SPINqbator ZDolnego Śląska - Supranational cooperation

Lower Silesian Regional Development Agency and the Birmingham City Council established a partnership in order to jointly draw up an application for the Human Capital Operational Programme (funded from the European Social Fund). Subsequently, two other entities joined the partnership: The International University of Logistics and Transport in Wrocław and DOZAMEL Sp. z o.o. (a company managing Wrocław Industrial Park). The partnership drew up an application under the sub-measure: “Facilitating the contact between scientific environment and enterprises”. A project entitled SPINqbator ZDolnego Śląska was positively evaluated and recommended for the implementation by the Marshal Office of the Lower Silesia Region. The project was launched on 01/10/2012 with its completion scheduled for 30/06/2015 and a project budget of PLN 1,642,613.89.

It is a national project with a supranational component. This type of projects envisages an objective execution model consisting in:
- Sharing information/experience;
- Transferring good practices into national/regional realities.

The project is implemented within several dimensions:
- Promotion of academic entrepreneurship;
- Organisation of training, workshops, innovation camps dedicated to such topics as capital investment, knowledge transfer etc.;
- Preparation of business idea originators (students, PhD students, graduates, academic researchers) for cooperation with capital investors (Venture Capital, Private Equity, Business Angels etc.);
- Supranational cooperation.

The “Supranational cooperation” component of the project involved a study visit to the West Midlands Region (UK) to share information/experiences related to: academic entrepreneurship, cooperation between technology parks and capital investors (Venture Capital, Private Equity, Business Angels, etc.) and incubation of small enterprises (spin-off / spin-out). The study visit was organised jointly by the Lower Silesian Regional Development Agency and Birmingham City Council and was held on 19-23 November 2012. Participants of the study visit included representatives of: the Lower Silesian Regional Development Agency and DOZAMEL Sp. Z o.o. (a company managing the Wrocław Industrial Park). Participants of the study visit had an opportunity to learn experiences of the following institutions:
•Aston University;
•Aston Business School;
•Coventry University - Institute of Applied Entrepreneurship;
•Serious Games International Limited, Coventry University Technology Park;
•Warwick University, CONNECT Venture Enterprises Ltd.;
•Birmingham City Council;
•Birmingham Science Park Aston.
 

The project also involves the use of the knowledge gained during the study visit to the West Midlands Region in the implementation of the following objectives: organisation of capital market training sessions for students, PhD students, graduates and university researchers), open events promoting academic entrepreneurship ideas (Young Enterprise Day) and the use of IT tools to connect technology/science and technology parks / business incubators, including their residents, and private investors.