EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Smart & Interactive Networks forSmart & Innovative Entrepreneurs

Philippe VANRIE, EBNUniversity Industry Interaction Conference 2013

UIINAMSTERDAM, 28TH May 2013

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

• The European Network of BICs (Business & Innovation

Centres), Innovation-based incubators, innovation centre, entrepreneurship & start-up Centres

• An organized Network of 200+ Business & Innovation Support Centres covering most regions of EU 27 + neighbouring as well as partnering countries

• An initiative taken 30 years ago by the EC, public authorities, industry leaders, and Universities, a pioneer in PPP, a connector between knowledge and business

• A dynamic cluster of clusters with 25.000+ entrepreneurs within the active portfolio

• A community of qualified & committed intermediaries inside !

1. The EBN Networka community sharing values, goals & brands

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

2. Networking, a serious game

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

o

Networking, a core-competence!

• A key-skill for innovators and knowledge-based entrepreneurs, and for entrepreneurial universities

• A pre-requisite for anything smart !

• A true new profession to be inserted in academic (pragmatic) education, a community with its own language and C (C for Community) RM software !

• A strange business object developing a series of functions

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

o A network, a platform for services & progress!

• collective reputation builder • a frame for roadmapping • individual services provider• internal quality insurance & external branding• total benchmarking & resources centre• capacity building & ad-hoc training• intra-community thematic networking• idea-lab and a collaborative projects factory• hub & spoke connecting platform• bizdev & opportunity spotting• a precursor of scaling-up new schemes• an international partnerships facilitator

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Networking! a major collaboration behaviour

Équipe

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

3. Why Networking,Clustering

• Learning • Finding Models• Being inspired • Being proud • Sharing efforts• Help taking decisions• Sharing values: ethics, integrity, reputation• BV social-club: trust, affectivity, emotion, • Exploring the world• For opportunity spotting• Teaming-up talents• Making business & money: of course !• Cluster or not cluster ?

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

networking/clustering Not like this !

1. Not for creating ghettos2. Not for enhancing sectorial corporatism3. Not for research players only4. Not for big brothers only5. Not for strategic studies only6. Not by « ministerial top-down decision » only7. Not to create centralized « big fat platform »8. Not to isolate the cluster management from the

other actors

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

networking/clusteringYes!

• Yes for a focus on downstream applications• Yes for entrepreneurial clusters• Yes for « small business/SMEs friendly »

clusters/networks• Yes for networked clusters/ clustered networks• Yes for « open innovation » communities• Yes for clusters who delivers value services!• Yes for clusters who road-maps the ecosystem• Yes for a professionnal « business object »

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

4. innovation

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Let’s talk about innovation, a pillar of entrepreneurship

• Connect & develop• Sense & simplicity• Ecomagination• Think different• Invent• Think• Connecting people• Sponsors of tomorrow• Research in motion

• Efficient dynamics• Shift the way you move• Motion & emotion• Find more• Collaborate.Create.Succeed• A passion for progress• Materials for a better life• Sense & power

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EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Innovation is about connecting ideas, markets & people

Market & customers

• Develop I Succeed• Move I Motion I Dynamics• Simplicity• Sense• Tomorrow• Progress I Power• …• People ! Entrepreneurs!

Ideas & networking

• Thinking• Inventing• Connecting• Collaborating• Imagination• Passion• …• People ! Intrapreneurs!

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

What is innovation ?An ocean of both technology & entrepreneurial vocabulary

• Upstream R&D, yes of course (new IP above all) • Technology & Engineering (a passion for optimizing processes)• Blue ocean (inventing new market, ex: i-pad)• Red ocean (intensifying frontal competition)• Radical (Re-inventing your company!, ex: Keytrade bank)• Disruptive (« innovation perturbatrice », ex: RyanAir)• Incremental (Optimizing the processes)• Micro-innovations (constituents of a corp. system for innovation)• Quality management & continuous improvement • Strategic innovation (ex: Dacia)• Unintentionnal innovation • Survival innovation (La Redoute « on-line » shop)• Downstream applications (end users-oriented)

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EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

How does innovation works ?It’s about modern management !

• First of all, integrate innovation at the core of the strategy, as a pivotal & visible corporate value

• Moving from/balancing optimizing business to/and creating business• Develop innovation teams (with R&D of course but not only)• Stimulate participative management, a high degree of delegation &

responsibility, collaborative & team works, and employee engagement (an innovative HRM style)

• It’s an « inside-out » open process interacting with customers, prospects, suppliers, partners, competitors, staff

• Balance supply-pushed (new technologies) with demand-led (based on market requirements)

• Design systems for ideas assesment and prioritization of detected/selected opportunities

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Invest in interactionconnect yourself with your environment

• Stimulate creativity at the periphery (on emerging or niches aspects of the business) of the core business units

• Take an active part in your ecosystem’s life (ex: poles of competitiveness, clusters, corporate incubators, corporate venturing fund, technoparks, FP7 joint research projects,...)

