News

infoDev partners with Finland and NOKIA in a € 11,9 million program

February 26, 2010. Source: infoDev

Finland, Nokia, and infoDev partner in a €11.9 million pro-gram - Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy. The project is set up to encourage innovation and competitiveness among SMEs in the information and commu-nication technologies and agribusiness sectors in particular. Innovative, technology-driven Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa, Asia, and Europe & Ce... more

NBIA and NASVF sign Memorandum of Understanding

February 26, 2010. Source: David Monkman

In an effort to bring its members more value and information, NBIA has joined forces with the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds (NASVF). The associations have signed a MOU and a created a dual membership to increase communication. NBIA and NASVF hope to create more networking opportunities and make available more resources to encourage dialogue between business owners and funders. �... more

Creating Communities of Innovation in 2010 -- AURP

February 26, 2010. Source: Chelsea Simpson

AURP, the Association of University Research Parks is a pro-fessional association of university related research and science parks. AURP’s mission is to foster innovation, commercialization and economic growth through university, industry and government partnerships. Research parks have garnered national attention in the U.S. this year for their significant impact on the economy, job creation ... more

EU Report on the implementation of the Small Business Act (SBA) for Europe

February 26, 2010. Source:

The report, adopted by the European Commission (December 2009), summarizes the progress achieved during the first full year of implementation of the SBA. The work was focusing mainly on the measures contained in the SBA Action Plan and in the European Recovery Plan. The EC reports good progress in the implementation of the (SBA) in 2009. The SBA is an ambitious package of policies designed to pu... more

Inspire - delivering best practice

February 26, 2010. Source: UKBI

The UK Business Incubation Inspire monitoring, development and accreditation process© is essential for business in-cubation environments. Based on the national Business Incubation Development Framework, it covers ‘physical’ and ‘virtual’ activity that provides specialist and business growth support and development to early stage companies. In addition, Inspire provides quality assessment... more

International Youth Forum in Karelia, Russia in late July 2010

February 26, 2010. Source:

We reported about the great success of the international Youth Forum 2009 “Giperboreya: fight of ideas “ (see Update No 88) held in Karelia, Russia last summer This year July will experience (at least) two of such events. Here we inform about the “International Youth Camp Seliger 2010 2010” that will be organized by the Federal Agency for Youth Policy of the Russian Federation (Rosmolode... more

Germany: TGO Oldenburg expands

February 26, 2010. Source: Jürgen Bath

In January 2010 the TGO Oldenburg celebrated the opening of a significant extension. After 16 months construction time more than 160 invited guests from policy, administration, and business celebrated the opening of the new building together with the Major of the city, Gerd Schwandner, and the managing director of the incubator Jürgen Bath. The State Science Minister of Niedersachsen Lutz Stra... more

ISBA 2010 - Annual Conference

February 26, 2010. Source: Suresh Kumar

The annual conference of Indian STEPs and Business Incubators Association (ISBA) in February 2010 was attended by Incubation and Management “Gurus”, venture capitalists, national and international technology providers with the tech baskets, policy makers etc. Like in earlier years the conference offered opportunities for meeting entrepreneurial innovators as well as their supporters from all ... more

Capacity Buidling for Buinsess Incubator Managers

February 26, 2010. Source: Suresh Kumar

The second Capacity Building Program for business incubation managers of Asia Pacific Incubation Network (APIN) was organized by PSG-Science & Technology Entrepreneurial Park (PSG-STEP) – the APIN Secretariat ¬– in December 2009 at Ooty, India. The program was attended by 35 participants from nine countries, 10 speakers including incubation practitioners, entrepreneurs and policymakers from... more

The Finish Experience in Innovation Policies

February 25, 2010. Source:

Finland has internationally an excellent reputation regarding innovation and entrepreneurship policies. On this background and “orientation training” will be offered to representatives of ministries and development organizations responsible for the innovation policy and innovation strategy. Also regional and city authorities, regional development and foreign direct in-vestment agencies as well... more

Client Firm of Technology Center Dortmund wins Award to fight Parkinson Disease

February 25, 2010. Source: Guido Baranowski

InterMed Discovery (IMD), founded 2006, and a world class natural product lead-discovery company, and client firm of the Technology Center Dortmund, received an award from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research for its program to develop IMD-026259 as a pharmaceutical treatment to challenge neuro-degeneration in Parkinson’s dis-ease (PD). PD is a disease of progressive neuro-d... more

Germany: Technology Center Dortmund will celebrate 25th Anniversary

February 21, 2010. Source: Guido Baranowski

Started 1985 with a “simple” business incubator the Technology Center Dortmund has developed towards a technology and business cluster with more than regional impact. As TCD this year will celebrate its 25th Anniversary (also with the annual conference of ADT, the German Business Incubation Association) we are presenting a few spotlights on the development of this initiative. One part of Te... more

Germany: Women Entrepreneurship Support Initiatives with Good Results

February 20, 2010. Source: Andrea Schirmacher

Women Business Incubators in Germany became important parts of local and regional development strategies. During the last two decades different approaches, business and financing models have be chosen for such centers and generated a diversified spectrum of instruments for supporting women entrepreneurship. The history of WBI’s in Germany began end of the 1980ies when conditions and frameworks... more

Business and Innovation Centers in Poland: Seventh Report published

February 18, 2010. Source: Krzysztof Matusiak

The seventh edition of the Report on Business Innovation Centres in Poland prepared by the Polish Business and Innovation Centres Association (PBICA) in cooperation with the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. The current Report maintains the form of previous editions. PBICA sought to reach over 740 institutions and initiatives operating in Poland. Identified entities received questionnair... more

The Future of Business Incubation Industry

February 13, 2010. Source: NBIA Memberablia

Unseasonably chilly, wet weather didn't dampen the spirits of the several dozen NBIA members who attended the Fourth Summit for Advanced Incubation Professionals end of January 2010 in Savannah, Ga, USA. The top thought leaders in incubation engaged in lively discussions of trends in entrepreneurial support and innovations in programming and services. Perhaps the highlight of the event, though, wa... more