TRANSACT – the transfer of start-up support mechanisms to different contexts, project results and conclusions Petra Brüning The European Day of the Entrepreneur Sofia, 5 th 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 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 - 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 Idea Business Plan Market 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