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THE INFODEV GLOBAL NETWORK OF BUSINESS INCUBATORS

The Information for Development Program (infoDev) is a partnership of public bilateral and multilateraldevelopment agencies, working in close cooperation with partners from civil society and the private sector,and assisted by an expert secretariat housed at the World Bank. Its mission is to help developing countriesand their international partners use information and communication technologies (ICTs) broadly andeffectively as tools of poverty reduction, sustainable economic growth, and empowerment of individualsand communities. Its work is rooted in the conviction that information and communication are indispen-sable elements of effective and responsive institutions (including governments), markets and societies.

With generous support from the Government of Japan, infoDev has created an Incubator Initiativedesigned to support ICT-enabled innovation and business creation in developing countries, both topromote broad-based economic growth in those countries and to foster the development of ICT-related orICT-enabled products and services for the poor. The goal of this Initiative, as described herein, is not onlyto support a group of individual incubators in developing countries, but through this support to promotethe growth of a vibrant global network of incubators and innovators who can learn from each other, supporteach other, and work together in creative ways to harness the power of ICTs as tools of poverty reduction,growth, and economic and social opportunity for all.

ii . Contents

CONTENTSABOUT infoDev 1

THE INFODEV INCUMBATOR INITIATIVE 2

GRANT PORTFOLIO 3

REGIONAL AND GLOBAL WORKSHOPS 4

Description of Projects and Institutions by Region 9

Africa 10

Asia 31

Eastern Europe and Central Asia 63

Latin America and the Caribbean 86

Middle East and North Africa 113

Contact Details of infoDev Incubator Grantee Institutions 129

ABOUT INFODEV . 1

ABOUT INFODEV

infoDev’s approach to ICT in development isshaped by several distinct elements:� A strong emphasis on rigorous, field-tested knowl-

edge of “what works” when using ICTs to expandeconomic opportunity and reduce poverty.

� An ongoing commitment to knowledge sharing.� An emphasis on “thinking outside the box” and

serving as a test-bed for new ideas andapproaches of infoDev consortium members.

� A determination to make infoDev activitiesdirectly relevant to the core development workof international donor agencies.

The challenge facing developing countries and theinternational donor community is to understandand implement the specific sectoral applications ofICTs that have been shown to have positive effectson core development goals. At the same time, theyare working to create an environment for the spreadof ICT infrastructure and services across societiesand economies, to create information-rich societies.

Three Interdependent Themes:In order to address these challenges, infoDev’s workprogram is guided by three closely related themes,representing key challenges that face developingcountries as they seek to harness ICTs as tools ofopportunity for all.

Mainstreaming ICTs as Tools ofDevelopment and Poverty ReductionDeveloping countries and their donor partners facestrategy and resource choices on how to deployICTs to serve development goals (including theMillennium Development Goals). To make effectivedecisions on ICTs, however, they need more rigorousdata and best practices regarding the intelligent, cost-effective use of ICTs to achieve measurable results.The need for reliable data is particularly important,given that poorly designed ICT interventions canwaste scarce resources and, in some cases, exacerbateexisting inequalities. Through a rigorous program offield-based experimentation, research and analysis,infoDev is developing tools to assist developingcountries and international donors to make smartchoices about when and how to deploy ICTs.

Enabling Access for AllIf ICTs are to be harnessed as tools of opportunityand poverty reduction, access to information infra-structure, applications and services must be sustain-able and affordable. Enabling ICT access for allrequires governments to intelligently allocate publicresources where necessary, while encouraging privateinvestment wherever feasible. infoDev is helping todevelop effective partnerships for these purposesthrough a variety of mechanisms, including toolkitsfor regulators and policymakers; research on newmodels of public-private partnership to finance ICTinfrastructure; and research, experimentation and analy-sis of technological innovations that can expand ICTnetworks, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Innovation and EntrepreneurshipPrivate-sector investment and innovation will playa critical role in extending the opportunities pro-vided by ICTs to all segments of society. infoDevassists developing countries and the internationaldonor community in maximizing the contributionand impact of the private sector through direct sup-port for ICT-enabled innovation (the infoDevIncubator Initiative). It also supports this goalthrough research, policy toolkits, new partnershipmodels, and networking among developing-countryentrepreneurs, private-sector investors and theinternational donor community.

An Integrated Set of KnowledgeResourcesinfoDev’s key strategic priority is to support thegrowth of an integrated set of knowledge resourcesdirectly relevant to the needs of its donors and theirinterlocutors in developing countries. Theseknowledge resources translate general global knowl-edge into actionable knowledge directly relevant todonors and policy-makers in developing countries.

infoDev supports a targeted set of activities—workshops, expert consultancies, case studies, pilotprojects, monitoring and evaluation exercises—thatbuild upon and add to this knowledge base in aniterative and interactive fashion. In addition,infoDev supports the emergence of broader publiccommunities of practice around these issuesthrough online collaboration tools, targeted work-shops and other events, and substantive and finan-cial cooperation with key partner organizations thathave rich knowledge resources on these topics.

2 . The infoDev Global Network of Business Incubators

THE INFODEV INCUBATOR INITIATIVE

Background and ObjectivesThroughout the developing world, entrepreneursare working to establish businesses that are “ICT-enabled”—offering ICT services or, in some wayutilizing ICTs as a fundamental aspect of theirbusiness model.

While the innovation and drive are there, the obsta-cles facing such start-ups are often insurmountable.These include: limited and costly access to telecomservices, particularly the Internet; burdensome busi-ness regulations; an absence of basic business sup-port services; lack of advice, mentoring and bestpractice guidance; and limited access to appropriatefinancial resources to help businesses grow to thestage where they can attract institutional investors.

In 2002, in response to these challenges, and withsupport from the Government of Japan, infoDevlaunched the Business Incubator Initiative, aimedat fostering ICT-enabled entrepreneurship and pri-vate sector development in developing countries.The Initiative has also received additional fundsfrom the governments of Finland and India, alongwith counterpart funding for individual incubatorsfrom local governments, private sector partners,and other donor agencies. As of October, 2006,total contributions to the Incubator Initiativeamounted to US$13.5 million.

The Incubator Initiative has supported more than60 business incubators worldwide. infoDev pro-vides financial and technical assistance to helpexisting incubators improve and scale up opera-tions; facilitates development of new incubators;encourages innovative local uses of ICTs and entre-preneurship; and has established a knowledge-sharingnetwork among business incubators that supports

ICT-enabled SME development. This has culmi-nated in the establishment of the Global Networkon Business Incubation, as well as regional net-works that allow organizations with similar culturaland regional contexts to share lessons and ideas forhow to best operate and affect change in their envi-ronments.

The Networks have provided infoDev and the par-ticipants with insights into establishing and oper-ating sustainable business incubators, and thechallenges facing technology entrepreneurs fromacross the developing world. infoDev is using thisinformation to develop a rich body of knowledgethat can guide policymakers, donors and others asthey seek to support and promote ICT-enabledentrepreneurship and innovation in developingcountries.

infoDev is also currently completing a large-scaleinternational evaluation of its business incubatorinitiative. This exercise will yield valuable lessonsabout how to best promote ICT-enabled innova-tion and entrepreneurship, and make availablemonitoring and evaluation methodology andbenchmarks that can be utilized beyond infoDev-supported programs.

ObjectivesThe Initiative aims at promoting economic growthby fostering private sector development through thefollowing objectives: � Improve performance of existing incubators

and developing viable programs in developingcountries

� Promote knowledge generation & dissemina-tion: good practices, toolkits

� Foster national and international partnershipsand networks

� Foster ICT-enabled innovation and develop-ment of a new generation of small enterprisesas engines for socioeconomic development indeveloping countries

What is business incubation?

infoDev defines incubation broadly as the provision of targetedservices to support ICT-enabled small enterprises. Central to theconcept of business incubation is the provision of support for newbusinesses through the early stages of development and change.This involves helping them to establish and accelerate their growthand success, and then “graduating” them when they reach a cer-tain level of maturity.

“Growing economies need innovation…business incubators helpby offering solutions for the common people to articulate theirgenius and turn it into commercial products.”

—H.E. Kapil Sibal, India’s Minister of State for Science andTechnology and Ocean Development

ABOUT INFODEV . 3

GRANT PORTFOLIO Three TYPES of grants have been approved so far.These include:

Operational grants (under RFP announced inFebruary 2003)—for support to existing incubatorsin developing countries:

Aimed at consolidating the operational andself-sustaining capacity, efficiency, performanceand outreach of business incubators throughthe building and more effective use of ICTskills and ICT-enabled business incubationservices.

Capacity building grants (under RFP announcedin February 2004 and March 2006) – for supportto new and start-up incubators in developingcountries:

Aimed at providing financial and technical assis-tance to new or start-up business incubators andrelated programs for developing and pilotingviable incubation models and processes.

Planning grants (under RFP announced inFebruary 2004) – for support towards theplanning of business incubators in developingcountries:

Aimed at providing financial support for theplanning of self-sustaining new business incuba-tors in developing countries.

An important feature to note is the diversity withinthe types of organizations receiving grant funding.With an effort to broaden the lessons learned, andto include a wide variety of organizations which areworking on different aspects and dimensions ofbusiness incubation, the infoDev grant portfoliocovers organizations which can be classified into:

� Business incubators� Science and Cyber parks� National Associations� Foundations and not-for-profit organizations� Universities and research institutions� Other (private sector, consulting) organizations

Distribution of incubator grants by organization type

Incubators 25%

Science/Cyber Parks 12%

Foundations/ Not-For-Profits

23%

Associations 14%

Other (Private sector, consulting)

12%

University/ Research Inst.

14%

Regional distribution of infoDev incubator grants

First Round Second Round Third Round Total Number Total amount of grantREGION (2003) (2004) (2006) of grants funding ($US)

Africa 1 7 5 13 2,020,000

Asia (East and South) 6 7 9 22 3,970,000

Europe and Central Asia 3 6 5 14 2,670,000

Latin America and Caribbean 6 4 5 15 3,350,000

Middle East and North Africa 1 2 5 8 1,475,000

Total 17 26 29 72 13,485,000


REGIONAL AND GLOBALWORKSHOPSAs part of the Incubator Initiative, the infoDevProgram has adopted a strategy of supportingRegional Workshops and Global Events that bringexperts and practitioners together on a platform todiscuss major issues relating to Innovation andEntrepreneurship, Business Incubation and the appli-cability in different environments and countries.

Global Forum on Business Incubation:Creating the Conditions for InnovationIn October 2004, infoDev held a highly successfulGlobal Forum on “Business Incubation: Creatingthe Conditions for Innovation” in New Delhi,India. This Forum, organized in cooperation withthe Department of Science and Technology ofIndia and the Federation of the Indian Chambersof Commerce and Industry, brought together morethan 300 entrepreneurs, business incubator man-agers, venture capitalists and policymakers to dis-cuss the fundamental impediments to innovationand new business creation in developing countries.

Discussions during the Global Forum reinforcedseveral key challenges that SMEs face in growingtheir businesses that infoDev had identifiedthrough its work with business incubators and theirtenants, including:� Access to Growth Capital – Scarce overall finan-

cial resources to help start-up businesses indeveloping countries, particularly ICT-enabledbusinesses, grow to the stage where they canattract institutional investors such as theInternational Finance Corporation (IFC);

� Access to Regional and Global InnovationNetworks—Insufficient national, regional andinternational networking opportunities for ICT-enabled SMEs to exchange best practices andlessons from experience;

� Access to ICT-Enabled SME Support Services—Difficulties in raising local public and privatesector awareness of the importance of support-ing entrepreneurship and SME development asan engine of new economic opportunitiesthrough sustainable mechanisms such as busi-ness incubators.

The Forum concluded with the launch of ‘TheGlobal Network on Business Incubation for

Development’ to support knowledge sharing andother business incubation activities. Participantsalso signed a Declaration containing a descriptionof goals for a continued and strengthened coopera-tion on all levels—national, regional as well asinternational. The declaration also calls for concreteaction by governments, donors, the private sector(industry and finance), and infoDev to supportdevelopment of an environment supportive to busi-ness incubation and entrepreneurship.

Regional WorkshopsTo strengthen the growing network infoDev hasorganized regional workshops on innovation, entre-preneurship and business incubation.

5 Regional workshops have been held:� Europe and Central Asia: Kiev, Ukraine (June

2005)� Middle East and North Africa: Casablanca,

Morocco (January 2006)� Asia: Manila, Philippines (February 2006) � Africa: Accra, Ghana (May 2006) � Latin America and the Caribbean: Montevideo,

Uruguay (May 2006)

These regional workshops have had the followingmain objectives: (i) to provide a platform for theexchange and sharing of knowledge and experiencesbetween practitioners, experts, policy makers, donoragencies, partnering organizations, and venture cap-italists; (ii) to discuss the opportunities and chal-lenges for promoting entrepreneurship and innova-tion, and to provide training on key issues; and(iii) to form Regional Networks to further stimulatejoint action and resource sharing, and to identifyspecific issues that would be addressed at the secondGlobal Forum scheduled for November, 2006.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and ImpactAssessmentThe Global Network uniquely positions infoDevto play a lead role in addressing the constraints toICT-enabled innovation and new business creationin developing countries, such as access to financing,with its donors and private sector partners. Thenetwork provides infoDev with a diverse pool ofbusiness incubators and emerging SMEs fromacross the developing world that can generate les-sons learned on providing effective and sustainablebusiness support services.

ABOUT INFODEV . 5

infoDev incubator grantee institutions

Country Proponent Organization

AFRICA

Angola Nacional Institute for Employment & Vocational Training (INEFOP)

Ghana Busy Internet

Kenya Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT)/ Kenya Kountry Business Incubator (KeKoBI)

Mauritius National Computer Board (NCB)

Namibia IT @ AB Network - Namibia

Rwanda Technology and Business Incubation Facility (TBIF)

Senegal National Council of Negro Women/International Division (NCNW)

infoDev has recently commissioned a study on“Innovation and Entrepreneurship in DevelopingCountries: Impact Assessment and Lessons Learnedfrom infoDev’s Global Network of Business Incubators.”

This assignment on Monitoring, Evaluation andImpact Assessment (MEIA) aims to: (i) draw lessons from the business incubators in

supporting innovation and entrepreneurship indeveloping countries;

(ii) produce a report that describes this initiative,the global network of business incubators itsupports, its impact and opportunities forexpanding both the network and infoDev’ssupport under this initiative;

(iii) prepare 10 detailed case studies of institutionsproviding entrepreneurship and business devel-opment support;

(iv) implement and analyze a monitoring and eval-uation survey to incubators supported by thisinitiative;

(v) build capacity within business incubators andsimilar institutions that provide services toentrepreneurs and small businesses;

(vi) assess the impact of this initiative, draw lessonslearned on key challenges such as the enablingenvironment; policies and regulations, and onsustainable and effective support for the devel-opment of a vibrant network of innovators andbusiness incubators globally.

The instruments developed for MEIA will be madeavailable in the public domain, and institutions willbe invited to use them for their own developmentalpurposes. infoDev also intends to use these tools to

attract additional members into its global networkin order to broaden the institutional partnershipsbeyond those that are only receiving grants fromthe Program.

Second Global Forum on BusinessIncubationIn partnership with the Department of Science andTechnology, Government of India, infoDev will beorganizing the second Global Forum on BusinessIncubation in Hyderabad, India. This Forum,scheduled for November 5-10th, 2006, is expectedto bring together over 400 practitioners, businessincubator managers and experts, policy makers,entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists from about50 different countries.

The Forum will provide a global platform forexchanging experiences on several tracks including —(i) lessons learned from the organizations withinthe network and the private sector on their chal-lenges and strategies; (ii) the role of the public sec-tor in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship;(iii) focus on the work being done through theRegional Networks; (iv) discuss specific sectoraland cluster issues [including for example the ITsector/ biotechnology/youth and gender, etc.];(v) provide training on key issues as identified in theregional workshops [including training of incubatormanagers, financing/venture capital, sustainabilityand business models]; and (vi) present the findingsfrom infoDev’s Monitoring and Evaluation study,and drawing out emerging issues for the work pro-gram going forward.




South Africa Voxel Technology Innovation Support Centre

South Africa Bodibeng Technology Incubator (BTI)

Tanzania World Ahead Consulting Network

Uganda Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI)

ASIA

China Yangling Business Incubation Center; and

China The Tianjin Women’s Business Incubator (TWBI)

China Shanghai Technology Business Incubation Association (STBIA)

India Indiaco.com (P) Limited

India Tiruchirappalli Regional Engineering College-Science & Tech. Entrepreneurs Park

India Society for Research & Initiative for Sustainable Tech. & Resources (SRISTI)

India Telecommunications and Computer Networks Group (TeNET)

India Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT)

Indonesia Koperasi Starcall Wartelnet

Indonesia Broadband Network System (BNS)

Malaysia Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)

Mongolia InfoCon Co., Ltd

Nepal IT Professional Forum (ITF)

Philippines UP-AFI Joint Experimental Facility - AYALA Foundation

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Technology Incubator (Pvt) Ltd. - ConceptNursery

Sri Lanka Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) - South Asia

Thailand Kenan Institute Asia (KIAsia)

Thailand National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)

Vietnam Center of Research and Consulting on Management (CRC)

EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

Armenia Viasphere Technopark

Azerbaijan Information and Telecommunication Technologies Development Association (INFOTEK)

Bulgaria Applied Research and Communications Fund

Georgia Civil Society Support Centre / Georgian Technical University Innovation Foundation

Kazakhstan SODBI Business Incubator Shymkent

Kyrgyz Republic Union Of Business Incubators And Innovation Centers of Kyrgyz Republic

ABOUT INFODEV . 7



Romania Business Incubator Centre Baia Mare, Romania

Turkey Ankara Cyberpark Inc.

Turkey METUTECH

Ukraine Ukrainian Business Incubators & Innovation Centres Association (UBICA-ICT)

Ukraine Kharkov Small Business Incubator (Kharkov Technologies)

Uzbekistan The Association of Business Incubators and Technoparks of Uzbekistan (ABIT)

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Bolivia Quipus Cultural Foundation

Brazil Minas Gerais Incubators Network

Brazil Technological Incubator of Popular Cooperatives of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – ITCP

Brazil Instituto Gênesis da PUC-Rio

Brazil ANPROTEC

Chile Access Nova

Colombia INNOVAR and Corporación Bucaramanga Emprendedora (CBE)

Colombia Incubadora Parque Tecnologico Del Software De Cali (Parquesoft)

Colombia Corporación para el Desarrollo de Tunía (Corpotunía)

Costa Rica Comisión Asesora en Alta Tecnología de Costa Rica (CAATEC)

Dominican Republic Cyberpark of Santo Domingo

Ecuador NCOVAL, EMPRENDER, STRATEGA BDS, Ecuadorian Network of Incubators,

Mexico University of Guadalajara

Panama Panama Technology Business Accelerator – PTBA

Paraguay Fundación Enlace

Peru Centro de Innovación y Desarrollo de la Pontificia Universidad Católica

Uruguay Ingenio–Incubadora de empresas LATU – ORT

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

Iran Isfahan Science & Technology Town (ISTT)

Jordan National Consortium for Technology and Business Incubation

Morocco Moroccan Information Technopark Company

Morocco Al Akhawayn University Incubator

Tunisia Elgazala Park of Communication Technologies

West Bank and Gaza Islamic University of Gaza

West Bank and Gaza The Palestine Information and Communications Technology Incubato

infoDev’s Global Network of Business Incubators

Description of projects and institutions receiving grants

AFRICA

Africa . 11

ANGOLAGrantee: Instituto Nacional do Emprego eFormacao Profissional (INEFOP)

Grant: Capacity Building Grant; Grant Amount:$100,000Contact: Ms. Corina Jardim, INEFOP (NationalInstitute for Employment and Vocational Training)Email: [email protected]; [email protected] Website: http://mirror.undp.org/angola/

The Angola Enterprise Program, a Public-PrivatePartnership between UNDP, Chevron and theGovernment of Angola, seeks to promote the develop-ment of a diverse, robust, micro, small and mediumenterprise sector in Angola. This will be achieved bysupporting a process to build consensus around acommon vision and a national strategy for micro andsmall business development. Within this overallframework of the Angola Enterprise Program, a first-ever INEFOP-PEA Business Incubator has recentlybeen established in Luanda. This business incubator isto serve as a demonstration model developing viableincubation models and processes and is to be man-aged by well-trained local staff, with short-term tech-nical backstopping support by an international expert.The aim is to leverage the local and global expertise tobuild the capacity of local staff and tenants of thebusiness incubator. For the first 18 months of opera-tion, it will be funded and implemented in the frame-work of the Angola Enterprise Program (AEP). TheinfoDev funded work program is part of theirresource mobilization plan for the period ending June2007, when the AEP financing is to be phased out.

Partnerships� Instituto Nacional do Emprego e Formação

Profissional (INEFOP) or National Institute ofEmployment and Professional Training is a pub-lic institute with a legal identity and administra-tive, financial and management autonomy toexecute the policies and programs to promoteemployment and vocational training. It is underthe Ministry of Public Administration,Employment and Social Security (MAPESS)

� Angola Enterprise Program (AEP) orPrograma Empresarial Angolano (PEA) is aPublic-Private Partnership between UNDP,Chevron and the Government of Angola prima-rily aimed at creating a robust and diversemicro, small and medium enterprise sector.

Project ObjectivesShort term: Within one year of infoDev financing:� Brick and mortar related physical infrastructure

renovation and recruiting a small number ofcompetent personnel to operate and manage thebusiness incubator

� Deploying a management information systemand training of staff and incubatortenants/clients on basic computing and web-development skills

� Creating innovative and diverse enterprises (8incubated and 12 pre-incubated enterprises) andsupporting tenants (incubated, pre-incubatedand virtual/external) with continuous capacity-building training and other business develop-ment services

� Promoting activities to raise greater awareness ofbusiness incubator by using communication chan-nels and marketing outreach strategies to attractclients and encourage donors and strategic part-ners to invest in INEFOP-PEA business incubatorand in establishing other business incubators inLuanda and in other parts of the country

Medium to long term: � Implementing a business network on national

and international scope to facilitate commercial-ization of products developed in an incubator;

� Generating employment, Promoting e-commerce;increasing research capabilities and developingcritical paths for graduating tenants

� Promoting the adaption of the business develop-ment processes developed in other parts

The incubator is to serve as a one-stop businessservice center, offering a comprehensive range ofnon-financial business services to assist entrepre-neurs start, improve and expand their businesses.The range of BDS services planned include -Entrepreneurship and enterprise developmenttraining (currently offering UNCTADEMPRETEC Entrepreneurship Training Workshopor popularly known as ETW); Business advisoryand consultancy services; Credit facilitation;Linkages and referrals; and other services depending ondemand of entrepreneurs. It may be noted that smalland medium entrepreneurs are the target clientele ofthe incubator, although micro-entrepreneurs will beserved depending on available donor resources.Key client focus would be small and mediumhigh-growth-oriented local enterprises or businessesto serve as successful role models. The services areto be fee-based.


GHANAGrantee: BusyInternet Ghana Limited

Grant: Capacity Building Grant. US $300,000Contact: Ms. Estelle Akofio-Sowah, ManagingDirector Email: [email protected] Website: www.busyinternet.com; Projectwebsite: www.busyinternet.com/incubator

BusyInternet Ghana, a private Ghanian compa-ny, was established in 2001 and is a joint venturebetween Ghanian investors and BusyInternetInternational. Its mandate is to promote socialand economic development in Africa throughinformation and communication technologyapplications. The overall approach is that of facili-tation through a combination of physical infra-structure including electricity and bandwidth andthe social environment of experts and entrepre-neurs. BusyInternet Ghana focuses on providingthe appropriate resources for businesses andorganizations to execute their core competenciesand enhance their skills. Over the last 26 months,BusyInternet has facilitated the setup and growthof 11 information and communication technologycompanies. It is the leading technology incubatorin Ghana and has established a clear market dif-ferentiation providing its mix of tenants with aunique environment of networking opportunitiesand a competitive edge over similar businesses inAccra. To date, five companies have been success-fully incubated. At present, it has six tenant com-panies in its portfolio.

Partnerships Fidelity Investment Fund I (investor) is a localGhanaian investment fund that is aggressively mov-ing to invest in new ventures with a special focuson information and communication technologies(ICT). Databank Financial Services (investor) isthe leading financial service company in Ghana.Soft Tribe (partner) is led by Joe Jackson andHerman Chinnery-Hesse and is the leading soft-ware development company in West Africa with arange of retail products including point of sale,accounting, stock and more. It developed theLimpopo software that runs BusyInternet’saccounting functions.

Project ObjectivesThe infoDev-funded work program is to enableBusyInternet to become a leading business incuba-tor in Africa reducing the failure rate of early-stagecompanies and speeding up the growth of compa-nies that have the potential to become substantialgenerators of employment and wealth. Specificallythe objectives are the following:� to provide quality services, expertise and infor-

mation to start-up companies that will helpthem organize and manage their businessesprofessionally;

� to build the institutional capacity ofBusyInternet as well as that of the incubatingcompanies;

� to provide networking opportunities for access totechnological innovations, markets and businessincubation associations;

� to expose start-ups to investors and othersources of funding;

� to create a resource database for tenants’ compa-nies to access data on industry best practices;

� to educate both private and public sector leadersabout the value of supporting the small businessincubation concept and process in order to pro-mote integration of ICT in business for economicdevelopment.

Activities Completed and Milestones � BusyInternet has launched its first 18-month

intensive program with clear objectives, rulesand obligations and has selected 4 young inno-vative companies from a pool of 17 applications.

� The four companies are Runway 14 NewMedia; Childnet Electronic Publishing Limited;Top-Up TeleCenter Limited; and IT-Westgroup.

� Each participant in the 18-month program is toreceive a minimum of US$45,000 in technicalassistance in the areas noted below and is alsorequired to contribute 10% from its ownresources toward total program costs:

(a) customized training and professional assistancethat is to include hands-on help with the use ofICT in business development; assistance withproduct design, marketing and branding; mana-gerial skills and technology requirements;

(b) low-cost infrastructure including office facilities;high-speed bandwidth; business services (copycenter, prominent address and central businesslocation, advertisements using online banners etc.)and a conducive entrepreneurial environment;

Africa . 13

(c) support for obtaining financing and networkingopportunities to foster business growth and prof-its, awareness raising and knowledge sharing onchallenges of supporting ICT-related innova-tions in Ghana;

(d) training and capacity building including mentor-ing and guidance on ICT policy issues and accessto legal and corporate advice by experienced,successful business persons.

on lessons and challenges of creating and sup-porting small, innovative ICT businesses withinGhana’s particular developmental environmentthrough the following:(a) educating key media players on supportingrelated innovations in business through properlyfocused emphasis in SMEs on business incuba-tion reporting;(b) sponsoring a series of luncheons for top policymakers and government officials to sensitizethem to issues of business incubation and ICT-related business innovations;(c) holding public workshops and conferences topromote the business incubation concept anduse of ICT in business development in Ghana;(d) publicizing infoDev’s business incubationprogram in collaboration with GINKS (an ICTadvocacy initiative) through BusyInternet’scyberseries year-long program;(e) exposing incubated businesses to internation-al forums such as the soon-to-be-held WorldSummit on the Information Society in Africapreparatory conference in Accra in earlyFebruary 2005.

� BusyInternet has been in consultations withthe Ministry of Communications on the estab-lishment of the government’s technology incu-bator at the Ghana Multimedia Centre.

� Busy Internet will be performing as a memberof the recently formed Incubator GoverningCouncil set up by government to oversee busi-ness incubation in Ghana and will attend quar-terly briefing sessions.

An awareness and capacity-buildingevent

� In addition to the focused 18-month program,BusyInternet has also planned activities toincrease publicity on the concept of incubatingsmall businesses using ICT in entrepreneurship.This includes learning and knowledge sharing


Indicative portfolio of busyIncubator Ghana

Name of Client/tenant Company Description of Business

Childnet Electronic Pioneers interactive educational software development on CD-ROMs in Ghana with a vision toPublishing Co. Ltd. be the leader in content and interactivity and the best priced educational software in West Africa.

