1. The Conversion of Knowledge into new Businesses.
The European Days of the Entrepreneur
Sofia
4-5 November 2004

2. Boosting ERA………………..
Barcelona: EU Members to increase R&D investments up to 3% of the GDP
Lisbon: make the European economy the most competitive knowledge based economy in the world.

3. National Governments & the exploitation of knowledge…….
Horizontal & Vertical ERA NETs : VALOR
EUREKA: Clusters & Knowledge based sme’s in the European Business Area.
Correlation

4. SMEs in Europe ………………………..SMEs in the US
sme’s 65 % contribution to GDP
Large firms: 20% comes from sme’s/80% from mergers
US:
Sme’s 45% contribution to GDP
Large firms 75% come from young fast growing sme’s

5. Two of the Key Issues in ERA………………..
Getting more & sustainable knowledge based SME’s
Provide them with the market and the means to make them really grow.

6. Emphasis in Dutch Innovation Policy………………
The Conversion of Knowledge via the generation of New Technology Based Firms should be improved
International technological Collaboration to be reinforced in Cluster Projects, in SME driven projects.

7. Knowledge conversion…………… ………………………….some Dutch data
45000 start up’s per annum;
3%/1200 technology oriented
25%/300 get into the market place
50%/150 are sustainable and survive the “three year threshold”.

8. NTBF’s …………..where do they come from?
Bigger Companies
Universities, Knowledge Institutes
R&D Programs

9. Dreamstart A Public Private Foundation for 4 Years
10 mln Dutch Guilders
Aimed at Knowledge Conversion
Soft Assistance
Financial Support to start Up’s.
Paving the Way for a Dutch Start up Program

10. Valorisation Identification Breeding Growing up Company
Business plan
First growth
(fast) growth
Tracking&tracing
Screening
Assesing the concept
Proof of concept
IPR
Development & marketing of new products
Project/ product
Proof of principle
Development & marketing
Proof of product
Cash flow
Pre-seed
Seed
Bank
finances
Universities
Business Angel VC
Universities, Companies Research inst. Inventors
Incubator
Accelerator
Company building
Instruments
Science&Technology
Development
Product/market

13. EUREKA Key Characteristics……………
International High Tech/Medium Tech Project Collaboration
Initiated by Companies in a Bottom Up Way
Close to the Market
Umbrellas, Individual Projects, Clusters.
Project Value: 22 Bn Euro’s
33 Members plus the European Commission

14. EUREKA ……………………Funding a Key Issue
National Project Funding decreasing, no earmarked Budgets anymore
National Mechanisms high tech oriented, not fit for medium tech close to the marketplace
Heavy Competition with National Projects
Funding Volume is not the Problem, the targeting is.

15. The present Dutch Chair in EUREKA…………………………..
Restoring the national funding Basis for EUREKA Projects to again make it a building Stone for ERA.
Re-establish a sound Collaboration with the Commission in:
Umbrellas/Clusters/ETP’s
Umbrellas and ERA NETs

16. The present Dutch Chair in EUREKA………………………….
To create Incentives for Industry to start new ambitious Initiatives on Themes like Health, Food & Nutrition
Boosting SME Participation and Cluster Projects
To make technology flow into new Products, Processes and services
Thus converting Technology into Business
Contributing to Barcelona in a borderless Approach via EUREKA.

17. SME participation in E! projects

18. EUREKA Perfectly fit to better support sme’s in Europe
Perfect Match to European ERA Initiatives like VALOR.