• Develop an acute sense of advanced services amongst your innovation team (Oracle selling associated services & consultancy)

• Capture capabilities held by small firms (M&A or others), such as in Biotech (GSK ‘s Centres for excellence in drug discovery)

• Open your non core-business IP, and deploy a licensing + a spin-off strategy (ex: Technicolor)

• Let others develop your non strategic initiatives (Lucent, H-P)• Sponsor communities of young talents (engineering schools, business

schools) and of application developers (Ex: Intel, Oracle)

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Innovation= an apps cultureThe proximity with the end-users

an acute understanding of the usages

The Changing Technology landscape is not only affected bydisruption, but more by the rise of downstream applications (for

usable products & services)

@ be hungry for applications,@ look at the emergence of niches,

@ surf through the extreme diversity in applications, @ be serial “opportunity spotter”,

fast movers and integrators of market intelligence,@ be inspired by customer-lead innovation routes,

@ deploy pervasive solutions approaches

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Innovation behaviors & skills

• Creative intelligence,not only cognitive skills

• Courage to take + ability to manage risks

• Courage to start + stop• Emotion + realism• Collective leadership• Customer intelligence• Opportunity spotting• KM/EI integrators

• Associating skills(connecting disciplines)

• Questionning skills(why, why not, what if,…)

• Observing skills(observing others, being anthropologist/sociologist)

• Experimenting skills(prototyping + overseas exp.)

• Networking skills(going out, ideas festivals,…)

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EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

3. The world is now smart !

1. The world was flat

2. The world has been spiky

…… smart growth, smart specialization, smart cities, smart hubs, smart networks, smart policies, smart entrepreneurs, smart specialization strategy……

5. Innovation Policies !

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

l'avantage comparatifc’est quand même effrayant

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

la masse critiquela critique de la masse

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

prioritization

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

une diversité mieux focalisée

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

differentiation

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Invest in evidence-based policies

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Unepour la « gazellisation » de l’économie

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Never forget the priorities for an entrepreneur ?

• Stabilizing and increasing business (sales, income, P&L)• Projecting these trends in the mid-term (3-5 years)• Securing its USP, and differenciation• Scaling-up cash-cows + diversifying the range of

products/services• Complying with professional standards and regulatory

constraints• Strengthening core-competence(s), and paying attention

to HRM and skills development• Improving its financial robustness (equities,

cash-flow/working capital, capacity to invest and to borrow)

• Optimizing margins and staying competitive

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

SME priorities, what next ?

• Watching competitors, assessing new market trends, identifying new technologies, …

• Creating & maintaining reputation with clients & partners• Aquiring new customers and exploring int’l markets• Modernizing the factory, purchasing cleverly, controlling• Inventing new sales channels• Keeping the social peace• Protecting IP• Managing (limiting) risks of all types• Moving to advanced services• Moving to licensing, trying acquisitions, daring networking

and collaborative projects …

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

5. Incubation & Acceleration: a serious mission

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Invest in the ecosystem !clear focus & easy access !

• Efficient territorial innovation ecosystems require a well-characterized road-map of support services providers

• Vital for individual performances and for enabling cooperation between players

• Simply vital for the emergence of competences, efficency of support, and open innovation

• Plug your BIC, your STP, your TTO adequately into the ecosystem and collaborate openly around your core knowledge/competence

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Challenges and solutions

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Invest in territories !the place-based theory, the proximity factor

• Serious Gaming at Coventry (entrepreneurial) University• Birmingham (real SMEs) Photonics Clusters• KIS Biotherapies clustering in Nantes• Knowledge Dock regeneration in the Docklands• Creative computer graphics in Darmstadt• Cleantech platform in Lahti• Software development centre for start-ups in Cork• SatNav Galilleo applications incubated in Liège • An IT community of 100+ start ups in Barcelona• An integrated TT-Incubation-VC-cluster ecosystem on micro/nano-

electronics in Leuven• Creativity and design crash courses in Sunderland• Mechatronics in Haute-Savoie, Photovoltaics in Savoie, • Software apps in Coimbra• And so many other smart regions: Eindhoven, Oulu, Kazan, Lund/Mamoe,

Grenoble, Emilia-Romagna, Basque Country, Brno, ...

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Invest in Quality(compliance & benchmarking)

1. Characterize yourself and define your specific metrics2. Elaborate information agregates and performances

indicators3. Collect data (quali- & quanti-) & accumulate data4. Invent a serious community-based process (auto-

evaluation) and accessible auditing system5. Create your professional standards6. Accredit the community members, without conflict of

interest7. Report on performances, individually and collectively8. Beside compliance, create a benchmarking culture9. Activate thematic benchmarking and peer reviews10.Use quality systems as a permanent improvement tool

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

• incubator of new business ideas/models• creator of new innovative start-ups• generator of spin-offs• developer of innovative SME projects • accelerator of growth• animator of clusters• proximity connector local/global• multiplier of public policy• networking hub to experts, agents, players, investors…• Opportunity spotter, « hands-on » business developper• Coach & mentor, strategic advisor

Invest in core competences a standards for Innovation-based Incubators

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

• stimulate• detect• assess• select• Plan /Modelize• Pre-Incubate• Seed finance• Incubate• Mentor• Cluster• Accelerate/Post-incubate• Internationalize

Think « supply chain »and where you are in the chain !

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

150.000 Existing SMEs supported

180.000 Business Plans developed

75.000 Start-up companies created

330.000 Jobs created

Invest in Quantity !Measure (seriously) & promote the impact

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

In search of IMPACT !

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Thank you very much for your attention

European BICs Network (EBN)Philippe VANRIE

Chief Executive Officer

Avenue de Tervuren, 168, B-1150 BrusselsTel. +32 (0)2 772 89 00Fax +32 (0)2 772 95 74

pva@ebn.eu www.ebn.eu

EBN – European BIC Network Avenue de Tervuren, 168. B – 1150 Bruxelles Phone: + 32 2 772 89 00 - Fax: +32 2 772 95 74 E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu – Internet : www.ebn.eu

Challenges and solutions