Event PmG Sells unique invitation cards for all occasions.

Top Up Business Leading ICT integrated service provider offering the most comprehensive range of business services underServices one roof at all its outlets (100 to be established throughout Ghana in the next 48 months).

Runway 14 Animators, copywriters, designers, musicians, new media artists, programmers, television producers,video jockeys and conceptual urban philosophers located in Accra, Amsterdam, Devon, HelsinkiJohannesburg, London and Los Angeles.

BusyLab Researches and develops web-based applications for emerging markets. They are currently working on a number of private and public sector initiatives to build appropriate software solutions for the Ghanaian market.

Cyterra Solutions Provides advanced web development, e-learning and database applications for SMEs.

Ecoband Networks Provides connectivity services and solutions for Internet service providers and broadband Internet protocolnetworks within the Economic Community of West African States. Ecoband Networks is the local agent/distributor for Card USA, Ceragon Networks, Denwa Communications, eKa Ltd., IP Planet Network, Q-Kon, and RAD Data Communications.

African Learners Online Offers solutions that support learning and training for individuals and organizations. The companycooperates with European and African publishers and content providers of textbooks to provideelectronic books in all disciplines for degree and non-degree students.

Teledata A telephone distribution company that sells all kinds of mobile phones and phone cards.

Africa . 15

KENYAGrantee: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agricultureand Technology

Grant: Planning Grant. US $100,000Contact: Dr. Atieno Ndede-Amadi; AssociateProfessor of Information TechnologyEmail: [email protected]: www.jkuat.ac.ke; Project website:http://www.jkuat-cbi.co.ke/index.php

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture andTechnology (JKUAT) started operations in 1981as a diploma awarding institution in the fields ofagriculture and engineering. In 1989, it was elevatedto the status of a university college, and in 1994 itwas established as a full-fledged university. Its facili-ties have been funded through grant aid and technicalcooperation programs with the Japanese government.The mandate of the infoDev Incubator Initiativework program in Kenya is the creation of the JomoKenyatta University of Agriculture andTechnology Center for Business Innovation(JKUAT-CBI). CBI is to be a public, not-for-profitcenter co-sponsored by government departments,non-profit organizations and private investors forthe primary purpose of sustained economic devel-opment and job creation. It will involve successfulentrepreneurs, lawyers, accountants, bankers,scientists and other professionals in providingexpertise to its members. The planned center is tobe a hybrid incubator in that it will provide itsmembership with access to government as well as private sector funding and other resources. The emphasis of the work program is to be oninnovative technology applications and transfersproviding opportunities for university researchersand associated groups. It is planned to providestart-up business opportunities for alumni ofJKUAT and other Kenyan universities, among others. The incubator is to be strategically focusedon the cutting edge of thinking about how to sup-port small business development and about the useof information and communication technologies(ICT) in community development with an emphasis on innovation.

Partnerships CBI is to be created with assistance from the AfricanInstitute for Capacity Development, the KenyaPrivate Sector Alliance (KEPSA), Kenya Industrial

Estates (KIE), the Ministry of Finance of theGovernment of Kenya, and the United StatesAgency for International Development (USAID).

Project ObjectivesThe broad aims of the JKUAT-CBI incubator areto help address the sustainable economic develop-ment issues raised by the Kenyan government inits poverty reduction strategy process and to helpachieve the objectives outlined in it. For example,lack of financial services and access to commerciallending for small businesses, women, youth andthe disabled has been identified as one of themajor constraints to growth and productivity inKenya. Specifically, the objectives for CBI includethe following:

� to stimulate economic activity in Kenya, gener-ate employment and leverage ICT to facilitatethe integration of local businesses into the globalknowledge-based economy;

� to develop human and institutional capacityfor promoting and enabling the appropriationof ICT for small enterprise and e-businessdevelopment;

� to foster entrepreneurship, business innovation,investments and private sector development par-ticularly in small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs);

� to provide a strong demonstration effect leadingto improved ICT policies that encourage invest-ment in and the growth of the local small businesscommunity;

� to promote equality and diversity in businessdevelopment by actively engaging disadvan-taged groups in the incubation processincluding youth, women, and people withdisabilities;

� to address the business support needs of smallenterprises and emerging entrepreneurs amonggroups that are underrepresented in the businesscommunity;

� to facilitate multi-stakeholder consensus, collab-oration, decision making and action in order tomobilize resources and increase access to ICTinfrastructure and better service delivery to smallbusinesses;

� to promote networking and knowledge dissemi-nation regarding the effective application of ICTskills and related services for achieving businesscompetitiveness in particular and for socioeco-nomic development in general.


The targeted disadvantaged groups include thefollowing:� Women: Women constitute 51% of Kenya’s pop-

ulation hence their economic empowerment iscritical. Only 29% of formal employment posi-tions are occupied by women (most womenwork in the informal sector where there is anacute lack of social security and access to creditfacilities).

� Youth: In the 1998 census, youth aged 15–25years represented 22% of Kenya’s population.The youth are not adequately absorbed intopublic service, and the private sector has beenunable to create employment due to poornational economic performance.

� Disabled: People with disabilities constituteapproximately 10% of the national population.Because national statistics have neglected toidentify this group, it has not been incorporatedinto planning resulting in inadequate budgetaryallocations and gross unemployment.

Activities Completed and Milestones � The Kenya Country Business Incubator initia-

tive was conceptualized in the infoDev proposalof January 2004 that was subsequently fundedfor up to 18 months.

� Following the funding, stakeholder institutionswere identified and the organizational structureof the incubator was institutionalized. A boardof trustees, an executive management commit-tee and several technical committees wereappointed.

� Since receiving infoDev funds, JKUAT hasengaged in an intensive campaign to bring inpartners like the Investment Promotion Center(IPC), the African Institute for CapacityDevelopment (AICAD), the Kenya ICT TrustFund, NEPAD Kenya, Delloite and Touche anda number of government and educationalinstitutions.

� On November 2, 2004 the Kenya CountryBusiness Incubator (KeKoBI) secretariat held astakeholders’ forum to brainstorm the way for-ward for this incubation initiative. The forumattracted 40 participants drawn from diversebackgrounds and sectors of the economy includ-ing research and academia, the private sector,NGOs etc.

� On December 9 and 10, 2004, the secretariatorganized a second workshop with the objec-tive of educating stakeholders in business

incubation. This two-day workshop took placein Nyeri. An incubator expert from SouthAfrica, Mr. Ben Zaaiman (the CEO of SoftstartTrust) shared the incubation experiences ofSouth Africa, the leading country in Africa inthe number of business incubators (at 22 andgrowing). It is at this forum that participantsadopted the proposed organizational structureof our incubator to include a board of trustees,an executive management committee, a chiefexecutive officer, a technical committee coordi-nator and the technical committees as itsframework institutions.

� The organizational structure of KeKoBI as con-ceptualized and adopted at the Nyeri workshophas been reviewed and subsequently revised atthe suggestion of infoDev to a less top-heavymodel. infoDev suggested at the planning stagethat what was needed was a capacity-buildingstructure rather than a heavily bureaucratic one.Based on those recommendations, the secretariatrevised the organizational structure.

� Technical committees formed at the Nyeriworkshop met at scheduled monthly meetingsand at a number of unscheduled ones. At present,the identified convergence project is an e-watersystems project that was initially proposed bythe chairman of the central water board and forwhich a project proposal document has beendeveloped.

� To implementing this project, a memorandumof understanding was signed for a working rela-tionship with e-water systems to help with train-ing and the development of their managementsystems.

� In the e-water project, opportunities have beenidentified to conduct training programs onwater systems and management for several stake-holders including community-based organiza-tions (CBOs) as water service providers, non-governmental organizations in their dealingswith CBOs and government officials such asprovincial and divisional water officers who pro-vide possible avenues for generating revenuestreams for KeKoBI.

� KeKoBI participated in the formation of theAfrica Region Business Incubator Association inPretoria, South Africa in April 2005.

� The main question that the incubator facestoday relates to financial sustainability and thechallenge of identifying viable revenuestreams.

Africa . 17

Additional grant approved in March 2006

Given the success of business incubation initiatives in developed and emerging economies in employment and wealth creation, the JomoKenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), with infoDev financing as noted above, has taken the lead by instituting a nationallevel business incubator initiative with two main objectives: a) to spearhead the proliferation of business incubators nationally; and b) todevelop a real life example of a business incubator focused on software development.

The Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has received an additional $125,000 for its next phase of activitiesrelated to capacity building that includes:

Business Incubator Operations and Assistance to Tenants:

� Improve business incubation management skills to promote sustainability, to leverage ICT in core operations and toenable the transfer of these skills to tenants. This will be primarily achieved through a six month incubator manager trainee programfor six managers

� Forge collaborations between the business incubator and strategic partners such as universities both national and international.The national universities include the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, African Nazarene University, Keriri Women’s InformationTechnology University and the United States International University. The international universities include the Department of SoftwareEngineering of the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa; the Softstart Trust incubator in Pretoria, South Africa.

� Enable business incubators to leverage local and global expertise through the procurement of consulting and staffservices to establish, enhance or expand its business model, delivery of value-added services, including ICT-enabled services andability to assess and respond to the needs of tenants.

� Improve communication channels to more effectively reach out to, and attract prospective tenants and strategic partnersincluding universities and private investors, by implementing effective networking and marketing strategies.

� Develop value-added services that help prepare tenants for graduation from the incubators; contribute to the sustainability andsuccess of the business incubators.

� Effective monitoring and evaluation of operations to ensure delivery of value-added services to tenants, to measure theimpact of new and existing services for tenants, and to monitor the progress and sustainability of the business incubator’s activities ona regular basis.


MAURITIUSGrantee: National Computer Board

Grant: Capacity Building Grant. US $100,000Contact: Mr. Kemraz Mohee, Executive Director,National Computer Board Email: [email protected]: http://ncb.intnet.mu/, Project website:http://ncb.intnet.mu/

The National Computer Board (NCB), the imple-menting institution for infoDev Incubator Initiativework program in Mauritius, was established underthe National Computer Board Act of 1988. It is aparastatal organization under the Ministry ofInformation Technology and Telecommunicationsand is administered by a board of directors. The roleof NCB is to e-power people, businesses and thepublic sector by developing and promoting informa-tion and communication technologies (ICT) andICT-related services in line with national goals andpolicies. NCB is a key enabler in transformingMauritius into a cyber island and, among others,advises the government on the elaboration of nation-al policies for the development of the ICT sector.

Partnerships Multilateral Organizations � The United Nations Development Programme

(UNDP) provided upstream policy support anddeveloped a strategic plan.

Project Objectives� Assess existing facilities and services offered to

technology start-ups at the NCB IncubatorCenter and examine ways to enhance them.

� Evaluate the capacity-building needs of start-upsand incubator management teams, devise training

plans in line with business and marketing per-spectives for the long-term sustainability of theICT sector across the country and develop part-nership strategies.

� Strengthen existing networking facilitiesbetween institutions (local and international)and receive advice on long-term developmentaddressing issues such as clustering and capacitybuilding with international institutions.

Planned Activities and Milestones � Attracting start-ups in the ICT sector: The center

plans to accommodate eight technology start-ups.To date, it has accommodated 13 enterprises. Theincubator management team manages the centerand reports to the incubator management com-mittee for project approval and policy decisions.

� Promoting and encouraging young and potentialentrepreneurs to set up new business in the ICTsector: The center will create a pool of nationalentrepreneurs for employment, income andwealth creation through a two-phased approach.The first phase is to include an appraisal of exist-ing facilities and services offered at the center tostart-ups; creating strategic plans for the centerincluding marketing, networking and partner-ship and formulating training and expansionplans for tenants and the management team.

The direct beneficiaries of this project are thetenants and the center’s management team. NCBalso plans to include new and potential technol-ogy start-ups at the cybercity of Ebene toenhance their knowledge and expertise in thelong term and to promote knowledge transfer.The main activities targeted by the cybercityinclude ICT-enabled services including softwaredevelopment, call center operations and businessprocess outsourcing.

Featured In the News:

Africa Looks to Incubators to spark ICTJohn Yarney, March 17 2005

infoDev is chartered to help developing countries maximize the impact of ICTs in combating poverty and promoting broad-based sustain-able development. That concept is fundamental to Africa’s budding incubation-center projects.

Mauritius, for example, identified ICT as having the potential to sustain economic development and is promoting the ICT sector as a neweconomic pillar, according to Roshan Seebaluck, the assistant manager of Mauritius’ National Computer Board and ICT Incubation Center.

Developments in the Mauritian ICT sector, including the incubation center, business process outsourcing activities and the growing interest offoreign investors in the local market, are expected to increase employment, Seebaluck said. Seebaluck expects the ICT sector to require7,000 workers to 13,000 workers by 2006.

“Assuming a ratio of one IT professional to two supporting staff, total employment that would be required in the economy would range from22,000 to 39,000 by year 2006 within the ICT sector,” said Seebaluck. Read More

Africa . 19

NAMIBIAGrantee: Information Technology in AfricanBusiness (IT@AB) Network Namibia

Grant: Planning Grant. US $100,000Contact: Tom Mukaiwa, ITAB Interim ChairmanEmail: [email protected]: http://www.it-ab.net/ Project Website:http://www.bits.com.na/infoDev/Default.aspx

IT@AB stands for Information Technology inAfrican Business and is made up of 33 organizationsin the Southern African Development Community(SADC) region drawn from the private businesssector, trade promotion, universities, Internet serviceproviders (ISPs) and training Institutions. IT@ABis an initiative of inWent Capacity BuildingInternational which is supported by the GermanMinistry of Economic Co-Operation. The primaryfocus of the network is to reduce the digital dividebetween Africa and the developed world. IT@ABseeks to enable small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) and small enterprises (SEs) to participate inthe global digital economy. Since the beginning of2004, IT@AB has been preparing to set up businessincubators in each member country. The purpose isto take a number of high potential SMEs and SEsand through intensive training and skill transfers turnthem into very effective and sustainable enterprises.Each incubator is to be e-business enabled andturned into a global player. The infoDev-fundedwork program is to create a Namibian incubator witha view to incubating selected SMEs by deliveringeffective training in business skills and by enablingthem to leverage the benefits of ICT. The work pro-gram is intended to result in incremental, replicable,sustainable development across the country.

Partnerships The Namibian IT@AB Network is made up offour organizations: � Business Information Technology Solutions

Private Limited (BITS); � University of Namibia (UNAM); � Telecom Namibia; � NetAcademy.

Project ObjectivesThe overall aim is to establish a business incuba-tor service to promote business innovation andprivate sector development in Namibia by inte-grating and effectively using ICTs in business andsmall enterprises. The aim is to address the busi-ness support needs of small enterprises and emerg-ing entrepreneurs, especially among groups thatare under-represented in the business community.The specific objectives of this program include thefollowing: � prepare a detailed implementation plan for a

Namibian infoDev incubator includingprocuring a physical location and enlisting up to 10 Namibian tenants or businessenterprises;

� develop one or two optimal, sustainable businessmodels for Namibian SEs and SMEs;

� create effective, documented and replicable mul-tiplier mechanisms that foster a mushroomingeffect of ICT-enabled, sustainable SMEs thatwill create jobs;

� produce courseware for the effective transfer ofbusiness and sustainability skills;

� create a repository of business intelligence rele-vant to the Namibian business climate and sharethe repository with the infoDev and IT@ABnetworks.


RWANDAGrantee: Kigali Institute of Science Technology andManagement

Grant: Capacity Building GrantGrant Amount: $150,000Contact: Mrs. Rebecca RuzibukaEmail: [email protected]; [email protected] Website: http://www.kist.ac.rw

As part of its efforts to rebuild the country, theGovernment of Rwanda has developed “Vision2020” with emphasis on the development of entre-preneurship and private sector promotion. In thisvision Rwanda has identified information and com-munication technology as a cross cutting theme inall sectors of the economy. In contributing to thisvision the Kigali Institute of Science, Technologyand Management (KIST) established theTechnology and Business Incubation Facility(TBIF) under the Center for Innovation andTechnology Transfer (CITT). Funding for TBIFhas been secured from the Government of Rwandathrough KIST and support from the Governmentof the Netherlands through Nuffic. The Nufficfunds are aimed for a period of two years, from 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2007. infoDev fundingwill support capacity building, technical assistance,website and collaborative tool development, projectmanagement and related costs.

PARTNERSHIPS� Technology and Business Incubation Facility

TBIF (non-profit organization): The Technologyand Business Incubation Facility (TBIF) wasestablished in April 2005, jointly by theGovernment of Rwanda, through the KigaliInstitute of Science and Technology (KIST)with the support from the Government of theNetherlands.

� CAPMER: This is a government institutioncharged with the development of small andmedium enterprises in Rwanda that has committed

to work with TBIF. The other partnershipsincludes the Rwanda Private Sector Federation(RPSF).

Project ObjectivesThe overall objective of the Technology andBusiness Incubation Facility (TBIF) project is tointegrate ICT in all its business processes and thatof its clients/tenants. This will enhance the out-comes, impact and outreach of the TBIF to the tar-get community of graduates from all institutions ofhigher learning in Rwanda. Within this, the threespecific objectives include:� Building a modern ICT infrastructure for the

TBIF and its tenants/clients, including therecruitment of a small number of technocrats

� Designing and implementing modern manage-ment information and accounting systems;training of staff and clients on effective use ofPCs, internet and business systems

� Using the TBIF website for outreach to tenants/clients by providing online learning resources;moderated forums to provide guidance to entre-preneurs and modular e-commerce courses fortenant/client businesses; and introduction ofE-learning systems.

Activities Completed and Milestones � Technology and Business Incubation Facility

(TBIF), as part of the Kigali Institute ofScience, Technology and Management (KIST),has established the Center for Innovation andTechnology Transfer (CITT) which has a goodreputation in the country and abroad, particu-larly in the development and dissemination ofappropriate technology.

� Parallel to the TBIF, KIST initiated theEnterprise Development Fund (EDF) to assistgraduates with Business Plans from allInstitutions of higher learning to enable accessfunding without necessarily the physicalcollateral requested by the commercial banks.The EDF provides financing to TBIF clients,while the TBIF is acts as the advisory body.This provides the TBIF with a unique net-working, public relations and marketingpossibilities

Africa . 21

SENEGALGrantee: International Development Center of theNational Council of Negro Women/InternationalDivision Senegal Office

Grant: Planning Grant. US $70,000Contact: Cynthia Ferguson Colas, InternationalDevelopment Center Director; Mamadou Sarr,Program ManagerEmail: [email protected], [email protected]: http://www.ncnw.org, Project website:http://www1.telecomplus.sn/ncnw/waro.htm

The International Development Center (IDC) ofthe National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)through NCNW-Senegal is implementing a year-long planning project titled Creating an EnablingSpace for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE). Its purposeis to plan the development of a business incubatorthat provides services to new and existing enterpris-es, especially female-owned/operated businesses, toenable them to access and use information andcommunication technologies (ICT) to developtheir businesses and penetrate global markets. Thisproject is directly linked to the NCNW-Senegalstrategic program and is designed to produce a fullyelaborated strategic and operating plan for thedevelopment of a business incubator in the St.Louis region of Senegal.

PartnershipNCNW, founded in 1935, is a voluntary, non-profit organization with a mission to advance theopportunities and the quality of life of AfricanAmerican women, their families and communities.NCNW fulfills this mission through research,advocacy, national and community-based servicesand programs in the United States and Africa.With its 38 national affiliate organizations and itsmore than 200 community-based sections, NCNWhas outreach to nearly four million women, all con-tributing to peaceful solutions for the problems ofhuman welfare and rights.

Project objectivesThe overall objective of the infoDev-funded workprogram is to build on the progress made by theEYE program and to further plan the develop-ment and start-up of a business incubator. The

services and programs offered to tenants and otherclients of the incubator will be geared to expand-ing the use of ICT to enhance the viability anddevelopment of SMEs with an emphasis onwomen’s entrepreneurial development. Planningis to be broadly participatory involving relevantSenegalese national and local government repre-sentatives; public and private sector partners;institutions in the region and potential incubatortenants and clients.

Planned Activities and Milestones The overall success of this project as well as theeventual development of the business incubatorwill depend upon the development of a web ofpartnerships within a community of stakeholdersoperating at the local, national and internationallevels. Participatory methods embedded in thedesign of the EYE project will lay the foundationfor the creation of that community of stakeholders.The project will consist of four main sets ofactivities:1. Building a community of stakeholders:

Information and sensitization campaigns are totarget women in business, young artisans andtheir families, public sector representatives, busi-ness and artisan associations and networks, edu-cational and vocational training institutions,potential investors and donors.

2. Market analyses: Assessments of existing andlatent needs for ICT-based incubation servicesand of the pool of potential tenant/client servicesare to be provided through the incubator.Market research is to help identify economicsectors and to target niche areas and services theincubator will deliver. Market surveys using par-ticipatory approaches are to be used to ensurethat the stakeholders play a substantive role indefining and shaping the packages of servicesthe business incubator provides.

3. Strategic planning: This will involve the adoptionof immediate and long-term business and capi-tal development strategies including marketing,operation and management of incubator servic-es, business planning and facility developmentplans.

4. Incubator facility design: Working with govern-ment services and the stakeholder community,site selection criteria are to be determined anddetailed specifications for facility design are tobe developed.



The end result of this planning project is to be a fully elaborated development plan for a business incubator specially designed to addressthe needs of female entrepreneurs. A related objective is to implement the project in a participatory manner so that the process itselfenhances support for the business incubation concept and its development. In addition, the project is to advance community and entrepre-neurial knowledge of the economic environment, conditions for effective participation in global markets, and ICT-based services and busi-ness enhancements. Stronger partnerships between public and private sector players are another expected outcome of the program.

As a follow-up to a one-year planning project for the creation of an incubator for women-owned small and medium business enterprises inSaint-Louis, Senegal, with the support of the infoDev Planning Grant, the National Council of Negro Women – Senegal (NCNW/Senegal)has received financing for its proposed second phase, to implement and operate the business incubator that will provide assistance to ten-ants to receive mentoring and training in all aspects of business management and marketing, leveraging information and communicationtechnologies (ICT) in its core operations. The Women’s Business Center (WBC) in Saint-Louis, Senegal will serve as a focal point for womenowned enterprises and women entrepreneurs to start up and grow their businesses. By leveraging information and communication technolo-gies (ICT), it will enable these businesses to have greatly improved access to local, regional, national and global markets, capital and infor-mation.

The Incubator will provide 15–25 small business clients with office space, shared services and expert mentoring in all aspects of businessmanagement. Equipped with high-speed Internet access, WiFi, computers with telecommunications capabilities, and other state-of-the-art ITequipment, the Incubator will provide needed ICT access and education to enable women entrepreneurs to create and grow sustainableSME businesses. The WBC will focus on high value-added businesses owned, operated and managed by women residing in Saint-Louis orthe surrounding region.

The primary objectives of the Incubator include:

� Graduate 5 to 15 women-owned businesses per year

� Contribute directly and indirectly to job creation in Saint-Louis

� Strengthen effective collaboration with partner organizations

� Promote access to current ICT technologies for incubator businesses

� Increase understanding of how to use ICT to manage a business and leverage business growth

� among incubator clients

� Mitigate market barriers for incubator clients, resulting in improving: access to markets (local, regional, global); management andentrepreneurial skills; improved access to capital for equipment; improved access to funding for business growth; and

� Increase interest in and comfort with ICT, especially among women and youth

Africa . 23

SOUTH AFRICAGrantee: KwaZulu-Natal Innovation SupportCentre (KZNISC), Voxel Technologies

Grant: Operational Grant. US $400,000Contact: Steve Giddings; Project Coordinator Email: [email protected]: www.innovation.org.za

In South Africa, the Southern African TechnologyIncubator Network (SATIN), which consist of threeICT Incubators – Bodibeng Technology Incubator(formerly BrainWorks) (BTI), KwaZulu-NatalInnovation Support Centre (KZNISC) trading asVoxel Technologies, and SoftStart IT Incubator,have been funded under the infoDev IncubatorInitiative. This project proposes to use ICT toenhance the current capacities of the existing hightechnology incubators in South Africa, and to useICT to transfer this knowledge and learning toother incubators. This will have a measurableimpact on the success rate of these incubators intheir attempt to eradicate poverty and to upliftpeople from previously disadvantaged groups. TheGodisa program (the SA government incubationagency, which also represents a number low techincubator) supports this project and assist in theeventual transfer of the results of this project tothese incubators. BrainWorks Technology Incubator,Voxel Technologies Innovation Support Center isproviding the resources for development portion ofthe project, while SoftStart is to participate as a leaduser during the implementation phase. The propo-nents (and their supporting organizations) havebeen successfully involved in incubation activitiesin South Africa over the past three to four years.

The original proposal was a joint project betweenBTI and the KZNISC, with the backing of local,provincial and national government. Despite themanagement changes that happened at BTI thathappened at the same time of the project launch,all parties continued to be committed to the proj-ect. The Departments of Economic Developmentand Tourism of both eThekwini Municipality as wellas the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government hadcommitted monies to the project and eThekwini’spromised money was also received. Fresh contractswere drawn in the month of June 2004 and theproject was re-launched on July 2004.

Partnerships � The proponents of the South Africa Technology

Incubator Network consist of three ICTIncubators (KwaZulu-Natal Innovation SupportCentre, Bodibeng Technology Incubator, andSoftStart IT Incubator). It is supported by thegovernment’s incubation agency, Godisa. Thefirst two of these incubators will be providingresources for development portion of the proj-ect, and SoftStart will participate as a lead userduring the implementation phase.

Project ObjectivesThis project plans to use ICT to enhance the cur-rent capacities of the existing high technology incu-bators in South Africa, and to use ICT to transferthis knowledge and learning to other incubatorsthat operate with survivalist entrepreneurs. Thiswill have a measurable impact on the success rate ofthese incubators in their attempt to alleviate pover-ty and to uplift people from previously disadvan-taged groups. Specifically the objectives include:� Develop and implement a domain management

system which will empower the incubator, asleader in the local business community, to man-age the interactions actively between communitymembers and promote information flowbetween them

� Establish and develop the basic infrastructure(both IT and management processes) for a satel-lite Incubator associated with Voxel technologies.The satellite Incubator will rely on the DomainManagement System in order to deliver servicesand products in the cost effective way to clientswhich are remote from the head office Incubator.This will be the platform to provide value andreach underdeveloped, remote and PDI commu-nity entrepreneurs in a cost effective way

� Disseminate their learning and technologiesdeveloped to a low-technology incubator inorder to show how ICT technologies can beused in a practical matter to alleviate poverty byhelping survivalist entrepreneurs to becomeviable businesses

� Use the information sharing platform as a pilotfor a future portal to be used by provincial andlocal government for them to manage theircommunity or the residents in a particular area toenhance learning between the various incubatorsin South Africa through working collaborativelyon this project.


Planned Activities and some milestones The main activities planned within the projectrelate to the following four categories:� Develop and implement a web portal based

domain management system (DMS). This willbe piloted at the proponent ICT incubators(BTI, VT and Softstart) as well as anotherIncubator operating in the low-tech, survivalistentrepreneur area that is to be identified. TheDMS aims to improve relationship and infor-mation networking, and knowledge gatheringand dissemination.

� Create comprehensive training courses for theuse of ICT to build on the current institutionaland managerial and technical capacity as well asfor clients. This is to be done using the assis-tance of local and international experts. Assistanceis also to be sought from a team consisting oflocal and international experts. Wheneverapplicable the course content is to be dissemi-nated and delivered through the above domainmanagement system.

