” One PhD Thesis “Patenting in Agriculture and Biotechnological Inventions”,

Budapest  An internal network did not exist  Therefore the INNOTECH staff contacted university professors in preparation of the TRANSACT conference to identify those that were willing to support the idea of start- up support  Additionally a lot of students and student organizations could be contacted and informed about entrepreneurship with the TRANSACT International Business Simulation Competition Examples Establishing and strengthening the network

Internal network In cooperation with the student organizations, there are plans for -Questionnaires on the student’s interest in training offers -short training courses including innovation management, business plan and IPR issues Examples Budapest and awareness rising campaigns

 An outer network existed already: Through TRANSACT it could be strengthened and the good network relations resulted in - two common project proposals for national tenders - a signed declaration of intent to establish the IT Innovation and Knowledge Centre in the Budapest University of Technology and Economics! External network Examples Budapest

Thank you for your attention Petra Brüning Innovation und Bildung Hohenheim GmbH Stuttgart, Germany