Entrepreneurship Support Networks at the University of Twente

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Entrepreneurship Support Networks at the
University of Twente
Dr. Aard J. Groenassociate professor
Entrepreneurship,Scientific director NIKOS,
lector knowledge intensive entrepreneurship
Saxion professional university
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Research

• Research
• The role of entrepreneurial networking
• University-Industry Interaction (ECIU)
• E-commerce in SMEs
• Global start ups
• Database of knowledge intensive firms
• Marie Curie Training site
• High Tech Small firm Conference

• Business Development
• TOP
• Netlab
• KEB
• St-Petersburg/Mephi
• Global starts

Teaching
Business Development Support
Entrepreneurship in networks
Training and Consultancy

• Teaching
• Minor Entrepreneurship
• High tech marketing
• Business development
• Commercialisation of science

• Training consultancy
• Market orientation HTSF
• KVGO/VNO-NCW
• Rabo
• International consultancy

Activitities in NIKOS
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Stimulating Entrepreneurship

• Entrepreneurship is an engine of the economy
• New companies often have to be built on relative
  new and probably small networks and little other
  resources
• Entrepreneurial networking becomes an issue
• How to set up support networks to enhance
  existing and new entrepreneurial activity? More
  specifically what is the role of an incubator?

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How to stimulate entrepreneurship in a region?

• Laissez faire, the invisible hand of the market
  will do its work
• Governmental intervention, The visible hand
  steers the region e.g.transfer state service
  organisations to the region or start an
  university
• Co-ordinate many visible hands by building
  entrepreneurial networks on micro level

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What are the needs of an entrepreneur?
Scope from idea to Strategy

• Ideas
• Assessing the opportunity
• Strategic processes
• Business plan

• Facilities
• Personel
• Arrangements Systems
• Knowledge

Scale Economy Financial means
Skills Patterns of Organisation
Entrepreneur and Enterprise
Social Network-Contacts

• Contacts with - clients - suppliers -
  experts - colleagues - support agents

• Own capital
• bridging development period
• Financing investments - Venture Capital -
  Loans

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Support instruments
Scope from idea to Strategy

• Ideas
• Assessing the opportunity
• Strategic processes
• Business plan

Strategic Coach

• Facilities
• Personel
• Arrangements Systems
• Knowledge

Knowledge Space Organisational support
Scale Economy Financial means
Skills Patterns of Organisation
Entrepreneur and Enterprise
Coaching, training Courses
Social Network-Contacts

• Own capital
• bridging development period
• Financing investments - Venture Capital -
  Loans

• Contacts with - clients - suppliers -
  experts - colleagues - support agents

Soft loans participation
Contacts Brokerage
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Support throughout enterprise genesis process
Organisation development Venture capital
financingInnofonds Housing/facilities
(USE) organisational support (CI) Mesa, BMTI,
CTIT, ...
Concept development TOP-arrangement
Idea generation Regional entrepreneurship networ
k TKT,
Net lab
Coaching training, courses,
networks
Train the trainer
Monitoring entrepreneurship development
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Results

• TOP arrangement 15 years- Scientific and
  business coaching- Workspace at department of
  interest or BTC incubator building- interest
  free loan 13.000 euro- networking possibilities
• Results- 400 companies- 300 survived- 3000 fte
  mainly in Twente

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Results

• TKT Technology Circle Twente120 technology
  driven firmscooperation orientednetworking for
  better visbility in a.o. netlab
• Netlab is under construction as a promotion tool
  for the possibilities of RD by joined efforts of
  UT-institutes on nano-, process, laser, biomed.
  Technologies
• BTC-incubator first in Nl. 21 years old 400 firms
  stayed there 3,5 years (mean)
• Innofonds venture capital for high tech start ups

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Current developments

• Enhancing incubation with HBO-industry-province-re
  gional development
• Starting up acceleration network solving problem
  of too little growth of incubated firms in
  heterogeneous network of business development at
  large firms, sme, institutes etc.

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Questions and remarks?