� Utilize the local and international experts todevelop an appropriate model to further expand

KZNISC’s existing ICT facilities and to exam-ine its role for medium to long term sustainabil-ity. In particular, plans are being charted to seekglobal partners to support ICT and engineeringsoftware development through the retention andattraction of new ICT and engineering softwareskills through global outsourcing of ICT con-tracts and the establishment of Joint Ventureswith global partners. Once suitable partners areidentified, networking with these partners isplanned to be facilitated through the abovedomain management system.

� To expand the reach of KZNISC, it is to devel-op an ICT platform and incubation tools for asatellite innovation support center in thePietermaritzburg area at a distance of about50 miles. This is to be used as part of the pilotsite for the implementation of the domain man-agement system, and will also serve as a modelfor a proposed satellite Incubator to be estab-lished by the BTI. The initiative will explore therole that ICT can potentially play in reducingincubation costs and improving efficiencies byfollowing a satellite incubation strategy.

Africa . 25

SOUTH AFRICAGrantee: Bodibeng Technology Incubator (BTI)

Grant: Capacity Building GrantGrant Amount: $150,000Contact: Mr. Leon Lourens, Chief ExecutiveOfficer Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.bti.co.za

The goal of this project is to develop a collabora-tive network of African incubators (and otherbusiness development service providers) and tofacilitate the provision of appropriate knowledgeto support the development of innovative smallenterprises.

Partnerships This includes a consortium that consists of theBodibeng Technology Incubator (BTI), the desig-nated contracting party, grantee coordinator andgovernance responsibility. The others are:� BusyInternet (Ghana)—Established in

Ghana in 2001, BusyInternet is the largestprivately owned & operated ICT centre inAfrica. With a unique mission to provideboth commercial services as well as social andeconomic development, Busy has been fea-tured as a promising ‘hybrid’ model forAfrica. Its solid track record of success inovercoming traditional constraints to develop-ment in resource limited environments, willallow BusyInternet to play a key role in facili-tating the formation of the West African sub-regional network hub.

� Uganda Industrial Research Institute(UIRI)—Designated lead facilitator of theEast and Central African sub-regional networkhub. UIRI is a partner in the implementationof the Ugandan Government’s initiatives forindustrialization. The institute conductshuman resource development, undertakesapplied research to develop appropriate tech-nology for fast tracking industrialization, andhas an incubation focus. As a respected EastAfrican institution it will play a valuable rolein catalyzing the East and Central Africannetwork.

� South African Business & TechnologyIncubator Association (SABTIA) —Represented by Chairperson, Odette Potter,SABTIA is the designated lead facilitator of theSouthern African sub-regional network hub.SABTIA will also provide institutional knowl-edge gained in establishing a country associationof incubators and the governance structures thatare appropriate to resource limited environment.

� Solvebrand Ltd—Provider of portal platformtechnology and virtual incubation developmentcompany. Currently researchers for UKCommission for Africa, in partnership withHillington Park Innovation Centre in Glasgow(UK’s most successful privately funded businessincubator) and iPrism Global Inc (providers ofthe portal platform technology).

Project ObjectivesUsing ICT enabled processes BTI (South Africa),the South African Business and TechnologyIncubator Association (SABTIA), BusyInternet(Ghana) and the Ugandan Industrial ResearchInstitute (UIRI) are to collectively contribute to thedevelopment of incubation and small enterprisedevelopment, and ultimately to the economic devel-opment of Africa by:� developing the Africa Incubator Network (AIN)

as conceived at the Global Forum on Incubationin New Delhi in October 2004;

� setting up three sub regional networking hubs inEastern/Central, Western and Southern Africa;

� using these networks to engage with AfricanGovernments, private sectors, academic andfinancial institutions to ensure that momentumis maintained, with respect to political will,investment, intellectual property and talentedhuman resource development;

� demonstrating early success in internationalcooperation and local implementation by mid2006 to potential donors and the World Bank,thus raising awareness of infoDev programmesand attracting further funding;

In facilitating the development of the AIN and thesub-regional networks, the consortium will aim towork closely with infoDev in attracting interna-tional donor support and government participationto ensure sustainability of the initiative past theseed funding provided by infoDev.


Activities Planned � Facilitate the establishment of the AIN and three

sub-regional networks in Southern, East/Centraland West Africa that will support physical networkbuilding and focused lobbying within government,academic and business communities

� Build on current initiatives, a web portal that willbe used as a primary source of communication,

knowledge sharing and knowledge managementin the support of continental small enterprisedevelopment

� Collaborate with infoDev in securing and coor-dinating government and donor participation tosupport activities within each of the sub-regionalnetworks which target the development ofinnovative small enterprise

Africa . 27

TANZANIAGrantee: World Ahead Consulting Network

Grant: Planning Grant. US $70,000Contact: Mr Simbo Ntiro; ManagementConsultant Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.world-ahead.com,http://www.ethinktanktz.org

In Tanzania, World Ahead ConsultingNetwork (WCN) is the lead implementingorganization for the planning grant frominfoDev that is to be used for (1) gatheringdata and information on the overall businessincubation environment; (2) conducting a feasi-bility study for sustainable ICT-enabled businessincubation and (3) developing an implementa-tion and business plan. Other activities includeknowledge dissemination, stakeholder and the-matic workshops and overall monitoring andevaluation.

Partnerships � Partner organizations include the University

Computing Centre (UCC) and the Universityof Dar es Salaam’s Entrepreneurship Centre(UDEC). The activities of the project are to becoordinated by a project steering committeecomposed of representatives from these institu-tions and the Ministry of Industry and Trade ofthe Government of Tanzania.

� The role of WCN as the main implementinginstitution is to cover overall project manage-ment functions including overseeing researchand analysis, facilitating meetings and work-shops, establishing and moderating networkingamong key stakeholders and other interested par-ties, overseeing logistics and other arrangements,providing technical input to the business planand reporting to infoDev regularly on progress.

Project ObjectivesThe overall objective is to include all key players inthe business incubation and information and com-munication technology (ICT) arena in the develop-ment of a plan that will stimulate sustainablebusiness incubation in Tanzania. The project willconsist of the following activities:

� planning for the provision of business incuba-tion services to promote business innovationand private sector development through theintegration and more effective use of ICT inbusiness and small enterprise development;

� building local capacity in target businesscommunities;

� raising awareness and promoting the appropria-tion and utilization of ICT by local entrepre-neurs and small businesses as tools to addresstheir short- and long-term development goals;

� facilitating the creation of a global incubatornetwork for exchanging ideas and formulatingbest practices and lessons learned for designingand implementing business incubators in devel-oping countries.

The aim is to mobilize resources and build capacitywithin organizations in developing countries basedon the available experience and best practices fromacross the world, to catalyze further investment andsupport from domestic and international organiza-tions, and to document experiences in utilizingICT to help infoDev and the WNC better under-stand the impact of ICT on establishing businessincubators in developing countries.

Activities Completed and Milestones Preparing a business plan for sustainable ICT-enabled business incubation in Tanzania in the widercontext of improved business development services.The intention is to implement the business planby establishing one or more business incubationunits and by creating a network of key stakeholdersthat will enhance the delivery of business servicesto support ICT-enabled sustainable business incu-bation. This main objective is in line with Vision2025, the Small and Medium-sized EnterpriseDevelopment Policy of Tanzania and the nationalICT policy. Given this main objective, the list ofmain activities planned and anticipated outputsincludes the following:� Appointment of a steering committee with repre-

sentation from the three project proponents,namely WNC, UC and UDEC. The committeehas approved the project plan and all subsequentproject deliverables. It is to monitor the progressagainst the evaluation criteria developed as partof the project inception report.

� Develop and launch the communication strategyincluding a website linked to the TanzaniaDevelopment Gateway and a discussion group


that will involve all key stakeholders. Theobjectives here include knowledge generationand dissemination of strategic analysis, successfulpractices in other countries in the region, lessonslearned, business models, etc.

� Research the business incubation and entrepreneur-ship environment in Tanzania through a needsassessment identifying constraints and issues ina strength-weakness-opportunities-threats(SWOT) analysis and a risk analysis.

� Conducting thematic technical workshops focusedon business incubation models and theirappropriateness to Tanzania and on deployingICT in business incubation geared towardpreparing a business plan for sustainable busi-ness incubation.

� Preparing the business plan for sustainable busi-ness incubation in the country.

Africa . 29

UGANDAGrantee: Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI)

Grant: Capacity Building Grant. US $200,000Contact: Mr. Charles G. Kwesiga, ExecutiveManager (UIRI) Email: [email protected], [email protected]: http://www.uiri.org/

One of the instruments that the government isusing to eradicate poverty is promoting rural indus-trialization and turning primary or raw products tosemi-finished or processed commodities throughrural small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).The Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI),the implementing organization of the project, is toprovide assistance to SMEs through partner centersin the country. UIRI offers training and advisoryservices to rural SMEs to improve their technicaland managerial competence. The major focus ofthis project is small-scale meat processing enterprises.The infoDev-funded work program includes intro-ducing the use of information and communicationtechnologies (ICT) in all aspects of business opera-tions to improve their efficiency and competitive-ness. The enterprises are in six major upcountrytowns: Fort Portal, Soroti, Busia, Arua, Hoima andKabale. In the short term, UIRI is focused on sup-porting the enterprises to add value to their prod-ucts in order to achieve a quality that will meet thedemands of regional markets. The overall experi-ence and lessons learned are to be used in laterphases as models for other sectors, notably fruitprocessing and dairy products.

Partnerships � In the initial phase of the project, UIRI collabo-

rated with the Food and AgricultureOrganization (FAO), the Common Fund forCommodities (CFC) and GTZ/CIM (GermanTechnical Cooperation). These organizationscontributed funds and/or technical assistance.

� The culmination of this collaboration was theestablishment of the regional Uganda MeatTechnology Center (UMTC) and the facilita-tion of six small enterprises (partner centers) toengage in meat processing. More than 50 entre-preneurs and members of regional organizationshave been trained at UMTC.

� The work program funded by infoDev has alsoattracted technical assistance from MakerereUniversity Business School (MUBS),

International Institute for Communicationand Development (IICD), the GermanCouncil for Sustainable Development (GTZ)and the German Development Service (DED).

Project ObjectivesThe overall aim of the infoDev-funded work pro-gram is to improve communication, trade, per-formance and efficiency and to allow for businessexpansion of the six small partner centers that wereoriginally established under UIRI. The objectivesthat relate to the use of ICT tools, training fortheir optimal utilization and monitoring theirimpact on business processes include:� identifying knowledge and technology gaps in

e-business at the incubator and at partner centers; � providing and improving UIRI’s incubator

capacity to impart effective entrepreneurial andbusiness skills through training, self-learningand demonstration;

� strengthening the incubator’s capacity to providetechnical, business advisory and informationservices to its clientele;

� enhancing the incubator’s capacity in network-ing with partner centers, graduated companiesand other relevant stakeholders such as regional,national and ultimately international incubatorsor incubator associations;

� bridging the gap between the current businessoperations of the selected partners and theirdevelopment potential through innovations andthe expansion of market opportunities andexpanding the list of participating enterprises;

� enabling the marketing of products and servicesto existing and potential clients both within andoutside the country;

� promoting enterprises that can absorb the excessfrom agriculture and redundant humanresources thus creating employment opportuni-ties through investments.

Activities Completed and Milestones � Institutional capacity building: Training for the

project implementation team through a GTZfacilitated and co-funded training program pro-duced e-learning training modules. Members arecurrently taking part in training to producemodules in food processing and business andentrepreneurial skills that will benefit cliententerprises once they have been equipped withICT facilities. The modules under developmentblend e-learning with CDs and videos to sup-plement face-to-face workshops.


� Development of managerial and technical capacity: Astrategy has been adopted categorizing client enter-prises into two groups. The first three functionalclients in Fort Portal, Soroti and Busia were to begiven priority and assisted with technical and man-agerial training, ICT equipment and technicalassistance. The other three clients in Arua, Hoimaand Kabale have experienced management changesand are expected to be ready for ICT interventionafter the first year of project operations.

� Promotion of cost-effective and efficient integrationof adequate ICT: Visits to client businesses wereundertaken to establish, among other things, thestatus of the ICT situation and readiness on theground. Through this exercise, four members ofthe project implementation team conducted anassessment/fact-finding mission of the threepriority client enterprises.

� Strengthening small businesses in ICT and non-ICT sectors: The project team realized early onthat ICT development would have to go hand-in-hand with non-ICT sectors if the project wasto be successful. Emphasis has been put ondeveloping managerial competence and techni-cal support for the units. The technical staff atUMTC has given guidance on locating businesspremises, packaging of products and equipmenthandling, among others. There was also a cam-paign to develop the marketing strategies of theunits to move away from the traditional way ofselling their products to the level at which ICTwill be critical to their businesses. The strategyto integrate ICT as a tool in these small-scalebusinesses had to be reviewed in view of thefindings about their readiness. Emphasis hastherefore been placed on enterprise developmentfocusing mainly on training in best practices inrecord keeping, financial aspects and other man-agerial competencies in order to achieve an easytransition to ICT-based management.

� Partnering: (1) MUBS: The project team has beenworking with the Enterprise Development Centreto develop a framework for support that would besuitable to address the managerial needs of theenterprises. (2) GTZ: Members of the infoDevproject implementation team are undertaking e-learning training to develop modules in businessand entrepreneurial skills and food processing thatwill be the basis for training clients once they haveintegrated the use of ICT into their businesses.(3) IICD: The institute has continued to offer sup-port and has contributed considerably to capacitybuilding in ICT-related training for the project staff.

(4) DED: Their technical advisor attached to themeat department has been instrumental in provid-ing technical assistance through a pilot study todetermine the impact on the business operationsof better processing equipment coupled with inte-gration of appropriate ICTs.

� Business incubation development: In line with theproject’s need to keep abreast of the global incu-bation network and with the development ofstrategies to improve sustainability, representa-tives of UIRI attended the Global Forum onBusiness Incubation 2004 in India, traveled toThailand as part of an ICT for development(ICT4D) delegation, to the United Kingdomand to South Africa to exchange ideas on incu-bation activities and to seek collaboration.

Highlights� UIRI has been nominated for the “Best

Ugandan E-Business Product” awarded for theWorld Summit Global Contest.

� UIRI has also initiated policies on industrializa-tion that the government has worked on result-ing in a restructuring program for the institutethat will transform it into a center for industrialdevelopment in the country.

Awareness workshop

Directors meeting/managementworkshop

ASIA(EAST AND SOUTH)


CHINA

Joint Grantees: Tianjin Women Business Incubator(TWBI); Yangling Business Incubator Centre (YBIC)

Grant: Operational Grant. US $500,000 Contact: Ms.Wang Yan, Manager, EnterpriseDevelopment Department, (TWBI) and Zhang Qidong, Director of YBIC Email: [email protected], [email protected] Website: http://www.twedc.com/ andhttp://www.ylibi.com

Through a grant to the Ministry of Finance of theGovernment of China, infoDev is supporting twoincubators.

The Tianjin Women’s Business Incubator(TWBI) is based in Tianjin, China’s third largestcity, and has the status of a non-profit mixed incu-bator specializing in assisting female entrepreneursand fostering growth in the employment of womenmade redundant by economic reform and restruc-turing. Established in 2000, it is China’s onlywomen’s mixed business incubator. It was estab-lished with the financial assistance of the TianjinMunicipal Government, which provided the build-ing and some cash investment, the TianjinWomen’s Federation and three other local govern-ment authorities. The incubator had received earli-er technical assistance in the form of business plan-ning consultancies and training from the UnitedNations Development Programme (UNDP) andhas been guided in its establishment and develop-ment by consultants from Australia and the UnitedStates (US). Incubator managers have traveledextensively abroad to learn from other incubatorsand have drawn extensively on the NationalBusiness Incubator Association website for infor-mation. TWBI currently has a building area of5,000 square meters with 48 on-site tenants and 10off-site tenants and to date has graduated 4 compa-nies. Directly and indirectly it has been responsiblefor providing employment opportunities for anestimated 2,000 people, a ratio far higher thandeveloped-country incubators. It offers clients start-up assistance, business training, business master-mind assistance and assistance to graduates, and itfacilitates an on-site micro credit program whichreceived seed funding from UNDP and the Tianjin

authorities. Operating at full capacity, it has man-aged to develop near financial self-sufficiencythrough charges for office rent, business servicesand external training courses. It has become famousin China as a model and acts as a center for studytours from other incubators and potential incuba-tors in the country.

Yangling Business Incubator Centre (YBIC) isbased in Shaanxi Province, Northwest China, andis managed by the Yangling Agricultural High TechIndustries Demonstration Zone and the TorchCentre of China’s Ministry of Science andTechnology (MOST). Established in 1998, it spe-cializes in agriculture, animal husbandry and biotechnology commercialization at the small andmedium-sized enterprise (SME) level and hasreceived most of its investment from China’sMOST Torch Program and the local ShaanxiProvince Science and Technology Bureau, both ofwhich fund high-tech research and developmentand technology commercialization projects. It cur-rently has four centers with a total building areaof 30,000 square meters (one central incubationbuilding of 11,000 square meters), all with broad-band access, that serve 56 on-site tenants and 40off-site tenants. To date, it has graduated 15 com-panies, 6 in 2004. YBIC developed with guidancefrom the government (MOST) as well as throughknowledge gained from study tours to existingincubators including those abroad (US andEurope), training by existing incubators and net-working within China.

infoDev funding has been used to train incubatorstaff and tenant entrepreneurs, to help developmodel enterprises for broader enterprise promotion,to install an information and communication tech-nology network throughout the center, and to helptenants develop products and absorb technology,know-how and new skills.

Activities Completed and MilestonesTWBI has used the grant from infoDev to weave abroad network of alliances. � Tianjin Telecommunications Co., the local sub-

sidiary of China NetCom, donated networkequipment and services for the free installationof a 10 megabit per second fiber optic connec-tion and a wired/wireless local area network atTWBI.

Asia . 33

� eNorth, a media company affiliated with theTianjin municipal government, donated use offacilities and staff for the training of TWBI staff,clients and outside entrepreneurs in informationand communication technologies (ICT).

� The ICT Dissemination Office of the Tianjinmunicipal government provided a grant equiva-lent to US $50,000 for establishing an ICTtraining center within TWBI. In addition, theICT Dissemination Office offered support andgood advice during the implementation of theinfoDev-funded work program.

� The Finance Department of the Tianjin munic-ipal government donated the equivalent of US$100,000 for setting up a revolving fund to beused to make low-interest loans to the winnersof the annual business plan competition spon-sored by TWBI. This competition was initiallyconceived as part of TWBI’s infoDev project.It has already been held twice and has beeninstrumental in creating a great deal of favor-able publicity and attracting several outstandingbusinesses to TWBI.

� TWBI has been actively disseminating its expe-rience and establishing partnerships beyond thescope of its infoDev project. The Tianjin munic-ipal government, the Tianjin Women’sFederation and TWBI have been working close-ly with the Gansu Provincial Government andthe Gansu Women’s Federation to establish awomen’s incubator in Gansu. TWBI has alsobeen working with the Gansu Women’sFederation to train rural women in Gansu foremployment in the service sector in Tianjin.Assistance is also being provided to the Jinan

and Dongli District Women’s Federations tostart incubators for women there.

� TWBI has established advanced ICT infrastruc-ture and has provided training to staff, clientsand female entrepreneurs in the basic use ofICT and applications of ICT to small businessmanagement.

� It successfully conducted two major businessplan competitions and set up a venture fund toaward winners of the competition with low-interest loans on accessible terms.

� It implemented a “pre-incubation” facility forvery early stage businesses and established a newwebsite with an interactive incubation forumand virtual incubation capabilities.

YBIC has seven activities planned for the project.

A. Training Programs

� Abroad: Send YBIC staff and client enterprisesto US/European countries for training in (a)government support to agriculture; (b) agricul-tural processing stages; (c) access to credit andfinancial assistance and approaches for agro-busi-nesses; (d) high-tech enterprise growth and (e)cooperation with US/European agro-businesses.

� Domestic: Send YBIC staff to coastal areas anddeveloped regions in two groups to learn on-siteventure creation and provide lectures and con-sulting for YBIC staff and client enterprises andshort-term training for YBIC staff.

� Conduct and attend seminars and workshopsfor YBIC staff and client enterprises.

� Provide training for entrepreneurs via Internetby setting up a satellite system.

March 2005. TWBI holds a free-of-charge training course in ICT to createand develop women’s businesses and enterprises.


B. Capacity Building and Enterprise Development

� a shared biology laboratory with instruments andequipment;

� a multifunctional hall for training;� an entertainment center for cultural and sporting

activities.

C. Support for Clients’ Enterprises

� Subsidize research and development in high-techenterprises.

� Subsidize international talent exchanges.

D. Dissemination of New Technologies

� Organize clients to attend exhibitions and fares.� Publicize clients’ technologies and products in the

media.

� Establish a showroom for clients’ technologies andproducts.

� Subsidize dissemination and application of clients’products in agricultural manufacturing.

E. Develop a Portal

� hardware;� publicity and information exchanges;� software.

F. Support for Innovative Client Projects

� Appraise technological achievements. � Apply for patents and register trademarks. � Sponsor national/international talent exchanges.

G. Project Evaluation� Evaluate project implementation and its social

impacts.

TWBI has become a training center certified by the international labor organizationand the ministry of labor and social security. It has trained 400 entrepreneurs.

Indicative portfolio of TWBI

Name of Client Company Description of Business

Zhongkejianye Network Co. IT systems integrator in the business of providing systems design, installation, analysis and maintenance.

Tianjin Sai’ou Business Co. Sales agent for brand-name electrical household appliances.

Tianjin Branch, Jinming Farm Green farming products, sales and trade. Products Co.

Eastern Iris Medical Technology Provides health consultation and diagnosis by Iris-based health testing technology.Research Center

Huanhao Science Co. Development and manufacturing of water purification equipment.

Yinghe Food Trade Co. Food distributor selling most of its products through supermarkets.

Bandao Foods Co. Makes flash-frozen sticky corn.

Asia . 35


With the support form InfoDev’s grant in 2003, TWBI greatly leveraged ICT into its incubation processes, but problems still remain to furtherdeepen the ICT influence on woman’s business incubation and address the challenges identified during the earlier stage. TWBI hasreceived a further infoDev grant of $50,000 to develop an e-commerce platform given the potential of ICTs and e-commerce for employ-ment opportunities and income generation for disadvantaged women.

It is expected that the deployment of this e-commerce platform will create a knowledge chain with ICT that will serve as a one point con-nection service to its clients. Through the platform, women and those who want to help women have the opportunity to develop their skillsand abilities, to improve entrepreneurship and employability prospects, and increase interaction. The planned activities include:

� Develop a B2C website to create new business channels for women entrepreneurs at the minimum operating cost;

� Integrate the relevant materials from the three websites TWBI operates to offer a bundle of services, provide informational resourcesrelevant to starting new women-owned businesses, showcase the good practice on starting and growing empowerment and employ-ment-oriented incubators, and bring communications internationally

� Improve the e-commerce capacity of TWBI’s staff and clients and strengthen the collaboration between TWBI and universities.

To guarantee the deployment of the project, as stipulated by TWBI’s contract with infoDev, TWBI has raised $50,000 in counterpart fund-ing. Tianjin Finance Bureau has already committed to providing the counterpart funding. TWBI has already filed the necessary paperworkwith the Tianjin Finance Bureau, and has secured its commitment totaling US$50,000 by May 2006.


CHINAGrantee: Shanghai Technology Business IncubationAssociation (STBIA)

Grant: Capacity Building GrantAmount: $150,000Contact: Wang Rong, Director, ShanghaiTechnology Innovation Center Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.incubator.sh.cn

The Shanghai Technology Business IncubationAssociation (STBIA) proposes to work in partner-ship with the Asian Association of BusinessIncubation (AABI) and its international consultingteam to conduct a thorough evaluation of the ICTand incubator management practices of STBIAmember incubators and to implement a programof activities that will lead to institutional transfor-mation of the network and its members. TheinfoDev funded work program will identify cur-rent good practices and areas in need of improve-ment, implementation of training, procurement oftechnical experts and service providers to addressthe identified needs; and develop a framework foran on-going assessment of STBIA incubators.Further, it will include an evaluation of the ICTreadiness and capacity of STBIA member incuba-tors’ clients and implementation of training andactivities to accelerate their success, marketabilityand sustainability. This will generate positive eco-nomic results for the incubators and their clientsand for the Shanghai region as a whole. In essence,the incubators will further professionalize theirbusiness service activities and improve programeffectiveness, thus generating jobs and wealth forthe Shanghai region and for China. The propo-nents also envision sharing the lessons learnedfrom this project with other incubators and theirregional and national networks.

Partnerships The infoDev funded work program for theShanghai Technology Business IncubationAssociation (STBIA) will be coordinated byShanghai Technology Innovation Center (STIC),which was established in April 1988, as the firstincubator in Shanghai. It is the only one inShanghai approved by the municipal governmentand it is a non-profit public institution under the

direct leadership of the S&T Commission ofShanghai Municipality. With the aim of promotingthe commercialization and industrialization oftechnology achievements, STIC has been not onlythe model incubation base for incubating small-and-medium technology enterprises and cultivatinghi-tech projects in Shanghai but also the head unitof Shanghai International Business Incubator(SIBI) and Shanghai Technology BusinessIncubation Association (STBIA). STIC also spon-sored the East China Incubator Network, whichwas set up with over 150 member incubators repre-senting six provinces and one municipality in themost prosperous area of China

Project ObjectivesThe infoDev funded work program will include thefollowing activities:� A thorough evaluation of Shanghai Technology

Business Incubation Association (STBIA) mem-ber incubators’ ICT capacity and utilization,including infrastructure (hardware, software,connectivity, etc.) and their use of ICT through-out their own operations and client assistanceprograms (for example, in training, consulting,networking, managing client progress andbenchmarks, accessing financing, working withbusiness service providers, consulting, etc.

� Evaluation of the use, or lack thereof, of ICTinfrastructure, and ICT capacity of incubatorclients at entry and exit, integration of ICTthroughout incubator client business cycles,capacity to initiate e-business strategies, marketproducts and services, network effectively,export, manage business decisions and opera-tions and improve their chances of success.

� A thorough evaluation of STBIA member incu-bators’ incorporation of incubator best practicesrelated to planning, mission and goals, staffing,governance, financial sustainability, maintainingstake-holders, client selection, retention andgraduation, provision of business assistanceservices, operations and program evaluation

� Facilitation of network member incubators’ abil-ity to procure services required to extend thecapabilities and to enhance the performance ofthe incubator—in terms of ICT, general incuba-tor management and client assistance services

� Creation of a flexible evaluation framework forthe above that meets the needs of small and largeincubator networks in a variety of developingcountries

Asia . 37

� Development and implementation of new serv-ices, organizational transformation and trainingenabling e-business

� Improvement of the business management andoperational skills of STBIA member incubatorsand their client companies, especially theircapacity to integrate ICT throughout the wholeincubation and client business cycles

� Assessment of the impact of training and ICTenabling on STBIA incubators’ and their

incubator clients’ performance and their likeli-hood of success

� Economic benefit to the Shanghai region, andto China, via enhancing the effectiveness ofSTBIA and, indirectly, incubator clients’ suc-cess, including their ability to grow, competeeffectively, create jobs and commercializetechnologies


INDIAGrantee: IndiaCo.Com Private Limited

Grant Amount: Operational Grant. US $400,000Contact: Name: Rahul Patwardhan, President andCEOEmail: [email protected] Website: www.indiaco.com

IndiaCo is a business and technology incubator andstart-up resource center with operations in the geo-graphic proximity to the innovation clusters in thePune-Mumbai corridor. It assists early stage compa-nies by providing business infrastructure and officespace, mentorship and coaching, and assistance inraising private equity capital. The goal is to increasethe success rate of start-ups by operating a networkthat facilitates and motivates the use of local resourcesto commercialize available technologies that createvalue in the marketplace. Member companies remainin the incubator for up to two years and are expectedto show progress with an approved business plan.

