1. project results and conclusions
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

2. Project Background
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.

3. 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.

4. Partners 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

5. 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
                                       

6. TRANSACT Process Identification Definition Exe- cution Evaluation Idea
Funding ends
Funding
Sustainability
Identification
Definition
Exe-
cution
Evaluation
Expansion within the university/
region
Spreading to other universities/
regions
Idea
Plan Outline  Draft
Completion
Continuation
Improvement
Development
Implementation

7. 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)

8. 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

9. 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.
March:
Budapest/Hungary
September: Bucharest/Romania
January: Prague/
Czech Republic
May: Tartu/Estonia

10. Conferences and Open-Space-Technology
During these conferences the Open-Space-Technology was used to make sure that
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.

11. 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.

12. 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

13. 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”:

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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.

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