1. ALPINE SCALEUP NETWORK
Mojca Cvirn, Peter Medica, Technology Park Ljubljana
Scale(up)Alps is co-financed by the European Regional and Development Fund via Interreg Alpine Space

2. What is Alpine Scaleup Network?
Network of Scale(up)Alps project partners and other partners active in the development and/or provision of support services aimed to increase the capacity of Alpine scaleups, specifically in the fields of access to innovation funding, technology transfer, shared knowledge, acceleration services, and transnational collaborations targeting scaling companies.
Based on the activities under the project Scale(up)Alps: Accelerate and promote the Alpine start-up ecosystem, financed by the Interreg Alpine Space programme, partners from Alpine regions and countries are establishing the Alpine Scaleup Network.

3. ASN Vision
Addressing the key issues affecting business scaling up in the Alpine Space:
Restrictions regarding HR management, finance and access to market
Fair access to public services
Exchange of information and knowledge infrastructure
Access to funding for scaleups
Connection to initiatives, networks, and movements

4. ASN Cooperation Fields
Community building
Situation monitoring
Transregional support
Influencing policymaking
Upgrading support schemes
Connecting members within the Alpine Space ecosystem policymakers and communities
Monitoring the expansion and the quality of Alpine Space serial entrepreneurs and fast-growing scalable ventures
Accessing Alpine Space regional markets, mobilizing capital, activating talent, boosting innovation, and impacting education programmes to improve transregional environment conditions
Designing high-level policy recommendations on scaling ecosystem growth, reducing fragmentation, increasing collaboration across multiple fields of commerce and among stakeholders
Upgrading innovative public-private support schemes
Monitoring and evaluating the network’s outcomes to address arising challenges and recommending changes in policy

5. ASN Cooperation Levels
Strategic level
Policy recommendations and other strategic documents developed in the Scale(up)Alps project
Operational level
Collaboration between partners to establish and to maximize support activities
Impact level
Monitoring of support activities
Strategic level
Strategic documents developed within the Scale(up) Alps define a system of support for innovation-driven scaleups. Based on these strategic documents as well as new trends, the ASN members are willing to adjust their activities to meet the ever-evolving needs of SMEs. This level of cooperation will help to create new policy recommendations beyond the project closure.
Operational level
ASN partners are willing to work collaboratively to establish and to maximize support activities to intermediaries, financial institutions, and networks. Promising scaleups would have the option to join transregional acceleration or growth hacking programmes. Moreover, these scaleups could be connected with financing institutions thereby eliminating one of the biggest barriers to scaling up: access to financing.
Impact level
ASN is aiming to monitor the support – advisory – activities of its members. Impact indicators will provide information about the positive effects of the network activities and services on businesses in terms of results (new products, new services, market shares, etc.), efficiency (cost reduction), employment (job creation and preservation), quality improvement (goods or services, client satisfaction, etc.), and innovation.

6. Trustworthy filtering Benchmarking of services and procedures
ASN Operational Level
Building up of transregional cooperation through:
Trustworthy filtering
Benchmarking of services and procedures
Enlarging of services portfolio
Promoting and attracting
Multiplying effect
ASN’s actions shall be oriented towards the building up of transregional cooperation through the following activities, wherever possible:
- Trustworthy filtering: Interested scaleups shall be able to receive information on available and high-quality scaleup support schemes previously assessed by ASN members.
- Benchmarking of services and procedures: Partners will be able to compare and to stay updated on trends and services offered in different Alpine Space territories.
- Enlarging of services portfolio: Partners shall be able to provide their entrepreneurs with support services abroad through the network members.
- Promoting and attracting: Partners will provide access to a dynamic platform and a repository of information on initiatives and schemes that could assist scaling companies during their growth
- Multiplying effect: This cooperation shall foster and promote communication among ASN members, thus developing enhanced cooperation and increasing peer to peer assistance.

7. Access to AS scaleup ambassadors
Benefits for scaleups
Save time and costs
Access to markets
Mobilize capital
Skills empowerment
Talent activation
Access to AS scaleup ambassadors
Scaleups in the Alpine Space shall gain the following benefits:
Save time and costs: Scaleups could get direct access to contacts, information, and services for business landing in each Alpine Space territory;
Access to market: Scaleups would receive relevant information regarding tax incentives for growth, consumer information, available infrastructure, and upcoming matchmaking events on a regional level;
Mobilize capital: Scaleups would get the relevant information and contacts on available funding opportunities including BA, VC, and crowdfunding.
Skills empowerment: Scaleups would get information on available hands-on acceleration and growth-hacking programmes, including corporate and peer-to-peer scheme programmes.
Talent activation: Scaleups would get information on relevant incentives to employ regional talents.
Access to a network of Alpine Space scaleup ambassadors: ASN partners shall identify successful startups and promote them to key ambassadors of best practices within Alpine Space.

8. Memorandum of Understanding
Intended to establish long-term cooperation
A statement of intent, binding in honour
Partners commit to core values of cooperation, accountability, partnership and openness
Open to new partners
As of today, 11 Scale(up)Alps partners + 3 new partners
Memorandum of Understanding is intended to establish long-term cooperation among the Scale(up)Alps project partners and other parties that accede to this Memorandum and describes how the partners plan to cooperate within the Alpine Scaleup Network.
The Alpine Scaleup Network (ASN) is committed to excellence. Consequently, all partners are expected to perform to the highest quality standards, both in terms of their delivery of services to innovative SMEs and scaleups and in terms of their compliance with internal procedures and workflows of the ASN. The partners are committed to operating with the core values of cooperation, accountability, partnership and openness, and to abiding by the quality principles with regard to relationships within the ASN and with scaleups.
This memorandum is a statement of intent, and should not be interpreted as a binding agreement. It does not create legal obligations between the parties. It is intended to be binding in honour only. It is established for the mutual benefit of the co-operation between the parties. 
This Memorandum of Understanding is open to all other parties active in the development and/or provision of support services aimed to increase the capacity of Alpine scaleups. Other organisations become parties of the Alpine Scaleup Network by acceding to and signing this Memorandum of Understanding under the same rights and obligations as the founding partners.

9. Send an email to scalealps@to.camcom.it
Interested in signing?
Let‘s get in touch:
Contact your nearest Scale(up)Alps project partner (AT, CH, DE, FR, IT, SI)
Send an to

10. THANK YOU!