Project ObjectiveAs a business incubator, IndiaCo iClusters, managesincubation centers for high technology startups underthe IndiaCo umbrella. Its unique process of nurtur-ing startups has received support from infoDev underits Incubator Initiative. Currently IndiaCo iClustersworks with over 100 technology companies world-wide and provides their incubate companies an envi-ronment conducive for the development of venturesthat are at the conceptual or at the start-up stage.IndiaCo’s incubation work has produced an impres-sive track record to date that includes 19 successfulexits; 2000+ Jobs created; $300 million+ marketcapitalization, including an investment from DukeEquity; and 7 listed enterprises.

IndiaCo functions as a venture creation engine inaddition to being a resource center and incubatorfor high-tech startups and early stage companies.It focus area is wide.� Enterprise Software/Service — Companies

developing software products/platforms for useby enterprises, and such software would resideon enterprise class servers or desktops.

� Infrastructure — Companies that are inventingtechnologies/products that provide a basis forthe development of applications and productsand are not focused on a specific market vertical.

� Wireless — Companies that are developingapplications for the wireless internet or buildinginfrastructure to support the proliferation ofwireless infrastructure.

� Internet Applications — Companies that arebuilding applications that leverage the internet:Application Service Providers, e-BusinessExchanges and Engines.

� Other Hardware/Bio-Med/Health Sciences —Companies that are developing hardwaredevices/transducers for instrumentation/testing/measurement and analysis/Health sciences.

PartnershipsIndiaCo specializes in mobilizing the resources thatare required to enable innovation through the life-cycle of an enterprise. Duke Equity Partners is aprivate equity group that focuses on providingvalue and development to public and privately heldenterprises at all stages of growth and evolution.

Activities completed and some mile-stones Information Infrastructure: Improving facilitiesfor better performance of incubator and tenantcompanies:

New Infrastructure� broadband connectivity and leased lines from

PSTN for handling increased data and voicecommunication needs

Extend and Upgrade Existing Facilities� computing facilities (servers, nodes, software)

for enabling multi-tasking operational needs� fiber-optic communication network and utilities

(power conditioning, back up power sources)� subsidize infrastructure, connectivity costs to

tenant companies.

Enterprise Resource Planning: Develop andimplement new systems services, organizationaltransformation and training for enabling e-business� international experts services proposed in under-

standing site specific applications, developing anappropriate business model for IndiaCo opera-tion and advice during implementation

� inducting a system specialist in the staff respon-sible for management, operation, maintenanceof the system and providing technical assistanceto various users

Asia . 39

In-house Business Processes: Improving businessmanagement and operational skills of incubatorand its tenant companies to integrate applicationsof ICTs in their business cycles through� training programs for modern business manage-

ment techniques and practices; operational skillsdevelopment; strategic business planning andnetworking for strategic alliances

� overseas training programs and study tours; spe-cial programs on ICTs application for in housebusiness process improvements and IT for incu-bator management

� enhancing website for ICT dissemination

Partnerships and Outreach Functions: Improvingsupport to tenant companies in areas of network-ing, developing partnerships, marketing, intellectu-al property and overall operational support: � networking with R&D organizations, academic

institutions, other incubators� creating intellectual property assistance cell to

provide assistance on IPR issues� developing partnerships and building-up strate-

gic alliances for business growth� market development assistance (research, mar-

keting strategies, promotional activities)

Content And Applications Creation ThroughA Website: Enhancing content and creating an

interactive website with public and passwordprotected restricted domain

� development of a technology showcase that is tobe a searchable database of intellectual propertyand their technology plans; confidential duediligence reports written by IndiaCo associateson each technology; presentations by scientistsat milestone events

� creating a Startup Road Map as a guide for start-ups during early stages of growth with an onlinereference library of related business developmentmaterials supplementing other on-line resources

Impact Evaluation: Assessing the overall impactof the ICT-enabling program on performance oftenant companies and the incubator through anevaluation study

Portfolio Description and Economic ModelNumber of full-time incubation employees: 6 fulltime employeesNumber of technology enterprises in the portfolio:More than 100 tech enterprises worldwideServices Offered: Mentoring, Structured milestoneapproach, Operational support, Office space Other Performance Indicators: 19 successful exists,2000+ jobs created, 7 listed enterprisesExternal and internal selection rate: Varies between10% to 15 %


IndiaCo Ventures has received an additional $50,000 for its plans to build-up the processes and capabilities to scale up its activities toa global level that have been initiated in the field of incubation and entrepreneurship. The main objectives of the infoDev funded workprogram are:

� Create an ecosystem that will facilitate and promote business interactions between portfolio companies of various incubators/centersof excellence

� Implement an ICT tool that will allow the free exchange of information between different components of the ecosystem, but at thesame time take into account the IPR issues that are related to the exchange

� Promote and facilitate the creation and incubation of companies arising from cross-border transfer of technologies

� Establish centers of excellence in the form of Technology Commercialization Centers, Entrepreneurship Development Centers andTechnology Business Incubators based on the models and capabilities that have been developed at IndiaCo

� Develop the necessary infrastructure both physical and human resources to effectively achieve all the objectives that have been men-tioned above.

IndiaCo I Clusters is a wholly owned subsidiary of IndiaCo Ventures Private Limited that supports companies in the hi-tech domain. Theseclusters promote the development of technology intensive companies globally through a disciplined program of physical and virtual incuba-tion. As of today, the IndiaCo I Clusters works with over 100 technology companies worldwide. The personnel at IndiaCo I Clusters pro-vide their incubate companies an environment conducive for the development of ventures that are at the conceptual or at the start-up stage.Resources at the I Clusters are shared by the various incubatee companies, which allow them to get administrative and operational supportthrough various programs such as the IndiaCo Mentorship Program and the IndiaCo Milestone Program.


INDIAGrantee: Tiruchirappalli Regional EngineeringCollege, Science & Technology Entrepreneurs Park(TREC-STEP)

Grant Amount: Operational Grant. US $300,000Contact: Mr. R. M. P. Jawahar, Executive DirectorEmail: [email protected] Website http://www.trecstep.com/

Tiruchirappalli Regional Engineering College -Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Park(TREC-STEP), is the first Science Park promotedin India since the year 1986, to foster knowledgebased ventures of young science and technologyentrepreneurs. The promoters of TREC-STEPinclude the Department of Science andTechnology; Government of India, Governmentof Tamil Nadu, Industrial Development Bank ofIndia (IDBI), Industrial Credit and InvestmentCorporation of India (ICICI), Industrial FinanceCorporation of India (IFCI), state financial anddevelopment organizations such as Tamil NaduSmall Industries Development Corporation etc.along with the premier educational institution -Regional Engineering College Tiruchirappalli,now renamed as National Institute of Technology.TREC-STEP is situated in 200,000 square metersof land, between the Regional Engineering College,Tiruchirappalli and Bharat Heavy ElectricalsLimited, and is right on the industrial area thathouses a nationally reputed SME Cluster of over300 fabrication industries. These locational advan-tages provide a unique industrial and academicambience for TREC-STEP to promote knowledge-based ventures.

Project ObjectiveThe infoDev funded work program has beenplanned as a flagship incubation initiative in thecountry, for other incubators to emulate. With itsgood track record of Best Performing STEP inIndia, TREC-STEP, is to implement a series ofICT enhanced incubation initiatives for developingsynergies. The infoDev World Bank project‘Developing ICT Synergies for Incubating Start-ups’ commenced on 1st December, 2004 with theaim to develop regional competencies to assess,network and utilize global performance standards,markets and opportunities through start-up ven-tures for generating jobs and wealth in the region.

All activities undertaken as part of the work programfunded by infoDev is to create a synergistic effect inventure creation. These include:

� Developing a web portal for business incubation� Capacity-building through training� Developing networking and linkages, incubation

facilities, incubation programs and� Documentation & dissemination platforms

PartnershipsTREC-STEP has a vast resource network-baseconsisting of various organizations. This includesthe Department of Science and Technology(Government of India), Confederation of IndianIndustries (Technology Development Board andTechnology Transfer Network), Small IndustriesDevelopment Bank of India (SIDBI), Small ScaleIndustries Association, Indian Railways, BharatHeavy Electricals Limited, UNIDO, UnitedNations Asia Pacific Center for TechnologyTransfer, and the British Council.

Activities completed and some milestones The overall objectives of the infoDev funded workprogram include developing regional competen-cies to assess, network and utilize global perform-ance standards, markets and opportunitiesthrough start-up ventures for generating jobs andwealth in the region. To help the process, theimplementation plan for the project has beenprioritized as below:

� Documentation for TREC-STEP and for theProject: The documentation Work is planned infive distinctive packages (i) Documentation forTREC-STEP Incubation Concept, IncubationFacilities and Programs; (ii) Documentation atthe initial stages of the project highlightinginputs and plans; (iii) Documentation at thefinal stages of the project highlighting outputsand achievements; (iv) Project Brochure at theinitial stage and (v) Project Brochure at the finalstage – hand copy for broader target group cir-culation. Although the documentation processis underway and the initial work is progressing,majority of the planned activities here are tostart during incubation programs and be com-pleted along with the project or even continueafter the project to document the effects.

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� Capacity building through Training in BusinessIncubation & Management, IT and QualityBusiness Excellence Model: ICT Training sched-ules have been finalized by the IT team ofTREC-STEP. It has been proposed that twotraining programs for other Indian businessincubator managers be organized at (i) JSS-STEP, JSS Academy of Technical Education,Noida and (ii) International Crops ResearchInstitute for the Semi-Arid Tropic’s technologybusiness incubator (ICRISAT-TBI),Hyderabad, before May 2005 and December2005 respectively. A minimum of 80 businessincubator managers are planned to be trainedin these two programs out of the 100-targetedBusiness Incubation Managers. The remaining20 business incubation and management train-ing is planned to be taken through otherorganizations including the Confederation ofIndian Industries (CII). For Quality Modeltraining programs, it has been planned toundergo the training programs in PeopleCapability Maturity Model (PCMM) for otherfuture initiatives.

� Start-up Support Centre: Initial incubator require-ments and models in terms of utilities for start-ups have been discussed with engineers andarchitects and suitable plan has been finalized toconvert the physical incubation space available atTREC-STEP nursery shed into fully furnished10 to 15 incubation modules. TREC-STEP incollaboration with the Software Technology Parksof India has established a satellite earth station inits campus to provide the global connectivity for

ICT ventures. The process of augmentingTREC-STEP computing power with new com-puter systems and software has commenced.Necessary hardware specifications have been laiddown, enquiries called for and comparative state-ments prepared. It is also planned to establish awire-free intranet local area network facility tocreate paperless office environment.

� Design of Incubation Program: The Incubationprograms are planned to provide entrepreneurswith comprehensive outlook and inputs forstart-up venture creation and management. It isalso planned to provide them with an invalu-able opportunity to develop networking withexperts and others. Four incubation programsare designed to train 100 potential entrepre-neurs of 25 in each program. It is planned tohave 10 days classroom training with a threemonths focused ICT enabled incubation support program. The manual for BusinessIncubation Program is to be prepared both insoft and hard versions to facilitate further dis-semination to other incubators and develop-ment organizations.

� Incubation Web Portal: The planned web portalis to be designed to allow running scenarios andbreaking even simulations, cash flow simula-tions, and investment appraisals simulations.Having identified the applications, TREC-STEPis in the process of procuring applications.These applications are to be studied and dis-cussed by the team of experts constituted todesign the proposed ICT enabled BusinessIncubation model.


INDIAGrantee: Society for Research and Initiative forSustainable Technologies and Resources (SRISTI)

Grant: Capacity Building Grant GrantAmount: $100,000Contact: Prof Anil K Gupta, K L Chair Professorof Entrepreneurship, IIM-AEmail: anilg{}iimahd.ernet.inProject Website: www.sristi.org

The main objective of the project is to build andscale-up an ICT enabled virtual incubator modelfor scaling up grassroots innovations by linkingthem with investment and enterprise. In mostdeveloping countries, a lot of knowledge in theform of grassroots innovations and traditionalknowledge is available, more so in the more hetero-geneous environments and disadvantaged areas.Scouting, incubating and commercializing theseinnovations hold the promise of delivering tremen-dous value to the consumers in addition to enrich-ing the innovator. Development of an ICT enabledon-line technology platform, where all the keyplayers required in developing the value chain fortaking these innovations to the market, can interactand add value in a low transaction cost environ-ment is critical for the success of the model.

Partnerships � SRISTI: SRISTI would provide conceptual and

operational leadership to the project. Apart fromthat, it would contribute towards capacity build-ing activities, policy analysis, organizing softwaredevelopment, designing the virtual incubationplatform and database management.

� Deep Roots Linux Private Ltd: Deep RootLinux Private Ltd. would provide softwaredesigning assistance.

� National Natural Science Foundation ofChina (NSFC) & Tianjin University ofFinance and Economics (TFFE): The Chineseinstitutions would provide expertise and supportfor the conduction of business plan competi-tions, workshops, providing students linkage todevelop effectiveness of the incubation portal.

� FINEP and ANPROTEC: The Brazilian insti-tutions would provide expertise and support forthe conduction of business plan competitions,workshops, providing students linkage to devel-op effectiveness of the incubation portal.

Project ObjectivesThe work done by SRISTI and its network ofgrassroots innovations incubators, which have facil-itated 23 technology transfer agreements of grass-roots innovations developed by small and marginalfarmers, craftsmen, artisan and small workshopowners to entrepreneurs and established companies,has proven the viability of the model and theimmense potential that scaling-up of the model canhold in generating new, sustainable and equitablemodels of poverty alleviation. The project aims atachieving following objectives:� Build an ICT enabled Global GIAN

(Grassroots Innovation AugmentationNetwork) knowledge and value chain by link-ing grassroots innovations, investments andenterprises in India, China and Brazil and otherdeveloping countries

� Develop and operationalize an ICT enabled sys-tem for providing online incubation facilitiesand support in the form of virtual and in-fieldincubators. This system would provide an on-line mentoring, monitoring, collaboration anddesign support to innovators in combinationwith in-field volunteers or consultants. Smallscale and grassroots innovators and entrepre-neurs will be enabled to develop knowledge-based enterprises and services. This would helpin the emergence of a unique model of povertyalleviation and employment generation in devel-oping countries.

� Deploy an international registry of innovationsand traditional knowledge to safeguard theinterests of grassroots innovators and traditionalknowledge holders, help in scouting and docu-mentation their experience and insights, andprevent biopiracy, so rampant world over. TheNIFs experience will be very useful in thisregard. It has developed a National Register ofrelatively speaking unique or important innova-tions and practices, and People’s KnowledgeDatabase comprising valid but well-knowntechnologies

� Enhance the capacity of the current network ofgrassroots innovation incubators (like Sristi-Sadhbhav-Sanshodhan Nature Product Lab,GIANs and GIAN cells and innovator basedincubation process in India and also in Chinaand Brazil through promotion of lateral learn-ing, documentation of case studies etc.) throughknowledge exchange, experience sharing andnetworking.

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INDIAGrantee: Telecommunications and ComputerNetworks group (TeNeT), Indian Institute ofTechnology (IIT), Chennai

Grant: Capacity Building Grant GrantAmount:$ 150,000Contact: Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Professor,Dept of Electrical Engineering Email: [email protected] Website: www.tenet.res.in/

The expertise in the TeNeT Group covers theentire spectrum including digital communications,wireless networks, computer protocols, opticalcommunications, digital signal processing, speech,audio and video technologies, computer vision,network management, multimedia, digital systemdesign and embedded systems. In addition, there isa small group of experts in areas such as ruralfinance, small scale enterprises for rural areas. Thetype of activities of the TeNeT Group includesteaching and training, product development, incu-bation of technology companies by alumni, tele-com and IT policy studies, and front-line researchin the specialties. The infoDev funded work pro-gram will improve networking between variousorganizations within India that are independentlyworking on projects to bridge the digital divide;conduct a comprehensive market research in ruralareas that can be shared by several organizations to

create products, technologies and solutions that arerelevant to the rural areas in emerging markets;and enhance the skill levels across various imple-menting agencies through specially designed train-ing programs.

Partnerships Given its mission, the TeNeT Group incubatesR&D companies and collaborates with like-mindedorganizations. Many of the incubated companieswere founded by alumni of IIT-Chennai. Thesepartners work in telecom infrastructure, telecomoperations, ICT applications and entrepreneurship

Project ObjectivesThe infoDev funded work program will include thefollowing:� An international conference of different agencies

involved in rural ICT initiatives as well as inrural development work. This could includeestablished technology, research and productorganizations, non-governmental organizations(NGOs), multilateral agencies which providefinancing for such products, incubators andsocial entrepreneurs, government institutions andacademia.

� Creation of a rural databank covering 100villages

� Development of training modules for entrepre-neurs and two training seminars for grassrootagencies

Indicative portfolio of busyIncubator Ghana

Name of Client/tenant Company Description of Business

Midas Communications Telecom Infrastructure

n-Logue Telecom Operations

Vortex and Tekriti Applications

VentureEast Entreprenuership


INDIAGrantee: Vellore Institute Of Technology-Technology Business Incubator, (VITTBI)

Grant: Capacity Building Grant GrantAmount: US$ 150,000Contact: Dr.P.Radhakrishnan, Vice Chancellor,Vellore Institute Of TechnologyEmail: [email protected], [email protected],[email protected] Website: http://www.vittbi.com/

The Vellore Institute Of Technology – TechnologyBusiness Incubator (VIT–TBI) has been establishedat Vellore Institute of Technology with theSponsorship of the Department of Science andTechnology, Government of India to assist buddingentrepreneurs like you to incubate your technologyventure. The infoDev funded work program willprimarily focus on developing the Incubation capa-bilities in enhancing value-added services by raisingawareness, reaching out to the innovators and bycloser cooperation and integration between national,regional and global actors for promotion of ICT-enabled business incubation as an effectiveengine for sustainable development.

Partnerships The Vellore Institute Of Technology – TechnologyBusiness Incubator (VIT-TBI) program has beenfunded by the Department of Science andTechnology (Government of India), thus givingVIT-TBI in advantage to interact with publicbodies. In addition to this the members of theAdvisory Committee are drawn from various valueadding organisations. These partnerships and anextensive network of contacts help the incubateesto avail necessary support from them to makingeach venture successful.

Project ObjectivesThe infoDev funding has been earmarked for thefollowing three activities:� Two Capacity building Workshops with an

object to identify around 15 entrepreneurs thatwill be held in association with industry part-ners, academia and other like-minded incuba-tors in the region. The theme of such eventswould be the emerging opportunities in thebusiness

� An accelerated Incubation program is to bedeployed that is to be facilitated by two men-tors and a project assistant from the Incubator.The seed fund support provided by theDepartment of Science and Technology is tobe utilized. A rapid fund request screeningprocess is to facilitate the availability of neces-sary start up fund needs at the appropriatetime periods. The advisory board of VITTBIwould also closely monitor the progress of theprojects periodically, with suitable mid-coursecorrections.

� A Networking event is also planned to beorganized including pre-identified partners fromneighboring countries. This is to be supplement-ed by a number of learning events, including aSouth-South workshop to chart out strategiesand action steps involving industries, academia,incubators and entrepreneurs. This is to be fol-lowed by a discussion workshop on creating aKnowledge platform and a business opportu-nity exhibition at its sidelines. The main pur-pose of the Knowledge portal is to documentand disseminate the knowledge, experiences andgood practices emerging out from these activi-ties for the benefit of all the stakeholders in thebusiness incubation system. The look and feelof the online portal will include sections onknowledge, expert forum, Technology, VirtualExhibition Center and one on incubation.

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INDONESIA Grantee: Koperasi Starcall Wartelnet

Grant: Operational Grant. US $250,000Contact: Mr. Eddie Cendana, Project ManagerEmail: [email protected]

Koperasi Starcall Wartelnet is a non-profit privatecooperative communication organization establishedin 2002 and based in Jakarta to provide informationand communication technology (ICT) support andrelated advisory services to outsourced small andmedium-sized enterprise (SME) clients throughtheir multimedia-based telephone and business serv-ice franchised kiosks (under the name Starcall). It isnot a standard incubator, but it has identified a wayto bring ICT to a large number of rural and subur-ban areas in Western Java. Through its network ofkiosks, it has successfully served micro-enterprisesand SMEs that had no access to modern communi-cation facilities and business services and in doingso has expanded SME employment. It has also beensuccessful in educating micro and SME entrepre-neurs in the benefits of using ICT to deliver betterand more cost-effective services. The Starcall centralbuilding has an area of only 200 square meters withno incubator tenants, but this operation services105 off-site clients (ICT/ business service kiosks)and significantly enlarges ICT networking to outersuburban and rural communities. To date, 10 grad-uates have gone on to establish larger premises else-where but still network with the Jakarta center.

Project ObjectivesThe objectives of the infoDev-funded work programare to:� build up the institutional, managerial and tech-

nical capacity of Koperasi Starcall Wartelnet tofoster an additional 60 pre-qualified SMEs tomanage and operate multimedia-based tele-phone kiosks (Wartels) in three implementationsites (Bali, Central Java and West Java);

� generate and disseminate field experience andbest practices in business incubation of SMEsinvolved in providing ICT services in suburbanand rural communities;

� develop greater connectivity and networkingabilities to catalyze further investment and sup-port from the private sector and other domesticand international organizations;

� assist in creating community wealth by promot-ing the emergence and development of ICTenterprises and ICT-enabled firms.

PartnershipsKoperasi Starcallwartelnet was established by PTStarCall Siskom, PT Texascom Hitek System andassociated networking partners to institutionalizeincubation to foster SMEs. PT StarCall Siskom andPT Texascom Hitek System are part of a group ofcompanies consisting of a 14-year-old network sys-tem integrator/turnkey solution provider with over150 professionals, a broadband Internet serviceprovider, a network access point provider, an ICTproduct distributor, an Internet protocol phoneprovider and a VSAT service provider in Singapore.

Planned Activities and MilestonesThe completed work program consists of (a) aninstitutional development program, (b) a capacitybuilding program and (c) an expansion program.

The institutional development program consists ofthe following activities:� enhancing organizational infrastructure; � establishing a portfolio of business incubation

services;� establishing a portfolio of suitable tenant

companies; � developing a detailed work plan for project

activities;� creating a website on incubation practices.

The capacity building program consists of the following activities:� developing and customizing toolkits;� developing workshop modules;� developing a website;� conducting on-the-job training for the incuba-

tor’s management;� conducting workshops for tenants and candidates;� networking; � conducting evaluations for improvement.

The expansion program consists of the followingactivities:� developing seminar modules;� organizing the seminar; � developing campaign material; � performing the campaign;� developing web-based courses� conducting evaluations and recommendations

for replication.


INDONESIA

Grantee: Broadband Network Service

Grant: Capacity Building Grant. US $200,000Contact: Kurnia Tugiono, ChairmanEmail: [email protected]: www.bns.co.id

Broadband Network System (BNS) is a registeredprivate enterprise founded in 2001 in Jakarta. Inaddition to office space, facilities include a state-of-the-art broadband network servicing major citieson Sumatra, Java, Bali and Lombok islands. PTBroadband Network System is a holding companyconsisting of several information and communicationtechnology (ICT) companies with 13 cumulativeyears of experience as network system integrators,turn-key solution providers, broadband Internetservice providers, Internet protocol (IP)-basedmultimedia operators, fiber and VSAT linkproviders and operators (with a licensed microwaveBatam-Singapore link) as well as IP phone opera-tors. Using the financial and technical resourcesfrom infoDev and the Indonesian government,BNS is to consolidate its operations to providequality, self-sustaining ICT services by enhancingits organizational infrastructure. This will includeimproving the efficiency, performance and outreachof its business incubation services by building andmore effectively using broadband-enabled ICT ande-service solutions.

Project ObjectivesThe objectives of the infoDev-funded work pro-gram are to: � leverage broadband-enabled ICT and e-service

solutions as cost-effective engines to improveBNS operations, performance and prospects forlong-term sustainability in delivering qualitybusiness incubation services;

� enhance organizational infrastructure and imple-ment ISO-9003;

� enhance the quality, coverage and impact ofvalue-added business incubation services tobroadband enabled e-service providers to man-age limited resources and control risks toimprove performance and competitiveness;

� cooperate with local universities in planning andproviding business incubation services and

technology transfer to domestic entrepreneursand small businesses;

� assist startup, e-service innovative, small busi-nesses to grow from subsistence to independenceand generate employment and local economicdevelopment through accelerated e-servicedevelopment and ICT-enabled productionprocesses;

� foster alliances and partnerships to build capacityfor ICT-enabled business incubators and smallbusinesses at the national and regional levels toface the challenges and grasp the opportunitiesof the emerging global information economy;

� generate and disseminate lessons learned andsuccessful practices in the use of ICT for busi-ness incubation, enterprise innovation andbusiness competitiveness.

Planned Activities and MilestonesThe main activities to be undertaken under theinfoDev-funded work program are related to (a) corebusiness development, (b) training, (c) networkingand (d) marketing. � Transfer knowledge and training for improving

business management and enabling e-businesscapabilities.

� Procure the consulting and staff servicesrequired to establish, enhance or expand thebusiness incubation capabilities of clients.

� Consolidate the business plan.� Do a needs assessment of tenant companies,

particularly for ICT-based services.� Improve and innovate incubation services and

better definite business lines.� Improve the managerial and operational skills of

the incubator and of tenant companies, especiallyfor integrating ICT and e-services throughout.

� Develop and/or enhance the online presenceof the incubator and its clients and enable e-learning services for clients and outside users.

� Strengthen the networking, marketing, e-businessdevelopment, export and overall operationalcapabilities of tenant companies.

� Focus technical assistance on tenant companieswhen they are ready for graduation.

� Monitor and evaluate the impact of projectactivities and assess the progress of the incubatorand its clients.

� Generate and disseminate knowledge particular-ly in the form of strategic analyses, case studies,lessons learned, business models and successfulpractices, especially those ICT-related.

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MALAYSIAGrantee: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Grant: Operational Grant. US $250,000Contact: Mr Shukri HashimEmail: [email protected] Website:http://web.utm.my/bip/index.php?option=con-tent&task=view&id=29&Itemid=55&limit=1&limitstart=1

The Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) inJohore established and funded three non-profittechnology incubators in its Technovation Park inthe period 1997–2000. They are the IndustryCentre (1997); MARA Technology EntrepreneurialComplex (2000) and the UTM-MTDC (MalaysiaTechnology Development Corporation)Innovation Centre (2000). The UTM incubatorsare of various types. The Industry Centre hasmixed-use/technology, the MARA Complex is forpostgraduate ICT commercialization and theUTM-MTDC incubator specializes in commer-cializing research and development. UTM’s objec-tives are to enhance high-tech entrepreneurship insouthern Malaysia and in doing so make UTM aworld-class university. The total incubator buildingarea in the three centers is 2,370 square meters(Industrial Centre 1,592; MARA 290 and UTM-MTDC 488). There are 35 on-site tenants(Industrial Centre 15; MARA 15; UTM-MDC 5),and the number of graduates to date is 24(Industrial Centre 3; MARA 18; UTM-MDC 3).The incubator complex provides assistance totenant clients through seminars/training, forums,interviews, and grants through a commercializa-tion fund from UTM.

Project ObjectivesThe main goal is to help in promoting business inno-vation and private sector development by improvingthe performance of business incubation activities.

PartnershipsUTM has contributed $5,216,500 for the provisionand maintenance of the incubation facilities andICT infrastructure. UTM’s partners, MARA andMTDC, have also contributed $3,375,000 towardthe incubation and entrepreneurial training facilitiesand its programs.

Planned Activities and Milestones� In July 2003, the project committee organized a

workshop to elaborate the implementation ofthe program. The workshop recommended threeprograms: (1) training, (2) development of abusiness center and (3) server farm programs.

