World%20Bank%20infoDev%20program:

1

Incubating innovation. together

• World Bank infoDev program
• Development of Regional Networks and Global
  Working Groups
• An introduction
• Stefan Schandera, infoDev business incubator
  initiative regional facilitator for the Eastern
  European and Central Asian region

2
Regional incubator networks

• ecabit

• MENAinc

• Incubation Asia

• RedLAC

• African Incubators

3
infoDev

• Infodev information for development, started in
  1996
• Incubator initiative started in 2003, supported
  by Japanese government
• Focus on financing and technical assistance of
  business incubators in developing countries
• Growing global network 151 incubators from 72
  countries worldwide (status September 2008)
• Research First ever global assessment of
  incubator impact
• Global working groups Women, Youth, High Growth
• Global Forum as global key event

4
Regional incubator networks

• Regional think tanks and hubs
• Knowledge generation and sharing among
  incubators, policy-makers and other key
  stakeholders
• Events and trainings on regional level
• Exchange and mentoring programs
• Hub function for members to other networks
• Collaborative project, research and fundraising
  activities

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Global working groups

• Building the link between the regions
• Women focused business incubation
• Youth focused business incubation
• High-growth ICT enterprise incubation
• Formed in 2008
• Objectives Creating thematic think tanks,
  initiating projects
• Key activities in stage 1 Setting up working
  groups and infrastructure, assessing situation
  and identifying key activity areas

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iDisc global knowledge portal

• Knowledge generation and exchange
• Good practice (incubators and clients)
• Toolbox
• News and events
• Research and benchmarking
• Directory and contacts
• www.idisc.net
• www.ecabit.org

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What is ecabit

• Eastern European and Central Asian
• Business Incubators and Technology Parks Network
• Founded in May 2005 in Kiev, Ukraine
• Milestones regional workshops in India 2006,
  Ukraine June 2007, Armenia September 2007, next
  in Tambov October 08
• 31 full members and associations from 15
  countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia,
  representing about 180 incubators
• Key strengths Integrated into global network,
  network of practicioneers, hub function

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What is ecabit doing

• Raising awareness on innovation and
  entrepreneurship development among governments,
  universities, SMEs and other key stakeholders
• Strengthening the capabilities of incubator
  managers as well as their clients through focused
  on training and learning, knowledge and
  experience sharing
• Addressing new opportunities the globalization
  provides by initiating collaborative service and
  knowledge creation

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What is ecabit doing (I)

• Raising awareness on innovation and
  entrepreneurship development among governments,
  universities, SMEs and other key stakeholders
• Events Global and regional conferences and
  workshops with participation of policy-makers,
  university representatives, SMEs
• Kharkov 2007 SME Education in Economies in
  Transition
• Yerevan 2007 Incubators and their role in
  Innovation Clusters
• Tambov 2008 The role of business incubators in
  Innovation Development in Small and Medium Sized
  Towns and Rural Areas
• Research and knowledge dissemination
• Central Asian incubators survey and benchmarking
  2007
• SME trainers and consultants survey in 2007
• Innovation cluster survey 2007
• Planned 2008 SME financing and investment

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What is ecabit doing (II)

• Strengthening the capabilities of incubator
  managers as well as their clients through focused
  on training and learning, knowledge and
  experience sharing
• Knowledge and experience sharing
• Newsletter and website news service
• Good practice sharing through iDisc portal
• Global incubator survey (MEIA) of infoDev
• Training and learning
• Training program on EU programs (in Tambov 2008)
• Training program on Local Community Development
  (in Tambov 2008)
• Training program on investment readiness under
  development
• Staff exchange program under development

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What is ecabit doing (III)

• Addressing new opportunities the globalization
  provides by initiating collaborative service and
  knowledge creation
• Myconsultant.ru
• Youth 2 Innovation contest
• Global networking
• Under consideration by members Commercial
  services

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development challenges

• Common interests Large variety of incubator
  types, ranging from full-government funded rural
  incubator to fully private high-tech incubator
  and technology park
• Sustainability 1 Limited government support
• Sustainability 2 Widespread fundraising
  (soft-money) orientation of incubators
• Sustainability 3 Donor programs in the region
  focused on national levels

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development challenges

• Self-sustainability of the network by
• Value added services to members, generating
  readiness to contribute membership fees
• Donor portfolio instead of single donor, also
  addressing the business and finance sector
• Member in-kind contribution (e.g. travel costs,
  contribution to projects)
• Lean management structure (ICT structure, network
  office)
• Example regional workshop Key donor support
  reduced from 90 in 2005 to 40 in 2008

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incubators international activities

• Conducted between July 2007 and April 2008. 14
  responses from incubators from 10 countries
  (response rate of approx. 60)
• All ecabit incubators provide international
  services. Services are mostly on broad level,
  mostly business contacts for clients
• Increasing number of incubators provides
  specialized services in international technology
  transfer (50) and import/export consulting (3
  out of 14)
• Countries, regions with highest relevance for
  clients Russia, Kazakhstan, European Union, USA
  but also multinational companies
• International networking of incubators within
  projects or networks and associations, e.g.
  SPICE, EEN, GDLN
• In most cases, networking is initiated by
  international donors
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Useful links

• Infodev.org
• iDisc.net
• iDisc.net/workgroups
• Ecabit.org
• Contact Stefan Schandera s.schandera_at_schandera.de
  
• Thank you very much for your attention!