The Case Study of: Silesia, Poland

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The Case Study ofSilesia, Poland
www.smeactor.eu

• dr Artur Ochojski,
• Akademia Ekonomiczna w Katowicach, 24 October
  2008, Bucharest
• SME ACTor team in Silesia Marcin Baron, Michal
  Chojkowski, Artur Ochojski

University of Economics in Katowice
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1. Silesia, Poland

• A glance over Upper-Silesia shows that it is a
  region of
• well-educated young people shifting their
  economic potential to the Western countries,
• short-term attitude to activities in business
  world,
• domination of services in the industrial
  structure
• high diversification of business with some key
  sectors
• growing local milieu and its business support
  institutions
• heavy restructuring processes and substantial
  investment potential
• diversified and highly urbanized territory
• growing research and development structure

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2. The target sector

• Mainly linked to IT-based SMEs and start-ups of
  firms originating from various academic
  initiatives.
• Selection made according to
• natural link to 2nd tier facilitators already
  established with companies,
• linkage to the activities of University of
  Economics,
• relevance of the targeted sector the
  quantitative relevance (GDP, employment, n. of
  companies, trends, etc) AND the qualitative
  relevance (e.g. degree of strategic correlation
  towards local development, integration with other
  key-sectors, etc)
• Comprises of an ideal opportunity for SMEs
  networking as they are mainly in a pre-mature
  phase of growth.

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3. The target groups
A number of people linked to academic
organisations in Silesia representing career
advisors, promoters of students activities,
project managers, academic entrepreneurship
incubators etc. Firms growing with the support
of academic entrepreneurship incubators and
academic advisors. The selection preceded by a
context analysis. A series of meetings
performed to allow better needs recognition.
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4. LABs for second tier facilitators animating
of activities in universities and the region (1)
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29 Jan 2008
START
9 Jan 2008
we learn how to make decisions we learn how to
find causes of problems
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we inspire people and take the best of ideas we
define challenges instead of looking at problems
we learn to regularly analyze and draw conclusions
18 Dec2007
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12 Dec2007
improving skills of how to plan activities
planning a students individual development path
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promoting and building an image of the START
programme, START.net and PK START improving the
skills of holding conversations and negotiations
21 Oct 2007
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14 Oct 2007
identifying a role of the PK START in the
environment identifying actors in the PK START
environment
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Sept 2007

• outlining animation areas

Jun-Aug 2007
recognising expectations
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4. LABs for second tier facilitators animating
of activities in universities and the region (2)
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Various professionals from 6 academic
organisations in Silesia representing career
advisors, promoters of students activities,
project managers, academic entrepreneurship
incubators etc. The selection preceded by a
comprehensive context analysis and several
meetings to allow better needs
recognition. Success? The fundamentals of
networking and improvement in understanding of
what facilitation is about action learning
works
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5. LABs for SMEs working with the business (1)
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a long way ahead
Nov 2008
towards business networking 20 firms from
Poland/Czech
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several activities performed in the region in
front of SMEs and the milieu
Jun-Nov 2008
13 May2008
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how to find and gain clients 5 firms
13 May 2008
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towards business networking 3 firms
29 March 2008
professional development and business needs
recognition 3 start-ups
3
March2008

• organising the meetings

Feb-March 2008
recognising expectations
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5. LABs for SMEs working with the business (2)

• The targeted group
• firms growing with support of academic
  entrepreneurship incubators and academic
  advisors,
• firms ready to meet facilitators and use the time
  for business improvement.
• The selection based on the free choice of
  start-ups.
• The engagement of managers from academic
  entrepreneurship incubators proved successful for
  the promotion and networking boost.
• Success?
• It is a long way to convince start-ups that
  facilitation neither equals rapid profits based
  on direct contacts nor it is meant as hints on
  request. New and promising ideas observed.

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6. Overall evaluation and lessons learnt

• The facilitators work is
• the skill of intriguing, encouraging to actively
  participate, and attracting young people,
  business champions, scientists and all those
  whose actions may be profitable for each
  university and the region
• being where something interesting is going on
  because the key to success is information
  provided and used or contact in the area of
  transforming ideas into real (implementable)
  projects, for a student
• constant improvement of skills and creating
  opportunities to make use of resourcefulness in
  activities being undertaken.

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After SME ACTor
One can say there is no after once you
really get involved in action learning in your
environment, you start using the methods and
tools on an everyday basis
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