� Training: The training programs will help clientsin many ways such as educating entrepreneurs,developing business competency, identifyingentrepreneurs with business experience and cre-ating a business and entrepreneurial mind set.Among the main activities are the mentoringprograms, certificate programs, marketing andbusiness plan strategy workshops, study toursand financial planning courses.

� Business Center: The functions of the businesscenter are to provide facilities like Internet lines,fax machines, computers, software, printers,copiers etc. and to encourage business contactsand networking through seminars, conferencesand courses to create a support system for clients.

� Server farm: The server farm is to provide a por-tal system that helps clients to promote theirproducts, develop marketing strategies and busi-ness activities, and enhance commercialization.Independent network infrastructure will helpclients with reliable Internet connections.


MONGOLIAGrantee: InfoCon Company, Ltd

Grant: Planning Grant. US $100,000Contact: Ms. Tsetseg-Ulzii Yadamsuren, ProjectCoordinatorEmail: [email protected] Website:http://www.infocon.mn/eng/index.php

The activities during the planning phase will builda solid foundation for establishing a business incu-bator. The proposed New Path Incubation Centerwill be a joint initiative of the ongoing, highlyproductive relationship between InfoCon, theMongolia Development Gateway and theMongolian Academy of Science. The MongolianChamber of Commerce will also be involved, andthe Ministry of Infrastructure will offer officialrecognition and support. In the medium term, theincubator will engage a number of partners fromthe private sector to strengthen the capacity andviability of the project.

Project ObjectivesThe primary goal is to create a business incubatorthat will facilitate dynamic exchange, fosterresearch and development and promote the knowl-edge and use of information and communicationtechnologies (ICT) among Mongolian businesses.The main activities during the planning phase areto include an extensive needs assessment, strategicand business planning, creating partnerships,establishing the incubator’s infrastructure anddesigning a formal monitoring and evaluationmechanism.

PartnershipsImplementing organizations are InfoConCompany, Ltd, the Mongolia DevelopmentGateway, the Mongolian Academy of Science,and the Mongolian National Chamber ofCommerce and Industry. The role of InfoCon isto oversee the implementation of the project andto foster and maintain strategic partnerships. TheMongolia Development Gateway is to contributeits expertise and experience in ICT developmentand training and its ability to facilitate the integra-tion of ICT and sound business practices intoparticipating organizations. The role of the

Mongolian Academy of Science in the New Pathproject is to serve as the link between Mongolianbusinesses and research and development informa-tion and outcomes.

Planned Activities and Milestones � Extensive needs assessment: This process will

investigate the current status of technologytransfer in Mongolia and will assess the out-comes of these activities. It will look at thepotential for new opportunities and how theycan best be exploited. The assessment may alsofeature a financial viability study and risk assess-ment. A collaborative approach will be takeninvolving members from industry and the gov-ernment exploring their perspectives on thestrengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats(SWOT analysis) relating to new technologybusinesses in Mongolia.

� Strategic and business planning: A strategicbusiness plan will be developed in accordancewith the outcomes of the needs assessment andin consultation with the two main proponentsof the project. The business plan will featurea full implementation strategy, updated goalsand objectives, a risk minimization strategy,forward planning, a comprehensive internaland external ICT strategy, monitoring andevaluation processes and a well-defined exitstrategy.

� Support and partnership building: Both theMongolia Development Gateway and theMongolian Academy of Science already formpart of a wide ranging network of Mongolianorganizations dedicated to the development ofboth ICT and non-ICT industries in the country.During the planning phase, these relationshipswill be examined, and the potential benefits tothe projects will be assessed. This process willexpose any shortcomings or opportunities tocreate new links. Additional financial and in-kindsupport will be sought from both new andexisting partners.

� Establishing incubator facilities: Arrangements forphysical space and appropriate infrastructurewill be finalized. Based on the identified needs,the center will be set up and the recruitment ofinternal staff and clients will commence.

� Monitoring and evaluation: There will be inter-nal and external monitoring and evaluation.Internal monitoring will be carried out by theproject coordinator to ensure the timely delivery

Asia . 49

of activities and the achievement of goals andobjectives. External monitoring will be conductedby an experienced independent institution.The lessons learned will be applied. At the ini-tial stages, some key performance indicators andthe main goals and objectives will be developed.The progress of the project will be measuredagainst these and will be reported both in thequarterly and final reports.

� Development of an online portal: An incubatorwebsite is to be developed to communicate thegoals, objectives, services and products offered tobeneficiaries; to introduce partner organizations,

participants and achievements of the project andto regularly update activities implemented andprogress achieved. The site is to be designedin a portal format with the potential for eachparticipant to develop his or her own sub-portal.The site is to also feature some e-procurementand e-commerce functionalities. This will allowpotential investors to post funding proposalsand incubator participants to advertise theirresearch and production results. Moreover, itwill have a component on toolkits and guide-lines for small and medium-sized enterprises toenhance their businesses.


NEPALGrantee: Information Technology ProfessionalForum (ITPF), Nepal

Grant Amount: Planning Grant. US $100,000 Contact: Mr. Suresh Kumar Regmi, PresidentEmail: [email protected] Website: www.itpfnepal.org ProjectWebsite: http://www.incubation.org.np/

The Information Technology Professional Forum(ITPF) has been awarded a grant for the planningphase of Business Incubation System in Nepal.ITPF, with the cooperation and support ofstakeholders like the High Level Commissionfor Information Technology, His Majesty’sGovernment of Nepal, the Nepal Chamber ofCommerce, Kathmandu Engineering College,Kathmandu University and others, will conduct aneeds assessment, in-depth research and analysisand planning for the provision of business incuba-tion services to promote business innovation andprivate sector development. The business incuba-tion services will focus on the integration and useof information and communication technologies(ICT) into the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and micro enterprises(MEs).

Project ObjectiveThe ultimate goal is to build local capacity in thetargeted business communities, to raise awareness,to promote the appropriation and utilization ofICT by local entrepreneurs and small businesses astools to address their short- and long-term devel-opment goals and to facilitate the creation of aglobal incubator network for exchanging ideas andformulating best practices and lessons learned fordesigning and implementing business incubatorsin developing countries. The aim is to mobilizeresources and build capacity in organizations indeveloping countries based on available globalexperience and best practices, to catalyze furtherinvestment and support from domestic and inter-national organizations and to document experi-ences in utilizing ICT to help infoDev and therecipient better understand the impact of ICT onestablishing business incubators in developingcountries.

PartnershipsITPF is expected to partner with other private orpublic institutions; with SME development andinnovation programs with venture capital investors,financial institutions, universities, enterprise clus-tersand business associations and with NGOs. Twomeetings were organized with initial partnersnamely ITPF, the High Level Commission forInformation Technology, the Nepal Chamber ofCommerce, Kathmandu Engineering College andKathmandu University.

Planned Activities and MilestonesThis planning project is designed to be completed innine months. The first five months are to be allocatedto research and consultation. Programming and con-sensus building (Business Incubation System design)are scheduled to begin in the fourth month and willtake five months to complete. Awareness and promo-tion campaigns to benefit prospective stakeholders arealso to be initiated with the planning process and willcontinue beyond the project period. � Meetings were held with government, private

and civil society organizations and with profes-sionals who have been involved in SME/MEdevelopment, enterprise promotion, entrepre-neurial development and business incubation.

� A meeting of stakeholders was organized onAugust 24, 2004 to disseminate the concept ofbusiness incubation to the larger community, toidentify the immediate beneficiaries of this ini-tiative and to recognize the partner(s).

� A steering committee was officially formed withrepresentation from government institutionsincluding the High Level Commission forInformation Technology, the Department ofCottage and Small Industries, the NationalPlanning Commission and the NationalInformation Technology Centre. Other partici-pants included the business association of theNepal Chamber of Commerce, TribhuvanUniversity, Kathmandu University, ITPF andthe Incubator Initiative Nepal project team. Thesteering committee is chaired by a representativefrom the High Level Commission forInformation Technology.

� After several rounds of discussion and delibera-tions among initial partners and in the ITPFexecuting committee, the Incubator InitiativeNepal project submitted an inception report toinfoDev on September 7, 2004. Planned activi-ties are the following.

Asia . 51

1. Participate in activities promoted by iDISCand infoDev and contribute to knowledge-sharing activities at the local and internationallevels, particularly with other incubators andemerging enterprises.

2. Establish strategic partnerships with other keyinstitutions locally and in other countries toprovide complementary and cost-effectiveproducts and services, knowledge, network-ing, market integration, innovation, commu-nity outreach and financial support.

3. Establish a long-term, dynamic, easily accessedsource of knowledge on best practices in ICT-enabled business incubation that supportsentrepreneurship development and innovation

with a special emphasis on poverty alleviationand social and educational advancement.

4. Create a repository of business practices andneeds, drawing from experiences in the countryand elsewhere.

5. Network and establish partnerships to sup-port the analysis, planning and testing of newincubator approaches in challenging privatesector environments.

6. Document experiences and best practices inplanning and establishing an ICT-enabledbusiness incubator, creating strategic partner-ships and attracting additional financialresources from both private and publicresources.


PHILIPPINESGrantee: Ayala Foundation

Grant: Operational Grant. US $400,000Contact: Victoria P. GarchitorenaEmail: [email protected] Website:http://www.ayalafoundation.org/Project website:http://www.upayalatechnopark.org.ph/

The Ayala Technology Business Incubator (TBI) ispart of the University of the Philippines (UP) AyalaTechnology Park project to develop technologythrough information and communication technolo-gy-based entrepreneurship. The incubator, estab-lished in 2001 at the UP Diliman Campus Scienceand Technology Park, Quezon City (part of MetroManila), is a non-profit information and communi-cation technologyincubator encouraging newenterprise start-ups and business growth in (1)Internet technology; (2) network technology; (3)wire and wireless communication; (4) data commu-nication; (5) digital signal processing; (6) algorithmdevelopment; (7) software design and development;(8) hardware design and development and (9)microelectronic design. Its overall objective is to pro-mote government-academic-industry/ private sectorcollaboration and forge more support for small andmicro enterprise development in the Philippines.

Project ObjectivesThe work program funded by infoDev is to includethe following activities:� developing human and institutional capacity at

the community level by promoting the wider andmore efficient uses of information and communi-cation technologies (ICT) for local business inno-vation and their application for economic growth;

� stimulating economic activity, generatingemployment and leveraging ICT to facilitate theintegration of national and local business com-munities into the global economy;

� providing a strong demonstration effect leadingto improved ICT policies that encourage invest-ments in local small business communities;

� promoting equality and diversity in businessdevelopment by actively engaging disadvantagedgroups in incubation including women, peoplewith disabilities and minorities. Special attentionis to be given to the needs of small entrepreneurswho face challenges.

PartnershipsThere have been numerous relationships forgedacross the public and private sectors:� partnership with the Philippine Emerging

Startups Open, Inc. (www.mit.edu/peso/) inJuly 2005 to help build an entrepreneurial envi-ronment through business plan competitions,business plan writing workshops, mentoring andenterprise management seminars;

� collaborative effort with the Department ofTrade and Industry (DTI) specifically theBureau of Small and Medium EnterpriseDevelopment for incubator services for targetconsolidators or accelerators of micro and smallenterprises nationwide (Mindanao ProductsShowroom, Association of Negros Producers,Paete and Pakil Artisan Wood Carvers and theBantog Farmers Cooperative);

� collaborative effort with the PhilippineEconomic Zone Authority to register the facili-ty as an information and technology zone toenjoy the incentives provided;

� partnership with the Commission onInformation and Communication Technologyto (1) adopt a project initiative on helping smalland medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in ICTand (2) adopt a project initiative on eLegis (refer-ence system) for local government units (LGUs)

� regular exchange activities with DTI to identifyhow best to present SME capabilities in the ICTand electronics sectors ;

� partnership with the League of Vice-Mayors ofthe Philippines and Vice-Governors League ofthe Philippines to implement eLegis as a refer-ence system for business development andinvestment regulations in LGUs nationwide.

Activities Completed and Milestones Activities to be undertaken are in connectivity andnetworking, business resource inventory, serviceclinics, training; idea exchanges, “biz dev” plancompetitions, entrepreneurial learning labs,Philippine network of business incubators andaccelerators, sharing best practices, needs analysis,awareness raising and policy advocacy. Target mar-kets include technology start-ups, research anddevelopment service providers, and knowledge-based activities. TBI now consists of a 520 squaremeter building with 8 tenants, but there is a planfor an expanded facility to offer more space. It ismanaged through a steering committee and a proj-ect management team.

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Indicative portfolio of ayala technology business incubator

Name of Client Company Description of Business

Fluxion, Inc One of the leading platform developers and solution providers for mobile technology in the Philippines.It is the first beneficiary of the incubation program of iAyala’s Ideafarm, a former locator at TBI.

OptiServe Technologies, Inc A company involved in the design, development and integration of custom-built application software for education, LGUs and business.

I-Gate Solutions and The company produces environmental control units for telecom companies. It is involved in theTechnologies Corp development and manufacture of automation products for cell site applications.

Integrative Learning This is a “knowledge-systems integration company” and a content innovator that provides a pioneeringe-learning venue offering the first master’s degree program for teachers in the Philippines and otherdeveloping countries. It uses the multi-intelligent distance learning protocol as a standard for distance education design and delivery.

Astra (Philippines), Inc It develops software and hardware solutions for export, mainly to Japan. It also engages in research and development in areas such as optical character recognition, mobile and wireless computing andentertainment software.

Systema Computer Solutions A software company that delivers business solutions using innovative and cost-effective informationCorporation technologies. Systema is in partnership with 10art-ni Corporation, a Japanese web system consulting

and development company, Systema plans to conduct research and development pertaining to 10art-ni’s Web Work Bench Software, an application framework product for Java development.

Java Research and Development A 4-way collaboration among Mirant Foundation, Ayala Foundation, Sun Microsystems and UP, Center it is an incubating facility for small enterprises.

Center for Economic Policy The center has been designated as the Asian focal point for Scientist for Health Research andResearch Center Research for Development (SHARED), a web-based knowledge management approach designed to

foster networking among health scientists in developing and developed regions. The center is in partnership with UP Manila Information System, Philippine General Hospital, the National Institute of Health and the Philippine Center for Health Research and Development.


SRI LANKAGrantee: Sri Lanka Technology Incubator (Pvt.)Limited

Grant Amount: Operational Grant. US $300,000 Contact: Ms. Thusitha D.Pilapitiya, ChiefExecutive OfficerEmail: [email protected] Website:http://www.conceptnursery.com/

The Sri Lanka Technology Incubator (SLTI) is anICT technology incubator, established in July 2000in Colombo as a small non-profit company operat-ing under the title of the Concept NurseryExpansion Program. Its business development aimis to strengthen and encourage entrepreneurshipand stimulate the adoption and consumption ofinformation and communications technology (ICT)in Sri Lanka by growing and franchisingConceptNursery to provide opportunities for entre-preneurs throughout the country to establish andgrow viable ICT related ventures; develop programsto assist SME enterprises to adopt and utilize ICT;develop and promote technology entrepreneur pro-grams for women; and disseminate best practicesin business incubation including the exchange ofentrepreneur experiences and incubator manage-ment. The total building area of the ICT incubatoris 325 sq. meters, housing 10 ICT-enabled softwaretenants employing 50 staff. There are also two off-site tenants, and three more are about to belaunched. The incubator has graduated 20 clientsover the past 3 years, mainly due to rapid expansionof their business and staff numbers. The incubatorprovides assistance to clients with financial assis-tance by arranging regular forums and meetingsinvolving venture capital investors and tenants(through one of the incubator’s partners(NextVentures), a venture capital company. Thiscompany is used to help develop tenants’ businessplans, finance applications, other documentation,and undertake due diligence.

Project ObjectiveThe ConceptNursery Expansion Program isintended to strengthen the incubator and broad-en its scope of activities to encourage entrepre-neurialism and stimulate the adoption and con-sumption of information and communications

technology (ICT) in Sri Lanka. The objectivesinclude:� Grow and franchise ConceptNursery to provide

opportunities for entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka toestablish and grow viable ICT related ventures

� Develop programs to assist small and mediumsized enterprises in Sri Lanka to develop and/oradopt and consume ICT

� Develop and promote technology entrepreneurprograms for women

� Disseminate best practices in business incuba-tion including the exchange of entrepreneurexperiences and incubator management

� Ensure sustainability of incubator activities byincreasing the level of operational efficiency andthe development of new revenue streams to helpfund expansion activities

The ConceptNursery intends to help establish ascalable environment that would be conducive toentrepreneurialism, research and development ofnew technology and solutions, and the maturing ofthe ICT sector. Using the experience gained overthe past three years, and the combined expertise ofits Board of Directors, Concept Nursery will adapta pragmatic and realistic approach to achieving theabove goal and objectives.

PartnershipsThe ConceptNursery is a unique public privatepartnership between the following institutions:� Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology:

Quasi Government : ICT training/eGovernment� Nextventures Limited: Private : Venture Capital

Fund Management � MediaSolv: Private: Software development � Prudential Holding Limited: Private Diversified

The ConceptNursery Expansion Program willbe conducted with the direct support of two ofthe incubator’s founding shareholders; MediaSolutions and NextVentures. Media Solutionswill assist with the ICT Enhancements, whileNextVentures will provide ManagementConsultancy.

Activities completed and somemilestones Conceptnursery had more than three years ofhands-on experience incubating mainly software

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related startups. The main objective of the infoDevproject was to expand the reach and be able toserve more entrepreneurs. In order to execute theproject effectively, two components required devel-oping – (a) Comprehensive itemized master planfor the entire project with evaluation criteria and(b) a process based approach with flexibility toadapt unique incubatee situations

Eight areas were identified as most important for the expansion project that includes Womenentrepreneurship; Technology related education;Non-technology related education; Open sourceevangelism; Forum to exchange innovations;Events to encourage innovation; Virtual incubation;and Franchising Conceptnursery

In order to make a positive impact on these areas,number of activities was planned strategically.These activities were designed carefully to makesure the right content is delivered to the rightrecipient. Following areas will highlight the activi-ties that are taking place at the moment.� Conference: The ‘Entrepreneurship

Conference’ was targeted at decision makersand gate keepers from the corporate world. In this regard Sri Lanka’s first conference onentrepreneurship was conducted successfullyon March 19th 2004. The title of the confer-ence was ‘Business Incubation for Innovationand Economic Development’. Top officialsfrom both government and private sectorparticipated.

� Big-Idea Workshop: With regard to taking theentrepreneurship mantra country wide, a specialinteractive workshop named ‘BigIdea’ was created.The workshop includes many lectures with theobjective being to introduce creative thinkingprocess and distil it further with a business plan.This workshop was very successfully conductedat various institutions, including universities andother associations.

� Training and Capacity Building: For both tech-nology and non-technology related education, aset of topics that are high demand were identi-fied and were formulated after doing a researchwith the incubatees and industry. The topicswere categorized into various disciplines likeMarketing, Management, Technology, Legal,Finance, Human Resource Development. Mostof the topics were conducted free of charge tothe participants.

� ICT components: The ConceptnurseryExpansion program envisages the use of ICT toincrease operational efficiency and deliver scala-ble functionality as the incubator embarks on amission to broaden its scope of activities beyondthe confines of current resident program. Thesuite of tools includes:

The Entrepreneur Portal: Entrepreneur Portal willallow ConceptNursery (CN) to aggregate and dis-seminate news that relates to entrepreneurship andemerging technology. One of the biggest problemsfor budding entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka is that theylack exposure and access to information. TheEntrepreneur Portal will cut the clutter on theInternet and allow visitors to the site to access newsand information related to the incubator’s areas ofinterest. The Entrepreneur Portal will be an out-reach activity of CN, primarily intended to attractpotential Tenants and partners. This portal is cur-rently at the prototype stage and is going throughfinal deployment stage.

Groupware and messaging platform: Even asCN’s activities and focus extends beyond the wallsof the current building the need to engage andwork closely with resident and virtual Tenants,partners and various other stakeholders becomeseven more pronounced. A comprehensive CNMessaging and Groupware solution will allow thevarious stakeholders to communicate and shareinformation more efficiently. In addition to email,calendar and contact management, the online doc-ument share, message board and chat conferencingfacilities will also allow the CN to facilitate anongoing dialogue and also conduct online mentor-ing sessions and seminars. The CN Messagingand Groupware solution is primarily intended toincrease internal productivity as the incubatorbroadens its scope and focus. CN proposes todeploy an online Project Management andCollaboration solution that will dovetail into theCN Messaging and Groupware platform. TheProject Management and Collaboration solutionwill be used for CN’s own activities as well as forCN Tenants, resident and virtual, who will managetheir technology development process using thistool. The tenants will be able to use this facility toallow their customers, investors and other partnersto track progress and monitor developments. TheCN Project Management and Collaboration solution


is primarily intended to infuse discipline and trans-parency from the very beginning of the CNTenant’s technology development process. Boththese products are currently installed at the premis-es and going through the acceptance stage

Technology and Investment Exchange Portal:To further compliment CN’s Entrepreneur Portal,CN proposes to develop and deploy an onlineTechnology and Investment Exchange for Tenantsand Graduates. This facility will allow currentand graduated Tenants, both resident and virtual,to market and deliver themselves, their productsand solutions to customers and potentialinvestors who may be anywhere in the world. TheCN Technology and Investment Exchange willintegrate functionality similar to that found onpopular commercial sites like eLance, CDW,Amazon & eVentures. This facility will be used togenerate revenue and build credibility that could

subsequently be leveraged by the Tenants as theyestablish themselves in the market. This facilitywill also be integrated with the three other soft-ware modules so as to provide a seamless userexperience. This portal is currently at the proto-type stage.

Tenant portal: The CN’s growth beyond theconfines of the current premises is crucial to itslong-term success. It is clear, however, that growthcannot come from investment in brick and mortarincubators. To this end, the incubator has con-ceived a franchise program and a Virtual Tenant(VT) program. The franchise program will beimplemented through alliances with Universitiesand other institutions at the national levels. TheVT program however, will aim to provide therelevant services to prospective tenants who willincubate remotely. This portal is currently at theprototype stage.

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SRI LANKA Grantee: Intermediate Technology DevelopmentGroup – South Asia

Grant Amount: Planning Grant. US $70,000Contact : Mr. Jayantha Gunasekara, TechnologyProgramme LeaderEmail: [email protected] Website: http://www.itdg.org/; ProjectWebsite: http://www.rensrilanka.org/

Intermediate Technology DevelopmentGroup— South Asia (ITDG) helps eradicatepoverty in developing countries by developingand using technology and by demonstratingresults, sharing knowledge and influencing oth-ers. ITDG was established in England in 1966by Dr. Fritz Schumacher, author of ‘Small isBeautiful’. The organization has regional andcountry offices in Peru, Kenya, Zimbabwe, SriLanka, Sudan, Bangladesh and Nepal. ITDGhelps eradicate poverty in developing countries bydeveloping and using technology and by demon-strating results, sharing knowledge and influenc-ing others.

Project Objective:Under the infoDev Incubator Initiative, ITDG willwork with small scale agro processors to strengthentheir market linkages through networking andintroducing simple and effective applications ofICTs and link them with the e-business world.The services that are planned to be identifiedinclude market intelligence, marketing services,expert inputs, management inputs and timelyinformation that are beyond the conventionalbusiness development services delivery. This com-mercial provision of marketing and other consul-tancy services for the rural and small scale agroprocessing sector is to be undertaken through acommunity network model ‘Rural EnterpriseNetwork’ (REN) that was established among thegroup enterprises assisted by ITDG, which hasnow emerged to be the business incubating arm ofITDG South Asia.

Partnerships:The REN or Rural Enterprise Network, whichbrings together rural micro scale agro processors,was conceived by ITDG to address certain pertinent

issues that plague rural producers in Sri Lanka. It is a venture that seeks to bridge the gapbetween rural entrepreneurs and distant marketsand professional services. Today, REN is incubat-ing fifteen group enterprises in the districts of Badulla, Kurunegala, Kandy, Matara,Anuradhapura and Puttalam in the field of agroprocessing (dehydrated vegetables, fruits, andmedicinal herbs.)

Planned Activities and some milestones:ITDG-South Asia has establishment of a ‘ruralenterprise network’ (REN) as an extended businessdevelopment service provider for small scale ruralenterprises. The main functions of the REN are to, � Do market research, set up business partnerships

and sales agreements and facilitate physicalaccess for REN members to markets.

� Establish a new brand name � Set up and operate a business extension service

offering limited services and facilitating widerservices to REN members

� Develop service agreements and useful contactswith a range of organizations (credit institu-tions, BDS, legal experts etc.) and use the exten-sion service to help facilitate access of RENmembers to these organizations.

� Organized ICT platform to communicate andcoordinate on all business functions of scatteredmembers of Rural Enterprise Network.

The operational costs of the business incubationmodel will be financed from donor funding initial-ly and will recovered by embedded cost recoverymechanisms of providing marketing assistance andlinkage development. The main revenue stream ofthe business incubator would be the commissionbusinesses those currently involved with.

The main investors will be financial institutions.REN will assist the group enterprises coming underthe purview of its business incubation to developsound business and investment plans which willprovide the financial indicators such as pay-backperiods, return on investment, for the creditor todraw up their own exit plans. Part of the financialinvestment will be made from the revenue of thebusiness incubators. The project is to develop part-nerships with organizations and development pro-grams promoting micro-enterprises. In this way theincubator will gain the opportunity of identifyingpotential enterprises for their services.


THAILANDGrantee: Kenan Institute Asia (KIAsia)

Grant: Planning Grant. US $100,000Contact: Paul Wedel, Executive Director Email: [email protected] Website: www.kiasia.org

Kenan Institute Asia (KIAsia) and the Office ofVocational Education Commission developed theKIAsia Business Incubator (KIAsia BI) in 2003 toassist aspiring entrepreneurs in Thailand, especiallyrural residents who typically lack funds and neces-sary basic business know-how. KIAsia BI is currentlyfocusing on assisting entrepreneurs to realize theirbusiness ideas while expanding to include informa-tion and communication technology (ICT) utiliza-tion and international business practices. (KIAsiawas established in 1996 with an endowment provid-ed by United States Agency for InternationalDevelopment, the Royal Thai Government, theFrank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterpriseand the William R. Kenan Charitable Trust).

Project ObjectivesKIAsia used the planning grant from infoDev todo significant research and planning to conceive,formulate and refine a business plan to establishbusiness incubators at five vocational schools through-out Thailand. The Office of Vocational EducationCommission of Thailand is a strategic partner andwill provide facilities, staff and tenants once theplanning phase is concluded and the operationalphase begins. This work program is to focus on fourkey areas: basic business education, competencydevelopment, funding assistance and ICT utilization/skills. Each area will include a number of activitiesas pre-requisites for the successful implementationof effective, efficient incubators. These activities areto have a positive impact on the ICT communitywithin Thailand as the rural community begins toutilize their benefits.

PartnershipsThe Office of Vocational Education Commission(OVEC) is responsible for vocational educationand short training programs to meet the needs ofthe labor market and national economic growthaccording to the human resource production policy and the National Economic and SocialDevelopment Plan. KIAsia was involved in strategic

direction, linking KIAsia BI with partner organiza-tions, coordinating with infoDev, researching bestincubator practices/ICT uses and customizing themfor Thailand. OVEC coordinated with KIAsia toidentify the five ideal incubator location sites, toevaluate the KIAsia BI plan with regard to facilitiesand staff resources to be allocated for the businessincubator and to assist with future tenant recruit-ment. Both organizations worked closely togetherto bring on-site or off-site incubation services to asmany locations in Thailand as possible.

Activities Completed and Milestones� Close cooperation with OVEC: KIAsia and

OVEC have worked closely together over thepast year to prepare a business plan for the incu-bator. This close cooperation has resulted in astrong relationship that will enable the twoorganizations to work together to implementthe plan. By building on the strengths of theirrespective organizations, this partnership is bet-ter positioned to address the needs of the smalland medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) targetedby the planned incubators. This close coopera-tion will undoubtedly lead to other projectsbetween the two organizations and is alsoplanned to be used as a road map for futuresuccessful partnerships.

� Increased internal capacity of KIAsia: KIAsia staffhave been able to attend numerous trainingcourses that have significantly built up internalcapacity. Most noteworthy is the “train thetrainer” course for new incubator managers thatwas facilitated by Amber Nystrom from SocialFusion. KIAsia approached the NationalBusiness Incubators Association (NBIA) andrequested a course to train new incubator man-agers in Southeast Asia. KIAsia is the onlyorganization to have received this type of course.It is expected that KIAsia will offer this trainingto many organizations in Southeast Asia therebyincreasing the capacity of the region. Training inbest business incubator practices, general busi-ness incubator issues and financing for tenantshas rounded out the training received. KIAsiahas already utilized this new capacity by organiz-ing seminars to increase awareness of businessincubators. KIAsia is working to be a leadinginformation and consulting resource for businessincubation in Southeast Asia.

� Networking with organizations in Thailand andinternationally: KIAsia’s network will greatly

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assist future SME clients as KIAsia acts as thefocal point for domestic and international com-munication and partnerships. ICT use will allowincubator tenants access to our domestic andinternational partners.

� Business plan that is ready to seek funding forimplementation: This business plan has analyzedcurrent situations, best practices, andcultural/geographical/environmental issues spe-cific to the planned incubator sites. The planhas been refined and is ultimately expected to becomplemented by site specific business plans.

� Incorporated ICT use into the business model whichtargets rural communities: Connecting rural SMEsto ICT was a primary concern for KIAsia inplanning these incubators. Significant time andresources were expended to understand how ICTcould successfully be utilized by target clients.The plan includes not only ICT as a means ofaccessing information but can also be used as acentral part of a tenant’s business model. The keywas not just providing Internet access to compa-nies but understanding that incorporating ICTwill facilitate their business processes.


Kenan Institute has received an additional funding of $100,000 from infoDev for its proposed work program to upgrade the business-incu-bation services provided in Lao PDR, Cambodia, and Thailand, through localized interventions tailored to the specific contexts and needsof each country in five critical areas of business-incubator services including (a) Pre-entry entrepreneur training; (b) Post-selection comprehen-sive business assistance program; (c) Tenant capitalization, financing, and access to finance; (d) ICT transfer and commercialization; (e)Local business community outreach and other linkages.

The proposed work program is to be implemented by Kenan Institute Asia (KIAsia); Office of the Vocational Education Commission ofThailand (OVEC), Ministry of Education in Thailand; Lao PDR National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ICT Commerce AssociationCommittee (LNCCI) in Lao PDR and the Cambodia Institute for Development Studies (CIDS) in Cambodia. All the partners will be involvedin implementing the above activities. KIAsia will provide strategic direction, project management, links to the broader regional and globalincubator networks, training, knowledge transfer, and consulting. The country partners will be responsible for local insight, mobilization, andfacilities. All the participating institutions will be responsible for ensuring business-incubation services conceived are appropriate and respon-sive to the local environment and needs of tenant, SME, and aspiring entrepreneur beneficiaries..


THAILANDGrantee: National Science and TechnologyDevelopment Agency of Thailand NSTDA

Grant: Capacity Building Grant Grant Amount: US$150,000Contact: Dr. Janekrishna Kanatharana, Director,Thailand Science ParkEmail: [email protected] Website: www.nstda.or.th, www.sciencepark.or.th

The main goal of the infoDev funded work pro-gram is to strengthen the Thai business incubationsystem by capacity building and networkingactivities. It is expected that this will consecutivelystrengthen the anchor function that Thailand hasin the Mekong Region by fostering collaborationespecially with other (future) incubator projects inVietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines, by trans-ferring successfully tested components of the Thaiproject.

Partnerships All activities consider a cross-border transfer of theThai experiences to future incubator projects inVietnam, Cambodia, and Philippines. The partner-ship network will include the following:� Project partner with 2 regional coordination

offices in the partner countries ensuring the net-working, promotion and the knowledge dissem-ination within these countries

� Monitoring committee composed of representa-tives from each partner and a project team fromeach partner to ensure real cross-border collabo-ration

� 17 representatives from the partner countriesparticipating in 2 networking events in Thailandwith an opportunity to foster contacts with theThai business incubation community

� Project website “Mekong Region BusinessIncubators Alliances - MBIA” in Thai andEnglish, with some sections in Vietnamese,Cambodian and Filipino to facilitate the accessto the knowledge compiled within the project

� Database with good practices in incubator man-agement for sharing experiences, including thepublications produced from the report includingthe Benchmarking of Thai business incubationsystem openly available

� A Thai standard for performance monitoringand evaluation, tested for its applicability inThailand with ICT support by an electronicknowledge management system (eKMS), whichcould be adopted by the partner countries’ busi-ness incubators;

� Strategic objective of Thai Business and Incubator,Science and Technology Park Association(BISPA), the business incubator network, tobecome a contacting point to international part-ners and to encourage business incubators inThailand to develop strategic alliances with rele-vant organizations in Thailand and abroad.

Project ObjectivesThe main objectives of the infoDev funded workprogram include the following:� Strengthening the Thai business incubation sys-

tem by fostering networking and collaborationalong the supply chain of entrepreneurial sup-port in Thailand including the Thai businessincubators, Thai-BISPA—the network of busi-ness incubators, and the other innovation sup-port organizations

� Leveraging ICT through integrating an elec-tronic knowledge management system (eKMS)into a project website to support the perform-ance monitoring and evaluation and to createknowledge of good practices in incubatormanagement

� Networking to quantify and improve the impactof the incubation system in Thailand;

� Elaborating a standard for performance moni-toring and evaluation of Thai business incuba-tors and to test its applicability

� Improving the monitoring and evaluation skills ofThai business incubator managements in order toincrease their capacities for self-assessment.

The above objectives are to be achieved throughthe following set of planned activities:� Design and organization of regional network

activities of the Thai business incubator networkto strengthen the anchor function of Thailandin the Mekong Region

� Operating a website Mekong Region BusinessIncubators Alliances—MBIA with eKMS

� Improving M&E skills of business incubatormanagements within Thai-BISPA

� Testing a Thai standard for monitoring andevaluation of Thai business incubator operations

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VIETNAMGrantee: Center for Research and Consulting onManagement

Grant: Planning Grant. US $50,000Contact: Mr. Pham Minh TuanEmail: [email protected] Website: http://www.hut.edu.vn/en/index.php?c7_9

The Center for Research and Consulting onManagement (CRC), an autonomous unit ofHanoi University of Technology (HUT), is the leadimplementing institution for the work program inVietnam. The center was established in 2003 in thefaculty of economics and management with sup-port from the Swiss Agency For Development andCooperation, the Asia Institute of Technology, andthe Vietnam management development program.The overall mandate of CRC includes consultingand applied research on management and econom-ics; facilitating technology transfer; organizing sem-inars and short-term training courses; conductingmarket research and marketing services; organizingbusiness tours; mediating cross-market partner-ships; and cooperating with international partnersto enhance training quality.

Project ObjectivesThe objective of the work program is to fill thecurrent gap in Vietnam for support for entrepre-neurs in pre-seed and seed stages through training,research-application links, developing businessplans, providing infrastructure building networksand offering business development services. Theprimary target tenants include students andresearchers in universities and research institutions;authors of information and communication tech-nology (ICT)- related innovations; individuals orteams with research under way or a completedinnovation and young companies with fewer thantwo years of operation.

PartnershipHanoi University of Technology was establishedin 1956. Over the last 40 years, the university hasbecome a national institution for training engineersand a center for scientific research for almost allindustries in the country and has further madeconsiderable contributions to national education.

Planned Activities and Milestones The planned work program includes (1) seminarsand workshops on entrepreneurship; (2) the annualbusiness plan competitions within HUT; (3) regu-lar networking events with venture capitalists, later-stage incubators, corporate ventures and angelinvestors; (4) maintaining relationships withnational competitions and (5) leveraging the novel-ty of the university incubator concept to createmedia coverage. The overall ICT strategy isplanned to include three elements: � an e-learning platform for business plan semi-

nars and management training; � an Internet-based information platform on busi-

ness start-ups; � services for creating website creation and for

e-commerce.

The objectives for both the current planning andthe implementation phases are as follow:� Sustainable financial model: To construct a

financial model with projected costs for carry-ing out the objectives in the operational phaseand to identify feasible sources and amounts offunding (from private, government and non-government organizations) that sustainablycover those costs.

� Awareness raising: To raise awareness about theincubation concept and the CRC incubator inparticular among potential donors, investors,clients and the community at large.

� Potential clients: To identify one or two clientswho are currently in need of incubation servicesand who show high potential for either becom-ing a self-sustaining company or providing tech-nology that will be applied widely.

All the above activities aim to: � provide innovators with early practical advice to

help direct their research so that their work willbring applicable, marketable results;

� coach and support them in creating convincingbusiness plans that will win interest from later-stage incubators and venture capital funds;

� provide office infrastructure and lab resources tofacilitate their research and business development;

� establish relevant networks of contacts, helpentrepreneurs meet potential investors,clients, suppliers, partners, management andstaff;

� help perform the necessary legal and financialwork for setting up a new company.



The Center of Research and Consulting on Management (CRC), an autonomous unit of Hanoi University of Technology, has received anadditional funding of $50,000 from infoDev towards its proposed work program related to promote and support research-based and/ortechnology-oriented start-up entrepreneurs as well as technology business incubators. The specific objectives include:

� Strengthen capacity of CRC Business Incubator to offer more comprehensive and integrated services to promising entrepreneurs withviable technology business ideas and increase the number of highly potential incubatees and the number of successfully graduatedincubatees from 5 in 2004 to 15–20 in 2006.

� Develop as a Technology Business Incubator Support Center in Vietnam and support the Ministry of Science and Technology to devel-op an effective and sustainable national network of business incubators in Vietnam

� Build a Virtual incubator to support the establishment and operation of 60 sustainable community information technology training centersin Vietnam.


ARMENIAGrantee: Viasphere Technopark

Grant: Capacity Building Grant. US $150,000Contact: Aram Vardanyan, General Director,Viasphere Technopark Email: [email protected]: http://www.viasphere.com

Viasphere Technopark (VT) is a private companyincorporated in the Republic of Armenia in 2001and is a wholly owned subsidiary of ViasphereInternational (VI). VT started operations in July2001 by housing five start-up companies. Since then,Viasphere Technopark has become a model commer-cial incubator in Armenia currently housing 11 tenantsand has created more than 400 jobs in informationand communication technologies (ICT) in additionto adding long-term value to local resident companiesand subsidiaries in the United States (US).

VT is centrally located in Yerevan, the capital ofArmenia, in the southeastern industrial part of thecity in close proximity to Zvartnots InternationalAirport and downtown Yerevan. The technoparkcampus consists of 10 buildings. The site was for-merly a headquarters of Transistor Company, oneof the most advanced semiconductor research anddevelopment centers in the former Soviet Unionrecognized throughout for power semiconductordevelopment. The buildings consist primarily ofoffice space and electronics laboratories.

PartnershipsViasphere International has a network of venture cap-ital and angel funds with a track record of successfullyfunding start-ups and projects. It has funded projectswith several firms, funds and individuals in SiliconValley in the US with proven industry track records.Viasphere International has a close working relation-ship with D-Age Ventures, Band of Angels andAlpha Ventures. Over the years, VI has establishedworking relationships with other incubators aroundthe world through formal and personal connectionswith the principals. It looks at these relationships as away to exchange experiences and to access expertiseand local markets on a mutually beneficial basis.These relationships include the following incubatorsand technology parks: Werhner von BraunInstitute, São Paulo, Brazil; Saras Labs, Sardinia,Italy and XL TechGroup, Florida, US. In additionto infrastructure and management experience,

VI possesses a network of worldwide investors andincubators to help companies with capital needs,development resources and access to markets.

Project Objectives The main objective of the infoDev-funded work pro-gram is to improve the managerial and operationalcapabilities of the Viasphere Technopark and its ten-ants and to strengthen the growing ICT sector inArmenia. The anticipated project outcomes will:(i) facilitate the flow of information and expertiseto transfer know-how in creating and runningsuccessful start-ups;

(ii) tap into a global network and exchange of expe-riences among ICT incubators in the US, Europe,and the Far East;

(iii) facilitate an exchange of experiences amongincubators in the US, Europe, Latin America andArmenia, and

(iv) support local start-ups to serve as catalysts pro-viding cost-effective and ICT-enabled solutions forvarious branches of industry that are key to the socio-economic development of Armenia. These objectiveswill be achieved through targeted consulting, train-ing, residency and commercialization services to beoffered by VT in Armenia and VI in the US.

Activities� Providing knowledge and advice to VT staff on the

business and operational specifics of running busi-ness incubators: The activity will include incuba-tor management consulting. An internationalconsultant with extensive expertise in businessincubation and development will assist VTmanagement and staff in further developing andimproving their strategy and operational mecha-nisms, will help to create solid business linksbetween businesses and research and will adviseon training needs and networking opportunities.

� Reviewing and learning international expertise byestablishing beneficial links with business incuba-tors, private companies and non-profit organiza-tions: This activity proposes study tours for VTmanagement and staff to successful businessincubators to learn their key development fac-tors and success stories, to discuss possible waysof cooperating with the Armenian incubatorsand the IT/hi-tech community and to considerperspectives and the feasibility of implementingjoint projects of mutual interest and benefit.

Eastern Europe and Central Asia . 65

� Organizing the participation of tenant companiesin the CeBIT 2005/Electronica exhibition to gaina better understanding of worldwide trends inIT/hi-tech and to review their marketing capabili-ties as well as to create contacts and partnerships:Three prospective tenant companies will partici-pate in the tradeshow.

� Supporting tenant and client companies to serve ascatalysts providing cost-effective and ICT-enabledsolutions for various branches of industry: Theactivity includes implementation of 5 strategicjoint pilot projects.

� Providing local companies, start-ups, and individu-als with an easily accessed source of knowledge onbusiness incubation that supports entrepreneurship,development and innovation: Workshops andseminars will be organized to talk to the commu-nity to disseminate information on ICT and thepower of business incubation as well as to identi-fy key problems existing in different industrialsectors where ICT-enabled solutions might help.

MilestonesViasphere Technopark was one of nine companiesnominated for the government’s annual award onquality assurance and service provision in 2004.During the past two months, VT has worked

intensively with three companies from the US,France and Armenia to establish start-up compa-nies in the Technopark.

� November 2004. Synopsys, Inc. (NASDAQ:SNPS) the world leader in electronic designautomation software for semiconductor designacquires Monterey Arset, CJSC, originally aViasphere start-up company (2001), whichbecame a wholly owned subsidiary of MontereyDesign Systems, Inc. based in Silicon Valley,California in May 2003.

� Negotiations are ongoing to house Synopsys’two local subsidiary companies on VTpremises.

� January 2005. VT awarded Government ofArmenia’s annual and prestigious award forquality assurance and service provision.

� March 2005. First VT graduation. The originalViasphere start-up company (2001) becameE-Z-CAD subsidiary (2003) by increasing thenumber of staff from 5 to 60.

� March 2005. Participation in CeBIT 2005 exhi-bition in Hanover, Germany and demonstrationof the first prototype of Densitec (high precisiongreen density measuring equipment) developedand designed in Viasphere with the joint effortsof our tenant and client companies.


Indicative portfolio of viasphere technopark

Name of Tenant Company Description of Business

Synopsys Armenia CJSC Electronic design automation

Epygi Labs Armenia, LLC Networking software and hardware

Transistor Delta, CJSC Microwave and high-frequency semiconductor research and manufacturing

M-Possible CJSC Gaming software for personal digital assistants

Transistor Plus, LLC Semiconductor and testing device design

DVA Group Armenia, CJSC Broadband and digital video design systems

EAA Center Telecommunication services

Diamotech, CJSC Yerevan Branch Office; diamond polishing

Sonics Armenia Holding, Inc. Embedded electronic design

Cafeteria Technofood, CJSC Catering services

Damaris Am, LLC Banking software design and e-service

Rubin L. Tech, CJSC Laser device design and service

Smart-Tech, LLC Banking software design and services

IntEj, LLC Voice over Internet protocol services

Piton publishing, LLC Publishing

SCDM, CJSC Banking software

Averso, CJSC Gaming software design


AZERBAIJANGrantee: Information and TelecommunicationTechnologies Development Association

Grant: Planning Grant. US $100,000Contact: Mr Araz Mamadov, Email: [email protected], Website: http://www.gateway.az/cl2_gw/pages/az/

Information and TelecommunicationsTechnologies Development Association(INFOTEK) is a locally registered non-profitorganization with a mandate for the developmentof information and communication technologies(ICT) in Azerbaijan. It is the organization that isresponsible for the “az” domain name. The objec-tive of the work program funded under the infoDevIncubator Initiative is to foster the social and eco-nomic development of Sumgayit by launching abusiness incubator there. Sumgayit is located in thenorthern part of the Absheron peninsula, north ofBaku, and is the second largest industrial city in thecountry.

PartnershipsThe partner organizations for this project inaddition to INFOTEK, include FlexibleSolutions; the Executive Office of SumgayitCity; Citizens Development Corps (CDC), aUS non-profit organization and internationalorganizations including the United NationsDevelopment Programme (UNDP) through itsJoint Azerbaijan Government and NationalInformation Communication TechnologyStrategy (NICTS) project. The other partnersinclude Khazar University; a local televisionbroadcasting station SPACE; DevelopmentGateway Foundation; IIZ, a German fundingorganization and Hewlett Packard Invent. Thereare also working relations with the Sumgayitbranch of the Ministry of EconomicDevelopment of Azerbaijan which is responsiblefor business support and development inSumgayit and in the Aphseron region.

Project Objectives The mission of the project is to foster the socialand economic development of Sumgayit by intro-ducing a business incubator that will promoteentrepreneurship and private sector development,

develop higher penetration of national businessesin domestic and international markets and providemore dynamic knowledge flows and collaborationamong stakeholders of the local business community.This is to be primarily achieved by developing theorganizational capacities and client orientation ofthe incubator through increased services and prod-ucts for tenant companies, by creating a suite ofonline tools and forums for partnerships and byformulating a business plan for its long-termsustainability.

Planned Activities and MilestonesThe project will be implemented in two stages.

Planning September 2004—October 2005: Themain goal of this stage is to identify the incubationenvironment and assess the needs of local businesses.This will include the following actions:� conducting an assessment of the current situation

of regulatory, policy, institutional, infrastructure,business climate and human resources and theuse of ICT for small enterprise development;

� providing an assessment of needs of small andmedium-sized enterprises in terms of supportservices;

� identifying the primary hurdles to face inestablishing a business incubator and makingit sustainable (identify potential revenuestreams);

� identifying local business capacity and the goodsproduced and prepare local company profiles;

� preparing all documentation and business plansfor establishing a business incubator and mobi-lizing local and international partners for sup-port for establishing and running it;

� identifying market demands for Sumgayit goodsand services and the best methods to utilize ICTtools for local business development;

� identifying the donor organizations that willprovide the funding for tenant companies to getISO certification and getting financial assistancefrom local and international financial institu-tions for them;

� discussing the introduction of the curriculumon business incubators with the Ministry ofEducation and leading universities;

� recruiting 10 future business incubation anddevelopment managers and providing them withtraining on business organization, marketing,finance and financial management, English lan-guage, how to write proposals and submit tenders,


business incubation principles, project manage-ment and introduction of ICT tools into pro-duction and business processes;

� developing and introducing online and printedbusiness models to sustain the incubator andproduce the necessary business concept papersand business plans.

Implementation January 2006 – February 2007: Themain outcome of this stage is to establish the busi-ness incubator and provide its services for tenantcompanies. The related milestones here include thefollowing:� organizing and conducting an exhibition of

local business companies;� creating a web platform for the business incuba-

tor and for tenant companies;� providing assistance for tenant companies to

prepare and pass ISO certification;� developing organizational capacity and strength-

ening client orientation by establishing thebusiness incubator as a registered legal entity;producing the technical support strategy, mech-anisms and documentation; setting up knowl-edge sharing and research functions; seting up

quality assurance mechanisms (monitoring andevaluation systems); carrying out comprehensiveevaluations of the incubator’s performance anddeliverables and setting up online support forthe incubator team;

� developing and introducing services and productsfor tenant companies including expert servicesfor the development of, for example, companystrategies or marketing and financing;

� setting up premises including office and labora-tory space; conference facilities; office servicessuch as switchboard, photocopying and secretarialservices; cooperating and networking with othercompanies, investors and public services; trainingin introducing sales and marketing departmentsin companies;

� introducing modernized (if applicable) or new(if not) departments within tenant companiesthat will be responsible for sales, marketing, pro-motion and foreign trade relations and organiz-ing a local exhibition of tenant companies;

� stimulating and enhancing partnership opportu-nities on the global or regional levels with otherincubators established with infoDev funding andwith the private sector.


BULGARIAGrantee: Applied Research and CommunicationFund

Grant: Capacity Building Grant GrantAmount: $125,000Contact: Angel Milev, Program ManagerEmail: [email protected] Website: www.arcfund.net

The overall objective of the infoDev funded workprogram is to foster the development of innovativeICT-based products, services and enterprises andenhance economic growth in Bulgaria throughdeveloping sophisticated, integrated, online innova-tion incubation services. ARC Fund’s currentoperational model most closely resembles thecharacteristics of an incubator without walls of theinternational practice and a business and innovationcenter of the European experience. The past eightyears of ARC Fund’s development as innovationfocused business development service provider in atransition economy framed its service-and project-centered organization and offline delivery model.However, current market analyses suggest thenecessity of conversion of off-line business supportservices and separate database-relayed services intoa coherent, online innovation-life-cycle managementincubation.

PartnershipsThe main partners of ARC Fund include:� Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) com-

prises of 78 branch chambers, 27 district region-al organisations and 60 municipal organisations.It provides ARC fund with a unique breadth ofindustry outreach. Among its members are over15,000 commercial companies, out which 263are among the 300 largest companies inBulgaria

� Business Information and ConsultingCenter—Sandanski is providing assistance to

companies in rural South-West Bulgaria. It renderssupport to some 30 to 40 companies annually.It is a test-bed for poverty reduction and disad-vantaged areas incubation services

� Bulgarian Academy of Science (BAS), whichpresides over 67 research institutes, laboratoriesand research centres located in the main indus-trial cities of Bulgaria. BAS is the biggest basicand applied research center in this country,which holds ths most international patents forBulgaria

Project ObjectivesThe ARC Fund’s capacity building project (e3I)aims in particular to:� Establish a virtual ICT-enabled innovation

incubator capacity with the Applied Researchand Communications Fund (ARC Fund) inBulgaria by transforming the current organiza-tion and delivery of innovation-focused businessdevelopment services provided to BulgarianSMEs by ARC Fund and its partners.

� The above is expected to result in reengineeringof the current innovation incubation processes,which are mostly project-based, towards client-centric processes; Enhancing and computeriza-tion of current innovation-support operations;and Achieving business and systems interoper-ability of current fragmented services

� Strengthen ARC Fund’s knowledge manage-ment (KM), networking and incubationcapacities through effective integration into theglobal innovation incubation community.

� The project would assist ARC Fund in imple-menting the KM strategy and IT system thatwould enable effective internal (ARC Fund) andnetwork (incubator-centered) KM and customerrelations management (CRM)

� Strategic re-visioning and positioning of ARCFund from a national player towards ECA-network player; Knowledge sharing and organi-zational learning within the global innovationincubation community


GEORGIAGrantee: Civil Society Support Centre (CSSC)

Grant: Planning Grant. US $70,000Contact: Vazha Goginashvili, Project DirectorEmail: [email protected] Website: www.cssc.ge

The Civil Society Support Centre (CSSC) wasfounded in 1999 in Gori in the center of ShidaKartli, one of the largest regions in Georgia. Sincethen, CSSC has covered the whole Gori region andin 2003 had a branch office inaugurated in Tbilisi.The centre has several departments that implementprograms in various spheres of civil society develop-ment including community development, self-governance, small business assistance, and informationand communication technologies (ICT). The plan-ning grant aims to create a strategic framework forlaunching and developing a Georgian businessincubator and educating stakeholders in Georgia tocreate a solid basis on which the incubator can beestablished. The incubator feasibility study is toserve also as a market development tool to fosterintroduction of business incubation systems acrossthe region.

PartnershipsCSSC is the proponent organization and providesin-kind contributions, project management andcoordination of participants. Intellcom Ltd. (an information technologies and communicationscompany) provides office space for the project,communication and broadband access and is theprospective anchor tenant for the futureincubator.Universe Ltd. (an information technolo-gy and software company) provides computer hard-ware and Internet services. Eurasia Foundation isa co-financer.

Project Objectives

With the vision of identifying opportunities forbusiness incubator development and developing adetailed operational framework for a Georgianbusiness incubator including a development plan,the main objectives of the infoDev-funded workprogram are:� conducting a feasibility study for the Georgian

business incubator;

� testing community reaction and promoting thebusiness incubation concept among stakeholdersby launching a public relations campaign toeducate government officials, key players in thecommunity, business community leaders andacting and potential entrepreneurs;

� creating a business plan and operational frame-work for the incubator.

Activities Completed and MilestonesSupported by the infoDev Incubator Initiative andthe Eurasia foundation, CSSC conducted a com-prehensive feasibility study of the business environ-ment and the needs of small and medium-sizedenterprise (SMEs). The current political, economic,social, technological, labor and market trends pres-ent a variety of implications for the impact and sus-tainability of a business incubator in Tbilisi. Theproposed incubator has the potential to become aself-sustaining economic development instrument.It requires participants from government, interna-tional and national non-government organizations(NGOs) and donor organizations, industry andeducational organizations in order to achieve success.

A business incubator not only implies the opportu-nity to become self-sustaining and independent oflong-term subsidies but also has the potential tobecome a local and regional hub for various busi-ness development service instruments and forknowledge generation and dissemination. Themajor strength of the proposed business incubatormodel is its focus on knowledge-oriented entrepre-neurs and enterprises and its international network-ing that assures knowledge transfer to the region.The feasibility study indicates the demand inTbilisi for a mixed incubator focused on knowl-edge-oriented enterprises with social impacts thatmight in the long term transform into a specializedbusiness incubator focused on a local industry clus-ter or technology sphere and/or the internationalmarket. The proposed business incubator has thepotential to become a model for replication inother regions of Georgia.

To strengthen the survival and growth opportuni-ties for its clients, the business incubator will pro-vide infrastructure (work space and equipment)and knowledge services (training and consultingand information) to start-up enterprises in Tbilisi.The marketing and networking strategy will gener-ate corporate images and relevant contacts for its


clients in order to add further value to SMEs. Thebusiness incubator concept is based on effectivenetworking and stakeholder management on boththe local/national and international levels. Mainstakeholders will be Tbilisi, the Georgian govern-ment, Tbilisi universities, and international donororganizations.

The main objective of the incubator is to be finan-cially self-sustaining in the third year of operations.Sustainability is based on revenues from rentals andconsultancies for knowledge services (training andcounseling, SME online information hub) in thedevelopment stages. For the online informationhub, self-sustainability is not projected. Its venturecapital will be generated by the facility and thetraining center. Several factors are critical to thesuccess of the incubator. They are impact focus,sustainability of the mission, sustainability of moti-vation, and financial sustainability. In the develop-ment strategy and implementation sections of thisbusiness plan, overall objectives are identified foreach of the critical factors.1. Establish a focal area in expertise in business

incubation of knowledge-oriented SMEs.2. Promote strong collaboration and cooperation

among stakeholders and create strong and effec-tive incubator governance.

3. Establish collaboration with universities and sci-entific organizations to contribute to the tech-nology and knowledge transfer culture in thelong term.

4. Establish collaborations with financial institutesand individuals to contribute to the investmentculture in the knowledge-oriented SME sector.

5. Establish international networks to increaseknowledge transfer to the region.

6. Create a financially self-sustaining businessincubator.

The proposed incubator will be implemented inthree phases. The first can be described as the initi-ating and planning phase which was started byCSSC in 2003 and will be completed by successful-ly identifying the source of funding and the imple-mentation of the business plan (target: September2005).

The second phase is incubator start-up which willbe launched (target: September 2005) when phaseone is completed. The mission will be accom-plished by achieving overall financial and motiva-tional sustainability. It will also include recognitionof expertise among key target and stakeholdergroups. The target for completion is September2008.

The third phase is incubator maturity which willcommence at the break-even point (financial self-sustainability) and which will be accomplished whenthe incubator functions as a regional hub of expertise.The target for completion is September 2010.


KAZAKHSTANGrantee: SODBI Business Incubator

Grant: Operational Grant. US $250,000Contact: Kairat Sugurbekov, Director Email: [email protected]: http://www.sodbi.kz/; Project website:http://infodev.sodbi.kz/en/index.php

SODBI Business Incubator is both non-profit(legal entity) and information and communicationtechnology (ICT)-enabled and is based inShymkent, southern Kazakhstan. It was establishedwith the support of the Shymkent City administra-tion and is closely associated with the CityInnovation Committee and its programs. The incu-bator is well known for its capable leadership andstaff, its good facilities and good early preparationin terms of completing a feasibility/business planand creating a good image to attractive more inno-vative tenants. The work program addresses issuesof donor support in mentoring/consulting, facilita-tion of business partnership arrangements betweenincubators and clients, advocacy for small andmedium-sized enterprise (SME) policy reform,fund raising, access to supportive networks andaccess to Russian language translations of globaland infoDev literature on incubation. It has over 20tenants and 10 graduates to date. To support ICT-related business tenants, SODBI established itsown loan fund for SMEs and has an agreementwith banks to provide loans to its tenants andclients. It is financially self-sufficient generatingrevenue from tenant rentals, business services tointernal and external clients and training services.

Partnerships:Financial Contributions and Networking � Soros Foundation, Kazakhstan� Eurasia Foundation Technical Assistance, Training, andNational/International Networking � Kazakhstan Association of Business Incubators

and Innovation Centers (KABIC)� Science Park and Innovation Center Expert

Group (SPICE)� Poland Business and Innovation Centre

(PBICA)Educational Institutions� South Kazakhstan State University

� University of Applied Science Mittweida,Germany

Government � City Government of ShymkentPrivate Sector � GeKarTel AG, Germany

Project Objectives � Enhance the ICT capabilities of SODBI and its

tenants by improving the business, project andknowledge management levels of the tenants toincrease innovation and SME promotion.

� Develop a local network for innovation unitingpartners from the business incubator withuniversities, the local government, financialinstitutions and investors, and entrepreneurs tosupport and stimulate innovative activities.

� Stimulate e-business and SME ICT capabilitiesby developing an SME information portal thatincludes the most necessary and up-to-dateinformation for all types of entrepreneurs consid-ering their local contexts and user-friendly data-bases like the “Made in South Kazakhstan” data-base containing information about the productsand services produced by local enterprises.

� Market Shymkent and South Kazakhstan to helpraise awareness of the region among internationalgroups and to create a positive image to attractforeign investors, potential partners and tourists.

Activities Completed and Milestones� Creating an active, local network for innovation:

The network established included 5 local enter-prises co-funding project activities; 5 banks,financial institutions, and venture capital firms;15 local and regional administrative depart-ments; 3 university faculties; 5 local and region-al NGOs and international organizations.

� Enhancing the incubator’s ICT capabilities: Workprograms were undertaken to increase the effi-ciency levels of the business, project and knowl-edge management levels of both the incubatorand its tenants. Examples of systems developedinclude improving Intranet communication andmanaging information and customer relations.

� Stimulating SME ICT capabilities: Training ses-sions covering approximately 100 incubatorswere organized at the eBusiness TrainingCenter through country-specific course modulesin the Kazakh language. Best website contests(20 participants); best business plan contests


(20 participants); distance learning modules(300 downloads); online business portal forSMEs, www.shymkent.com (5000 pagerequests) and listings at the “Made inKazakhstan” catalogue database (1000 queries)were among some of the strategies employed.

� Strengthening city and regional marketing capabili-ties through ICT use: A multilingual (English,Russian, partly German), online business andtourism portal www.southkazakhstan.com wascreated for developing and maintaining an infor-mation portal targeting potential foreign investorsand business partners to stimulate the first stage ofcity and regional marketing strategy development.

The infoDev project in Shymkent is integrated intothe city’s overall incubator development strategy

and objectives. The main pillar of the project is aregional SME information portal and e-incubator(www.shymkent.com) in Kazakh and Russian.SODBI has developed internal technical, manageri-al, and consulting capabilities to operate the portaland to provide consulting and training services onICT integration and e-business for SMEs andentrepreneurs in the region. Also, the incubatorwill coordinate the launch of a multilingual infor-mation portal targeting international groups bothin business and tourism atwww.southkazakhstan.com. The SME informationportal is planned as an integrated element of thesouth Kazakhstan SME information and educationnetwork developed and maintained in cooperationwith local authorities and non-government organi-zations in the region.


iinfoDev has provided an additional $100,000 to SODBI Business Incubator that seeks the integration of further potential project partnersand resources, prioritizing long-term partners from the non-commercial and the commercial sector—in order to strengthen the overall long-term sustainability of the project activities and SODBI. The objectives of the work program include:

� Strengthening fundraising and partner acquisition for all project parts through a resources mobilization plan, and additional resourcesfor fundraising

� Implementing the technology and equipment trade platform in cooperation with a commercial organization; Additional fundraising foragro-business and tourism innovation networks

� Integrating tourism knowledge online portal into the southkazakhstan.com marketing portal

� Seek additional partners for the TCnet network activities; Adopt the TCnet development plan, including portal business plan to thebudget preconditions

� Prospect for additional partners for the CABIN benchmarking and impact measurement project.


KYRGYZ REPUBLICGrantee: Union of Business Incubators andInnovation Centers of the Kyrgyz Republic

Country: Grant: Capacity Building Grant. US$150,000Contact: Zamira Akbagysheva, Email: [email protected]: http://wcongresskr.freenet.kg

The Union of Business Incubators andInnovation Centers of the Kyrgyz Republic,the implementing organization of the infoDevIncubators Initiative work program in Kyrgyzstan,was launched in August 2003. Its mandate includespromoting small and medium-sized enterprise(SME) development through implementing andmaintaining business incubators, innovation centers,and technology parks. In addition to functionsrelated to asset maintenance, the union is alsoresponsible for promoting economic growth, raisingemployment, helping start-up businesses and inte-grating Kyrgyzstan into the global knowledge-basedeconomic system through the development of busi-ness incubators and the introduction of informationand communication technologies (ICT).

PartnershipsThe partners for this work program include theEurasia Foundation, the Organization forCooperation and Security in Europe (OCSE)Center in Bishkek, the International FinanceCorporation-State Secretariat for EconomicAffairs (IFC –SECO) program for LeasingDevelopment in Central Asia, the UnitedNations Development Fund for Women(UNIFEM), and the United NationsDevelopment Program (UNDP).

Project Objectives:

The infoDev-funded work program is to add threemain activities to those of the Union of BusinessIncubators:� introducing tenant companies of an existing

business incubator to ICT in order to increasethe efficiency of their operations;

� launching a branch to incubate ICT projects; � rendering help in ICT development to regional

business incubators.

Planned Activities and Milestones:The main goal of the infoDev project is to increasethe competitiveness of SMEs by enhancing theirICT and e-business capabilities. Activities include: � enhancing the awareness and knowledge of

opportunities provided ICT and Internet forSMEs;

� enhancing the ICT and Internet/e-businesscapabilities of the union and of business incuba-tor managers;

� improving the technical e-readiness/ICT infra-structure of the union;

� enhancing the awareness and knowledge ofopportunities for SMEs with ICT and Internetamong local authorities, government and otherrelevant stakeholders;

� creating a network for innovation for SMEsupport in ICT.

The following are some of the planned projectimplementation milestones for the union:� enhancing strategic and operational manage-

ment capabilities;� conducting an empirical study on ICT use and

e-readiness among SMEs; � improving knowledge management capabilities;� increasing technical e-readiness/ICT

infrastructure;� setting up an ICT training and information

center;� creating a distance learning program and an

SME online information portal;� designing and conducting a training program on

business incubator development for businessincubator planners and managers;

� organizing a national conference on SMEs andthe Internet;

� creating a corporate and an infoDev projectwebsite;

� actively participating in and contributing toCABIN (Central Asian Business Incubators andTechnology Parks Network) and to the regionalEastern European and Central Asian BusinessIncubators Network;

� Generating and disseminating knowledge onICT for SMEs.

Milestones AchievedTo date, the Union of Business Incubators hascompleted the following activities:� 6 seminars on how to get credit and use ICTs in

SMEs for 200 participants


� 22 seminars on how to use Internet for businessdevelopment for 534 participants;

� 29 training sessions on the basics of ICTs for327 participants;

� 2 seminars on how to create business incubatorsand use ICT in SMEs for 66 participants;

� an exchange with National Association ofBusiness Incubators in Russia, September 2004;

� participation in the Global Forum On BusinessIncubation in New Delhi October 2004 which

raised experience in advancing business concep-tion, in mobilizing resources and business plansand in developing strategies, activities, finances,marketing, etc.;

� participation in the seminar “Start YourBusiness in Internet,” in the conference“Internet for Development of Your Business”and in Business Incubator SodBi, Shymkent(May 2005).


ROMANIAGrantee: The Development Centre for Small andMedium-sized Enterprises Maramures (CDIMMMaramures Foundation)

Grant: Operational Grant. US $350,000Contact: Mr. Radu Big; Executive Manager Email: [email protected]: www.cdimm.org, Project website:http://ict.cdimm.org/

The Business Incubator Centre at Baia Mare isa mixed incubator managed on a non-profit basiswith the funding support of a foundation. It wasestablished to support entrepreneurship amonguniversity graduates, youths and other businessnewcomers by fostering information and commu-nication technologies (ICT) start-ups using ICTresearch developed in Romanian universities andresearch institutions. The incubator also aims toimprove the capability of associated/networkedincubators to develop ICT ventures and to assistsmall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) toadopt ICT for improved effectiveness and com-petitiveness. The incubator houses 32 on-sitetenants and has already graduated 26 companies.It assists on-site and off-site tenants and clientsthrough training and mentoring services and hasdeveloped advocacy with other SME promotionalorganizations.

Partnerships � Business Innovation and Incubation

Association Harghita, a business incubator andpartner;

� Center for Business Excellence Bucharest(CBE) based in Bucharest, Romania;

� Executive Agency for Higher Education andResearch Funding (UEFISCSU), a public insti-tution under the ultimate authority of theMinistry of Education and Research responsiblefor managing and administrating higher educa-tion and research funding.

Project Objectives� Develop programs and mechanisms that foster

and encourage the establishment and incubationof start-ups based on ICT developed inRomanian universities and research institutions.

� Improve the capabilities of participating incuba-tors to facilitate the development and expansionof ICT-based ventures.

� Assist SMEs to develop and integrate ICT solu-tions into their operations so they can becomemore effective and competitive.

Activities Completed and Milestones � Empirical country assessment: This was conducted

to evaluate ICT services and included interviewsand meetings with key ICT organizations (uni-versities, companies, development organizations,business incubators) and local government(mayors, counselors).

� Assessment study: This was done on ICT issues inRomania. (technology, talent, know-how, capital,culture and context), technology issues, andcommercialization issues (barriers, start-up)

� Technical upgrades: These included upgrades tothe LAN between BIC Baia Mare, BIICHarghita and CBE Bucharest.

� Creating content and applications for trainingprograms:

- modules on technology commercialization byTechnology Innovation Group Inc.andUEFISCSU;- informatics for SME management;- e-commerce and e-business solutions forSMEs; - data base tools for building, administration,on-line and long-distance access with Germanassistance;- networks for SMEs: LAN solutions; - networks for SMEs: WAN solutions.

� Training manual: This is in Romanian andEnglish, and the curriculum is based on theabove programs. Modules include Managementof SMEs, ICT and SMEs and Elements ofIntellectual Property with an annex on the legalaspects of business startups (ISBN 973-85921-6-X). Electronic versions of the manual on CD-ROM have also been produced.

� Training and capacity building: Forty-three traineesfrom other organizations were selected in BaiaMare by CDIMM Maramures and 17 traineeswere selected by BIIC Harghita in MiercureaCiuc. The tenant companies from the businessincubators had priority. Twenty-nine people com-pleted the training program in Baia Mare andgraduated with diplomas certified by the Ministry


of Labor and the Ministry of Education; 15 com-pleted training in Miercurea Ciuc.

� Outreach and networking: CDIMM Maramuresorganized an international conference on intel-lectual property rights in Baia Mare in collabo-ration with the patent offices of Romania and

Hungary. The two-day workshop, TechnologyCommercialization: An Integrated, InternationalPerspective, was organized in Bucharest in June2004 and in Baia Mare in November 2004 forparticipants from incubators, universities, gov-ernment agencies, and the private sector.

Training on the commercializationprocess

Training for SMEs representatives


TURKEYGrantee: Ankara CyberPark Technology Incubator

Grant: Capacity Building Grant. US $250,000Contact: Ms. Hanzade Avci Saricicek, InstitutionalDevelopment ManagerEmail address: [email protected], Web site: http://www.cyberpark.com.tr

The incubator was established as part of the AnkaraCyberpark which is a university-related science andtechnology park. The guiding mission is to serveresearch and development project groups, technolo-gy-based start-up firms and small and medium-sizedenterprises (SMEs). The internationalization offirms operating within the incubator is encouragedthrough the European and international knowledgenetworks with which Cyberpark is associates.

Partnerships� Bilkent University (the main shareholder of the

Cyberpark)� Bilkent Holding (shareholder of Cyberpark)� Turkish Technology Development Foundation

(TTGV): TTGV is an independent, non-profitorganization established jointly by the privateand public sectors in order to raise industrialawareness of research and development and tosupport industrial technology development proj-ects. TTGV will be supporting the project byproviding office equipment, technical infrastruc-ture, computing equipment and the softwarerequired for the incubator. TTGV will also takepart in the tenant selection and evaluation com-mittee and will provide technical assistance forincubator tenants by transferring its experiencein technology development.

� KOSGEB (an SME industry developmentorganization): KOSGEB is a non-profit, semi-autonomous organization responsible for thegrowth and development of SMEs in Turkey.KOSGEB will be providing research and devel-opment support including seed capital for thetechnology projects of tenants and capital sup-port for their training and consultancy costs.

Activities Completed and Milestones� Tenant selection and evaluation procedures have

been determined and a committee has beenformed.

� The strategy to monitor and assess the progressof tenants’ projects as well as graduation andpricing has been formulated.

� The incubator’s website, an Intranet system anda communication and synergy platform havebeen developed.

Services for tenants: The incubator’s services areespecially targeted to raise awareness and promotethe utilization of ICT by small businesses andentrepreneurs as tools to address their short- andlong-term development goals.� Basic services consist of network and communi-

cation infrastructure, Internet connection,physical facilities (office area, shared lounge,reception area and utilities), shared secretarialservices, catering and security.

� Support services consist of training and consul-tancy in access to financial resources and grants,intellectual property rights issues, procedures forestablishing a company and training in emerg-ing ICT topics.

Virtual Technology Development Center protocolsigned: The Virtual Technology DevelopmentCenter (DTI) protocol between Ankara Cyberpark,Bilkent University, TTGV and KOSGEB has beensigned. With this protocol, Cyberpark has receivedthe status of DTI, and tenants located at theCyberpark Technology Incubator will now beable to benefit from the support mechanisms andfinancial aids of KOSGEB which had earlier onlysupported tenants of its own public technologyfacilities (TEKMERs).

New research and development fund from the govern-ment: A recent decision by the government to set upa new research and development fund with a budgetof approximately US $334,200,000 for 2005 (withsimilar allocations expected for the next few years) issignificant and is expected to provide a huge boostto projects and to increase the number of new tech-nology-based companies and the size and capacityof the existing ones. Tenants at the CyberparkTechnology Incubator are also expected to benefitfrom this fund.

ABOUT INFODEV . 79

Training to incubator tenantsView of incubator tenant office


TURKEYGrantee: METUTECH

Grant: Capacity Building Grant GrantAmount: $ 125,000Contact: Mr. Ugur Yuksel, Manager ofMETUTECHEmail: [email protected] Website: www.metutech.metu.edu.tr

The main goal of the project is to stimulate andaccelerate the creation of technology-based innova-tive start-ups with high growth potential emergingfrom universities and research centers.METUTECH, the lead proponent and the projectmanager, manages the largest and most successfultechnopark in Turkey. It was established in 1991 asa joint stock company by the Middle EastTechnical University, Ankara Chamber of Industry,and three private companies, Bileda Inc., EBI Inc.and Ortadogu Yazilim Inc. It hosts 157 companiesalmost 75% of which are SMEs. Companies locat-ed in METUTECH are active in ICT sector. Theincubation center of METUTECH serves 38micro-sized companies, 15 % of which are universi-ty spin-offs.

PartnershipsThe scope and scale of the activities can begrasped from the following statistics—800,000square meters land; 40,000 square meter closedarea; $10 million investment; 432 R&D projects;151 Faculty members participating in projects;35 companies are involved in joint projects withthe university; approximately 120 tenant compa-nies; employing over 1000 researchers; withmajority of the companies being technologybased SMEs dealing with ICT and software prod-ucts and services.

Planned Activities and MilestonesThe specific objectives of the project and proposedactivities are as follows:� Establish ICT-enabled pre-incubation facili-

ties between universities and incubators /technology parks to bridge the gaps and elim-inate the obstacles for university spin-offs indeveloping their innovative entrepreneurialprojects into commercially viable ventures inICT sector

� Provide a high quality environment and inno-vative services to attract potential academicentrepreneurs and to accelerate the process ofsustainable spin-off formation

� Encourage commercialization of research resultsby academics, both researchers and students

� Create jobs for unemployed university graduatesaccounting for 10.6 % of the population

� Increase the rate of women entrepreneurs whoconstitute only 8% of entrepreneurs

� Create a culture of innovative entrepreneurshipamong academics and help university studentsconsider entrepreneurship as a valuable careeroption

� Develop and establish the best practice pre-incubation model which will be adopted inother regions, particularly technology develop-ment zones in Turkey

� Benefit from ICT at a maximum level both toachieve goals and objectives of pre-incubatorsand to stimulate emergence and development ofICT-enabled companies

The management of the science park is approvedfor the IRC-Network (Innovation Relay Center)of the European Union. Being the coordinator ofthe new IRC the management company assistsSMEs to enhance their technological develop-ment level.


UKRAINEJoint Grantees: Ukrainian Business Incubators andInnovation Centre Association (UBICA) andCenter of Small Business Development, KharkovSmall Business Incubator

Grant: Operational Grant. US$500,000Contact: Nikolay Paal–Director, Project ManagerEmail Address: [email protected]: www.ubica.kiev.ua

The Ukrainian Business Incubators andInnovation Centre Association (UBICA) wasestablished in 1998 as a network of business incu-bators in Ukraine. Currently, UBICA consists of10 incubators, 24 Economic Support Centers and3 technology parks. Counting all regional offices(information centers), UBICA currently has 71legal entities and 112 individuals. The mission ofUBICA is to provide assistance for entrepreneurialdevelopment programs by establishing and sup-porting business incubators, technology parks,centers for entrepreneurial support and other inno-vative structures. It achieves its mission by:� protecting the rights of entrepreneurs and estab-

lishing support structures; � realizing and developing support programs for

innovative businesses; � building a partnership network in Ukraine and

the region;� using new approaches to support and develop

small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);� collaborating with government to develop sup-

port programs for entrepreneurs.

Project Objectives� assist the social and economic development of

the population by supporting information andcommunication technologies (ICT) in SMEs;

� widely implement ICT in SME activities inUkraine to increase their effectiveness;

� develop infrastructure to support entrepreneur-ship in Ukraine and unite all these structures ina network for effective cooperation;

� focus on professionalism in entrepreneurial sup-port organizations;

� promote business incubation technology inUkraine;

� introduce new technologies and innovations innational entrepreneurial support programs;

� increase the efficiency of institutions and

improve the quality of services provided bythem.

Activities Completed and Milestones� Since 1998, the association has implemented

three projects to establish and develop businessincubators: in Bila Tserkva, Kyiv region (1998);in Simferopol, Crimea (1998) and in Chernihiv(2000).

� Since 1999, the association has renderedtechnical assistance to a range of other businessincubators which has enhanced the overallperformance of the network. Activities includethe following:� the establishment and development of

over 300 enterprises including 142 enter-prises inside the business incubator;

� over 4500 jobs created by the enterprisessupported by the business incubator;

� over 1500 persons received social, psycho-logical and medical rehabilitation throughthe program.

� So far, UBICA has provided assistance to 34projects in 20 regions of Ukraine. Such assis-tance includes training personnel and develop-ing services, resource support, etc. at the locallevel.

� Training has been provided to increase theprofessionalism of entrepreneurial support struc-tures and entrepreneurs themselves and tointroduce up-to-date information and commu-nication technologies to SMEs. To achieve thisgoal, UBICA has so far done the following:� used the services of 60 highly skilled

trainers, 23 with international accreditation;

� developed and established 35 training pro-grams for the SME and non-governmentorganization sectors;

� trained 260 representatives and staff of ESstructures.

� Training offers include three distance learningcourses that were or are currently being workedout by a team of specialists within the UBICAICT project on the following topics: � business planning; � inventions for business; � task management;� website planning, informational architec-

ture and usability. � In addition, actual information on entrepreneur-

ship, innovation and business incubation is


provided through several websites (includingpublications, speeches, reports, other electronicresources, etc.)

� UBICA’s client strategy is to provide valueadded through building a network of incubatorsall over Ukraine that shares resources and createssynergies. As a national network, UBICA is ableto do the following:� influence state and local authorities; � establish information interchange;� lobby the interests of business incubators and

their clients at the legislative level;� deliver specialized ICT and other services to

clients;� promote business incubator ideology at the

regional and national levels;� exchange information within the incubator

network; � increase business effectiveness through the

ICT network.

Europe and central Asia (ECA)regional workshop, Kiev


Kharkov Business Incubator (joint grantee,Ukraine)Contact: Inna Gagauz - Director, Project ManagerEmail Address:[email protected]: www.isc.kharkov.com/kt

Kharkov Business Incubator was funded as partof a shared grant with the UBICA information andcommunication technologies (ICT) businessIncubator in Kiev. The Kharkov business incubatoris part of the Kharkov Technologies Centre thatwas established in 1998 within the framework ofthe intergovernmental program Business IncubatorDevelopment (BID) in partnership with LoyolaCollege, USA, and the Institute for Single Crystalsof the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) ofUkraine in Kharkov with financial support fromthe United States Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID). The main goal of the proj-ect is to promote the local application and improvethe use of ICT by Kharkov’s tenants and affiliatesand thus enable these small and medium-sizedenterprises (SMEs) to improve their profitability ina competitive environment. The mission of KharkovBusiness Incubator is to provide assistance totechnology-oriented SMEs and to promote the com-mercialization of domestic science-intensive technolo-gies and innovative activities in Ukraine

Partnerships� Loyola College, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, � Institute for Single Crystals of the NAS of Ukraine� Regional mission of USAID � Technopark Institute for Single Crystals � Centre for Innovation Development � Technopark Y.O.Paton Electric Welding Institute � The Netherlands Management Cooperation

Program (NMCP) � Association of Ukrainian Business Incubators

and Innovation Centres (UBIICA), � Ukrainian Distance Learning Programme � Special American Business Internship Training

Programme (SABIT � OJSC Real Bank � Information Association of Small Business of

Ukraine � IndiaCo is a private equity investment firm � Women’s Public Organization Centre,

Perspectiva � Ukrainian Association of Women in Science and

Education� Dato, German Agency for Technology Transfer

Activities Planned and CompletedKharkov Business Incubator set up a virtual busi-ness incubator to extend services to the wholeKharkov region. Under this umbrella, the incubatorengaged in a number of diverse activities includingthe following: � training for staff as ICT consultants; � designing a web project designed;� developing software package Virtual Business

Incubator;� researching the needs and demands of Kharkov

entrepreneurs to effectively introduce ICT inbusiness;

� providing consultancy services and support forthe 38 tenants of the incubator on the topicInternet use in business;

� providing Internet access, Websites and contentmanagement panels for 14 clients (partly finished)

Client strategy: The incubator’s strategy is to offerservices mainly through courses of advanced train-ing on a number of topics (see below), financialsupport and consulting services on topics likedeveloping business plans and marketing research.In addition, the Kharkov incubator hosts a website,provides virtual business incubation software andhas developed a number of printed publications toreach out to a wider geographical area.

Services to tenants: Training for new entrepreneursincludes all aspects of activity, but the core is anoriginal program, “Commercialisation ofScientific Developments for Scientists, Engineersand Entrepreneurs Engaged in High-tech Fieldsand Innovative Businesses.” Centre specialistscould also develop a corporate training programdirected at solving specific problems that an enter-prise faces. To date, more than 2000 people havebeen trained in the specific features of the eco-nomic situation in Ukraine and in prospects forbusiness development, the infrastructure of entre-preneurship, legal regulations and small business-es, taxation and legislation in the sphere of smallbusiness, accounting, developing business plans,searching for sources of financing, leasing in smallbusiness, company management etc. Training isprovided through on-site courses, through the virtu-al business incubator and through online distancelearning courses that have been partly developed bythe incubator. In addition, the incubator providestenants with ITC infrastructure and supportservices.



infoDev has approved a further $150,000 for the project to be implemented by the Consortium of organization called the Central AsiaNetwork for Business Incubation (ECANBI). The objective of the project is the creation of an enabling environment for the development ofcooperation between business and innovation support organizations in the Eastern Europe-Central Asia region through implementation of arange of services targeted at high-tech and innovative SMEs.

The infoDev funded work program is to be implemented by a Consortium of two Ukrainian organizations that participated in the first phaseof the infoDev Project between 2003-2005, Technological Business Incubator “Kharkov Technologies” (TBI), Ukrainian Business Incubatorsand Innovation Centers Association (UBICA). The work program of the second phase includes:� Creation of an organizational structure to support ECANBI activities

� Develop a suite of ICT-based cooperation and e-learning tools

� Extend the scope of ICT-oriented services through new value-added services for SMEs-clients of networking organizations of ECAregion

� Further development, improvement and cooperative use of informational resources and knowledge within ECANBI network createdby the participants during their previous activities

� Creation of conditions for improvement of the level of innovation and technological cooperation in ECA region through raisingawareness and knowledge sharing among innovative SMEs towards expansion of opportunities of ECANBI for innovation process

� Increase synergies aimed at conversion of innovative ideas into trans-national innovation projects

� Create conditions for reinforcing the innovation potential through conduct of specific trainings and deployment of specialized innova-tion services and tools aimed at creation of R&D structures.


UZBEKISTANGrantee: Association of Business Incubators andTechnoparks of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ABIT)

Grant: Capacity Building Grant. US$250,000 Contact: Mr. Zafar Mukhitdinov, ABIT Vice-Chairman Email Address: [email protected] ; [email protected] Site: www.binc.uzsci.net

The Association Of Business Incubators andTechnoparks of the Republic of Uzbekistan(ABIT) was founded in 2000 and is registered asa non-government organization. Its main tasksinclude coordination of the activities of the coun-try’s business incubators and technoparks; supportfor members of the association and their businesspartners for socio-economic, scientific and techni-cal cooperation and external economic and invest-ment activity and the creation of small enterprisesfocused on use of new technologies, manufactur-ing, import-substitution and export-oriented prod-ucts. The initiators and founders of ABIT consistedof 23 business incubators and 1 technopark.

Project ObjectivesThe objectives of the infoDev-funded work pro-gram are to help promote business innovation andprivate sector development by improving the busi-ness incubation activities of ABIT through theintegration and more effective use of informationand communication technologies (ICT) in businessincubation and small enterprise development.

Targeted activities include building institutional,managerial and technical capacity; promoting cost-effective and efficient integration of adequate ICT

throughout the incubation and business develop-ment cycles; leveraging the global incubator networkto exchange experiences and ideas; and strengtheningbusinesses in ICT and non-ICT sectors. The goal ofthe infoDev Incubator Initiative-funded work pro-gram is to foster socio-economic development in allprovinces of the country by establishing ICT unitsin 13 existing business incubators to facilitate accessto information and knowledge-sharing for all with afocus on small and micro-entrepreneurs and tenantsof business incubators.

PartnershipsThe business incubators network in Uzbekistan wascreated by the joint United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP)/ State Committee for StateProperty Management and EntrepreneurshipSupport project, Creation and Development ofBusiness-Incubators Network 1996–2003. Thecountry’s network consists of 36 business incuba-tors located in all provinces. All business incubatorsare independent, self-supporting legal entities.

Activities UndertakenProject activities are aimed at building local capaci-ty in the target business communities, raisingawareness of and promoting ICT use by localentrepreneurs and small businesses as tools toaddress their short- and long-term developmentgoals and facilitating the creation of a global incu-bator network for exchanging ideas and formulat-ing best practices and lessons learned.

The work program is to create (1) an Internet por-tal with a user-friendly interface; (2) ICT units byproviding necessary equipment to 13 existing busi-ness incubators; (3) trained personnel in the use ofICT and (4) access and connectivity to the Internetportal for ICT units.

UNDP, infoDev and business incubation in Uzbekistan

The infoDev-funded work program is to be seen in the context of an ongoing UNDP-funded project, Promotion of ICT Units in Rural Areas toFoster Small and Micro-Credit Enterprise Development. During 2004, two ICT units were established in business incubators in Nukus and Karshi.The units were supplied with the necessary equipment and the managers were trained to deliver qualitative services and training programsin the use of ICT by entrepreneurs and common users. A total of 274 persons passed the training courses offered on Internet navigationand basic computing skills. One of the lessons learned from the project implementation phase was that merely establishing the ICT unitswould not satisfy the needs of local communities and entrepreneurs for comprehensive web-based information.

It was in this connection that the association of business incubation and technoparks of Uzbekistan applied for grant funds from to create auser friendly Internet portal that combined all useful sources of information into one system. On receiving infoDev financing, UNDP decidedto extend the project to strengthen the capacity of business incubators in Karshi and Bukhara to provide high-quality training and services tolocal entrepreneurs including developing new products and access to information.

Latin America and the Caribbean . 87

BOLIVIA Grantee: Bolivian ICT Incubator and ContestQuipus Cultural Foundation

Grant: Capacity Building Grant GrantAmount: $ 100,000Contact: Peter McFarren, PresidentEmail: [email protected] Website: www.quipusbolivia.org

Through a program to expand the Center forInformation and Communication TechnologyDevelopment (CETICBOL), the QuipusFoundation plans to strengthen national competi-tiveness through training, research and develop-ment of information communication technology.The infoDev funded work program will enhancethe Foundation’s capacity to serve as an incubatorfor new projects that will contribute to the devel-opment of Bolivia and the reduction of the digitaldivide. As a business incubator, the Foundation will(a) upgrade the ICT center for emerging businessesto provide access to computers with internet andoffice facilities; (b) organize a contest with financialawards for university students and private firms toidentify, support and launch new business propos-als in ICT; (c) form consulting teams to assist theemergence of small and medium size enterprises andhost training workshops about developing businessplans, financial modeling, marketing, strategicplanning, and entrepreneurship.

Partnerships The Quipus Foundation will be partnering withthe Center for Information and CommunicationTechnology for Development (CETICBOL) willoffer opportunities for university students andsmall and medium enterprises to develop inno-vative and practical ideas in the ICT field. Theother partners include the Agency for theDevelopment of Information and

Communication Technology of the BolivianGovernment (ADISIF), the Bolivian export foun-dation, and the Bolivian Chamber of InformationTechnology. Major Bolivian universities, includingUDABOL (14,000 students), the UniversidadPrivada Bolivia (7500 students), and EscuelaMilitar de Ingenieria (6450 students) will be participating in the project by providing scholar-ships to winners or counterpart funds.

Project Activities and MilestonesThe planned activities under the infoDev fundedwok program are to include the following:� Increase the use of ICT as a tool for planning

and implementing social, educational andrural development programs: Terms ofReference are to be developed to launch an ICTincubator program in coordination with partnerorganizations. The ToR is to be supplementedby simultaneous Technical Assistance activities(TA). Educational materials on ICTs and theincubation processes are to be developed tomeet the needs of the ICT student and entre-preneurial community

� Increase the ability of Bolivian professionalsand students to generate and implement ICTprojects: The program leaders with the supportof an independent and highly qualified jury willexamine proposals prepared by participatingstudent and small and medium enterprises. Aweb based platform is planned to be developedto disseminate information

� Increase Bolivian national and regional gov-ernmental awareness of the importance ofICT as a development tool: National andregional governments, NGOs and civil societyorganizations, software and ICT companies willbe invited to participate in examining the resultsof the incubator program The team leaders willfacilitate relationships with organizations exter-nal to the project to enable broader sectoralresults.


BRAZILJoint Grantees: (1) Minas Gerais Incubators’Network Information and CommunicationTechnology Program, (Rede Mineira deIncubadoras); (2) Technological Incubator ofPopular Cooperatives of the Federal University ofRio de Janeiro; (3) Genesis Institute for Innovationand Entrepreneurial Action

Grant: Capacity Building Grant. US $300,000 Contact: Christiano Gonçalves Becker, President,RMIEmail: [email protected] Proponent Website: http://www.rmi.org.br/

Through a grant to Rede Mineira de Incubadoras(RMI), infoDev is supporting three incubator oper-ations in Brazil: one in Belo Horizonte in MinasGerais and two in Rio de Janeiro. The RMIIncubators Network Information andCommunication Technology Program is a not-for-profit organization created in 1998 in the state ofMinas Gerais. Its mission is to contribute toregional and national economic and social develop-ment by supporting organizations that promotetechnology-based companies in the state such asincubators, technology parks and technopoles.RMI comprises 15 technology incubators in MinasGerais, all not-for-profit organizations connected topublic or private managerial institutions includinguniversities, foundations and mayoralties.

Technological Incubator of Popular Cooperativesof the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (ITCP)supports popular cooperatives for creating liveli-hoods and income generating opportunities for poorand disadvantaged people, particularly women. Theprogram is managed by Fundação COPPETEC(COPPETEC Foundation) and the TechnologyTransfer Office of COPPE/UFRJ. ITCP was found-ed in 1996 with an agreement betweenCOPPE/UFRJ, FINEP (Brazilian InnovationAgency) and the Fundação Banco do Brasil (Bank ofBrazil Foundation) in response to growing unem-ployment in Brazil. Since its creation, ITCP has con-tributed directly to creating more than 1,200 newlivelihoods and jobs in Rio de Janeiro. ITCP has itsown facilities with 400 square meters of buildingspace located on the university campus. There areeight offices, an auditorium, a classroom, a telecenterand a conference room with optimal infrastructure.

Genesis Institute for Innovation andEntrepreneurial Action is a private, non-profitfoundation of the Pontifícia Universidade Católicado Rio de Janeiro (Pontifical Catholic University ofRio de Janeiro [PUC-RIO]) with a mandate totransfer research results to society to promoteinnovation and entrepreneurship by trainingentrepreneurs. It was founded in June 1997. TheinfoDev-funded work program will lead to thecreation of an audiovisual park in Rio de Janeiromunicipality in the region comprising Rocinhaslum, Gávea, Jardim Botânico and Humaitá toimprove social and human conditions and to fostereconomic and technological development by sup-porting innovative information and communica-tion technologies (ICT) for business incubation.

Planned Activities The RMI program aims at improving economicresults, commercializing, training and creating bet-ter instruments for monitoring and evaluatingincubators, tenants and associated companiesthrough a substantial improvement in the use anddiffusion of ICT. The three projects that areplanned under RMI supervision involve the partici-pation of the three incubators, their tenants andassociate companies. Activities include the following.� ICT and commercialization: This project aims

to improve the use of ICT and Internet asmore effective tools for the commercializationof services and products of tenant companies.A poll conducted by RMI indicates that fewerthan 20 % of tenants and associated companiesof incubator members use the Internet forcommercialization and business purposes.Leveraging this use to at least 60 % by provid-ing consultant services and training and devel-oping web commerce tools is the main goal ofthis project.

� ICT and performance indicators for incubatorsand tenant companies: The same survey detecteda real need for improving methodologies foranalyzing the performance of tenants and of theincubators themselves. The goal is to adapt,develop and implement a system that collects,consolidates and analyses performance indicators(for example using the balance score cardmethodology) to improve tenant follow-up andto develop incubator benchmarks.

� ICT and web-based education for incubators andtenant companies: The aim is to centrally deliverweb-based training to develop entrepreneurs and


tenant staff. This has been a challenge for all incu-bator members as the need for training is irregular.

The work program devised by ITCP provides tan-gible, easily shared social and economic results ofintroducing and developing ICT tools in poorneighborhood cooperatives. The project is to devel-op and incorporate ICT in ITCP’s tenant coopera-tives as well as in their graduates to address theirshort- and long-term goals, namely to (i) introduce,develop and incorporate ICT in all applicable ITCPactivities to improve performance, sustainability andgrowth; (ii) foster the creation of cooperatives usingICT-related services and (iii) disseminate and repli-cate to other neighborhood cooperative incubatorsthe lessons learned during project preparation andimplementation. The first course developed is oncooperative indicators as part of the integratedmanagement system. This will manage the wholeincubator, the process of incubation and the coop-eratives and will also generate indicators from theinterface of these models. This system is to bemade available on the portal for use by other incu-bators, institutions and organizations.

The four main components of the Genesis Instituteproject are the following: � Survey: Develop two surveys, one on local living

conditions and another on the audiovisual sup-ply chain to identify problems and potential.

� Work plan: Streamline efforts and determine theactions and projects that must be implementedto foster local development and enhance theaudiovisual park. It also includes designingfollow-up processes and managerial indicators.

� Business consortiums and corporate networks:Design and implement interactive cooperativenetworks to strengthen local businesses, generatebusiness opportunities and reinforce the audio-visual park. Such efforts are to follow thearrangement of periodical business meetings to

foster communication, synergism and coopera-tion among the participants

� Business incubation: Direct and adapt PUC-RIO’s business incubation programs to fosterand support business planning, research anddevelopment programs; strategic partnershipsand intellectual cooperation and transference forthe purpose of reinforcing, enhancing, andexpanding the audiovisual supply chain.

Genesis Institute Highlights� Pioneer in diversification of incubation areas:

These include technology, culture, social andcommunity and local development.

� Creating entrepreneurs: Genesis Institute is activein all stages from establishing an entrepreneur tomarket follow-up.

� Expanding the incubator concept: GenesisInstitute believes that individuals should beemphasized more than enterprises.

Genesis institute: business consortiumand corporate networks


Indicative portfolio of genesis institute

Name of Client/TenantCompany Description of Business

Antenada Fashion for women, products for teenagers.

Nós do Cinema Training, qualification and practice in cinema, television and computer science for less-developed communities.

Grandeur Jogos Consulting, creation and development of games for education and entertainment.

Dançar a Vida Emotional development through dancing for children from 4 to 11 years old.

Editora Outras Letras Projects to promote Brazilian culture through music, cinema and arts.

Cultural Biz Consulting and participation in revitalization enterprises and interpretation of cultural, historicaland natural patrimonies.

Geravida Courses and cultural events for children and teenagers from less-developed communities.

Apraax Development of a scholarly panel for improving the quality of middle schools.

Letre Marketing, manufacturing and installing signs with exclusive schedules, logistics and designs.

Cabeça de Negro Promotes appreciation of the culture of Brazilians of African descent using new technologies with low costs.

Consultoria Jurídica Promotes environment education to prevent damage and to solve environment conflicts.Ambiental

Mover Imagem Audiovisual producer with focus on social responsibility.

Ulisses Mello Restaurações Innovative system for combating and controlling the decay of artistic, cultural and historical objects.

ArteVisivo Comunicação Solutions using graphic design to enhance the image of companies and their products Visual and services.

Caus Bambu Design Product design and development of innovative technology for application with bamboo.


BRAZILGrantee: ANPROTEC

Grant: Capacity Building Grant GrantAmount: $ 150,000Contact: José Eduardo Fiates, PresidentEmail: [email protected] – [email protected] Website: http://www.anprotec.org.br,http://www.redeincubar.org.br,http://www.relapi.org

The main goal of the infoDev funded work pro-gram here is to further develop the process ofstrengthening the recently established LatinAmerica Network of Science Parks and BusinessIncubators Associations—RELAPI (see:http://www.relapi.org), by directly supporting theconsolidation of its mission and advancement of itsobjectives in the region as established in the net-work’s statute. It may be noted that the originaldesignation of the network in (1) Spanish RedLatino Americana de Asociaciones de ParquesTecnológicos e Incubadoras de Empresas, and(2) Portuguese - Rede Latino-Americana deAssociações de Parques Tecnológicos e Incubadorasde Empresas.

Partnerships The Latin American Association of TechnologicalParks and Enterprise Incubators Network(RELAPI) was officially institutionalized during themeeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on June 28thand 29th, 2005. Its main objectives include promote

meetings to exchange experiences and knowledge;form alliances among resident and graduated enter-prises for business opportunities; and facilitateinstitutional and political articulation to proposemultilateral cooperative actions among the coun-tries represented in the Network. It is a formal net-work with associations representing eight countries,collaborating with the intent of advancing the roleof business incubators, technology parks, entrepre-neurship and innovation

Project Activities and Milestones The infoDev funded work program is to furtherstimulate the following activities of REALPI:� Promote meetings among its members, associat-

ed institutions and businesses,� Exchange experiences among business incuba-

tors and broadly disseminate its knowledgeamong the network

� Forge strategic alliances with national associa-tions, public, private, and internationalorganizations

� Increase support and work for the improvementof relations among resident and graduated enter-prises for business opportunities

� Deepen the degree of participation of associa-tions with respect to public policies and programsimpacting the incubation industry, entrepreneur-ship and innovation,

� Encourage and support the establishment ofnational programs on incubation, and

� Facilitate institutional and political dialogue andpropose multilateral cooperative and collabora-tive actions among countries represented in thenetwork.


CHILEGrantee: Fundación para la TransferenciaTecnológica

Grant: Operational Grant. US $400,000Contact: Mr. Antonio Holgado, Tel 56-2-678-4816 Email: [email protected] Website: www.incubadora.accessnova.cl

Access Nova Incubación is a Santiago-based, state-run, technology-based business incubator. It isfunded and managed by the University of Chile’sTechnological Transfer Foundation which is part ofthe Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.It operates in strategic alliance with the OCTAN-TIS Incubator that is managed by a consortiumcomprising the privately run Adolfo IbañezUniversity (Valparaiso Business School), theInvertec IGT export business group and OrganizedEnterprising Environment (CEO), an innovativeprivate network for enterprise promotion in Chile.It was established in 1996 and is reputed to be amodel for other South American business incuba-tors and to rank in the top ten of Chile’s incubatorsin terms of management, methodologies and quali-ty of consultancies and training services. In addi-tion to the grant from infoDev’s IncubatorInitiative, Access Nova’s sources of financinginclude the Innovation and Development Fund(FDI), a state entity under the Corporación deFomento de la Producción (CORFO), and monthlyfees from the incubating companies for servicesrendered (management, mentoring, operationalsupport, quality control, access to finance, andpublic relations).

Project ObjectiveThe infoDev-funded work program is to enablethe incubator to extend the technological incuba-tion concept by (i) reducing entrance barriers tocreating ICT-related companies; (ii) minimizingrisk through mentoring and training in businessmanagement; (iii) fostering successful businessper-sons to lead and manage profitable businesseswhen leaving the incubator; and (iv) becoming animportant economic and social instrument for uni-versities and local communities. Important pro-grams include the design and start-up of an angelinvestment network and strengthening networkingwith the National Business Incubators Association(ANIN).

Partnerships:� Access Nova Incubacion

� Tecnológico de Monterrey (TEC) forthe study of best practices in businessincubation;

� ISO Easy, a consulting company assistingin developing ISO 9001 compliantprocesses;

� e-Deas, a public relations firm conductinga campaign promoting entrepreneurshipin Chile;

� 3M to promote innovation and entrepre-neurship in researching how to transformuniversity-sponsored projects into incu-bating companies;

� Codelco, the country’s largest copper min-ing company incorporating ICTs into itsprocesses;

� NTT DoCoMo, a technology partnerwith whom AccessNova conducts researchand incubates companies (NTT partnersin developing remote mining technologiesfor Codelco).

� OCTANTIS Incubator � Incubators within the newly created ANIN

Activities Completed and Milestones � Strengthening the incubator network: Access Nova

collaborated with TEC given the latter’s valueand experience in the area of entrepreneurshipand incubation. Another manifestation of thisexchange program was a dialogue with theNicaraguan Minister for Science and Technology.The Access Nova Incubator completed a comprehensive analysis and systematization ofits procedures and management activities. Itreceived its ISO 9001 certification in November2004 which is expected to contribute to makingits services more efficient and effective. An initialdiagnostic of the incubator was undertakenbetween October and December of 2003 followedby the design and implementation of an actionplan to improve its project selection processand to run a marketing campaign aimed atincreasing the number of applicants. A strate-gic plan was also prepared.

� Creation of ANIN: A strategic plan for the asso-ciation was developed followed by a legal consti-tution. An independent board was then created.ANIN was launched on July 17, 2003 duringthe closing ceremony of the First Congress ofEntrepreneurship in Chile. Plans are underway


to organize, execute and evaluate a campaign topromote the association.

� Diffusion of best practice to other incubators in thecountry: The model to transfer the knowledgegained in the first phase of the project will becarried out by ANIN. The foundation of thetransfer model is based on transferring and redi-recting knowledge gained and customizing theprocesses and knowledge to the needs of eachincubator.

� Producing images of success: Efforts were under-taken to develop outreach activities to record thehistories and attitudes of successful entrepre-neurs to stimulate business by increasing thequality and amount of experimentation.

� Design and development of a network of angelinvestors: Studies have shown that the principalfactor limiting investment in emerging compa-nies is not scarcity of capital: it is the lack ofknowledge and trustworthy information angelinvestors have about emerging companies.Additionally, these studies indicate that thesenetworks tend to invest in local and regionalstart-ups. To bridge the gap between the worldsof angel investors and emerging entrepreneurs,the following activities were implemented: amarket study, the creation of a network of angelinvestors, a model of operation for the networklaunch and executing activities that involveentrepreneurs, angel investors and risk capital.


COLOMBIAJoint Grantees: Innovar and Incubadora Parquesoft

Grant: Operational Grant. US $500,000Contact: Adolfo J. Naranjo, Executive Director,Corporacion Innovar

Humberto Pradilla, Executive Director,Corporacion Bucaramanga Emprendedora Email: [email protected],[email protected], Proponent Website: www.innovar.org, www.bucain-cu.org.co

The infoDev-funded work program in Colombiacovers two incubator operations. The first is a jointwork program of Corporación Innovar (Innovar)and Corporación Bucaramanga Emprendedora(CBE) in Bogota and Bucaramanga, and the secondis a work program of Parquesoft: IncubadoraParque Tecnologico del Software de Cali (PSTC).Innovar is a non-profit technology incubator basedin Bogota servicing information and communicationtechnologies (ICT)-enabled tenant clients and offer-ing regional and virtual ICT services. It currently hasan incubator building with an area of 2,200 squaremeters and 25 on-site and 20 off-site tenants.Graduate companies to date number 43. CBE isa technology business incubator that creates newknowledge companies and employment and increasesthe competitiveness of the business community. CBEoffers basic and complementary support services tothe entrepreneurial community. It was established byacademic institutions and organizations from theprivate and public sectors, especially the industrialuniversity of Santander. PSTC was founded inDecember 1999 at an industrial estate located in thenorth of the city. It created its own methodology ofincubation, the model of entrepreneurship, by devel-oping a unique cluster of knowledge at the nationallevel. This methodology is based on alliances withkey actors in the economy. The products and solutionsdeveloped by the entrepreneurs include businesssolutions and applications in sectors includingeducation, health, security, transportation, govern-ment, services, agro-industry, environment andindustry. These products and solutions align andintegrate enterprise strategies with the overall man-date of bridging the digital divide. The incubatorprovides entrepreneurs with infrastructure andcomplementary professional services for enablingthe development of ICT products and solutions.

Project Objectives and PlannedActivities The infoDev-funded work program for Innovar andCBE is to develop two regional incubator centersand to build capacity in their management teams,disseminate their experiences and promote the uti-lization of ICT in business development. BothInnovar and CBE face many challenges in buildingmanagerial capacity and in disseminating experi-ences including fragile financial positions, pooraccess to low cost broadband, lack of an ICT cul-ture in business, and poor knowledge of incubationin the country. Their main learning experiencederives from the United States National BusinessIncubation Association’s website and conference,but for further development purposes they are seek-ing broad institutional strengthening and technicalassistance especially for mentoring/consultanciesand support from regional and global incubatornetworks. The infoDev-funded work program isdriven by three main strategies:

� developing and improving internal capacityfor incubation by standardizing the processes;creating a technological platform for creating avirtual business community; formulating an e-commerce model for incubated companies;installing, operating and maintaining infrastruc-ture for virtual business incubation and e-commerce platforms;

� promoting entrepreneurial activities through thedesign and development of a business intelli-gence center with structured databases and cre-ating self-managed business communities;

� constructing two regional incubation centersin cooperation local governments and linkedwith university, regional and national government programs, one by Innovar inCundinamarca state and the other by CBE inSantander state.

PSTC works with enterprising young people onnational software especially those entrepreneurswho face four generic constraints: no real estatespace; no direct sponsorship; no access to risk capitaland those seeking synergies between the universityand the industry. The benefits that tenants typicallyreceive include business infrastructure and supportin design and relevant technology for softwaredevelopment. Additionally, a client looks to PSTCfor an initial pilot project to make the company apractitioner, provide income and potentially


become a research laboratory. The infoDev-fundedwork program includes the following activities:� enhancing the business strategy and operational

performance of the incubator; � consolidating the regional network of technolo-

gy parks in the southwestern region ofColombia;

� developing the human capital base with afocus on professional business managementskills and ICT-enabled learning in newcompanies;

� promoting quality standards and establishingquality assessment methodologies in emergingsoftware companies;

� strengthening the marketing strategy and mar-keting processes of business incubators and theirclients in the region with a special focus on pen-etrating national and international markets;

� expanding the use of ICT for achieving higherproductivity and competitiveness in incubatorsand small companies;

� generating and disseminating successful practices.


COLOMBIAGrantee: Corporación para el Desarrollo de Tunía(Corpotunía)

Grant: Planning Grant. US $100,000Contact: William Cifuentes Alvarez, Corregimientode Tunía Municipio de PiendamóEmail: [email protected] Proponent Website: www.corpotunia.org

Corporación para el Desarrollo de Tunía(Corpotunía) is a not-for-profit civil societyorganization serving rural communities in thecentral and northern parts of Colombia’s Caucastate. It was established in 1986 by a group ofcommunity leaders with financial assistance andsupport mainly from the Fundación Carvajal inCali. Corpotunía’s headquarters is in Tunía in themunicipality of Piendamó (about 500 km southof Bogotá) just off the Pan-American Highway.The buildings occupy about 400 square meters offloor space and provide a reasonable amount ofoffice space and space for training activities. Theorganization is legally recognized by the govern-ment and by the Chamber of Commerce.Corpotunía conducts integrated developmentprojects aimed at organizing and supporting localproducers of tropical agricultural products. A cen-tral aim of these projects is to link producers withgrowth markets as a means of reducing poverty inthis neglected, predominantly rural region of thecountry. Drawing on experience in Colombia andelsewhere, this project will consolidate an agro-enterprise incubator in the southwest.

Project Objectives The infoDev-funded work program will developand test both direct and virtual approaches toproviding training and support aimed at creatingand strengthening competitive rural agro-enter-prises. It is designed to link those approacheswith the use of more conventional communica-tion technologies such as radio and printedmaterials. In this way, the project will make theincubator’s services and support widely availableto rural communities so that they reach highlyvulnerable groups such as refugees and indige-nous people. Specifically, the project objectivesinclude:

� evaluating the environment for incubation andthe need for information and communicationtechnologies (ICT) for new businesses;

� creating a support network for the agro-industrialbusiness incubator and training associates howto develop and manage the incubator;

� developing a strategic business plan for theincubator;

� generating, diffusing and sharing with infoDevthe lessons learned and the successful practicesin the use of ICTs for incubation, innovationand competitiveness.

PartnershipsThe strategic partners that are to contribute to theinfoDev-funded project are to include the region’sagro-enterprise developers including the CaucaChamber of Commerce, Cauca Regional Centerfor Productivity and Innovation (CREPIC), andthe International Center for Tropical Agriculture(CIAT).

Project Activities� Create an improved model for agro-enterprise

incubation: Inventory the supply and diagnosethe demand for business support services inrural areas. Determine the state of the art inproceses for agro-enterprise incubation. Designan improved agro-enterprise incubation process.

� Develop centers (nucleos) for direct and virtualincubation of agro-enterprises: Identify theregions where the incubation nucleos will beestablished. Define the objectives and servicesthey will provide for increasing the competitive-ness of important value chains. Develop ICTapplications for the operational model of thecenters. Devise mechanisms for supporting com-munity-based incubation intermediaries ormultipliers. Devise strategies for linking com-munity telecenters with the project.

� Develop an agrobusiness unit: Develop an onlineinformation system for high-priority value chains.Design mechanisms for capturing and updatingkey information on value chains. Develop anonline information system on agro-enterprisedevelopment. Develop an e-commerce platformfor linking value-added products with markets.Design and launch the agrobusiness unit.

� Design and develop ICT applications to supportagro-enterprise incubation: Design a model forintegrating the use of ICTs into the agroenterprise


incubation process. Develop and implementICT applications for agro-enterprise incubation.Set up classrooms for computer-mediated dis-tance education (e-learning). Develop contenton agro-enterprise competitiveness. Developelectronic aids for the different incubationphases. Develop portable ICT applications tosupport technical assistance for incubatedagro-enterprises.

� Test direct and virtual incubation models inoperation: Operate, test, and adjust the directand virtual incubation model. Measureimpact indicators with a sample of agro-enterprises supported with the new incuba-tion models. Summarize the outcomes of

consultations with the project’s various interestgroups.

� Evaluate and document the experience: Form acommittee to monitor and evaluate the project.Evaluate and monitor the project and consolidateCorpotunía’s business plan. Measure the impactgenerated by the project during its initial andfinal stages and describe the aspects that changed.

� Disseminate the experience: Publish good prac-tices from the project on the web. Disseminatethis information by other means available toproject partners. Interact continuously with theIncubator Support Center (iDISC).

� Audit the project: Contract an external auditorfor the project.


COSTA RICA Grantee: Comisión Asesora en Alta Tecnología deCosta Rica (CAATEC)

Grant: Capacity Building Grant. US $250,000Contact: Dr. Ricardo MongeEmail: [email protected] Website: http://www.caatec.org/, Projectwebsite: e-Incubation Project

The leading proponents of the infoDev-fundedwork program in Costa Rica include theComisión Asesora en Alta Tecnología de CostaRica (CAATEC) and the Centro de Incubación deEmpresas-Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica(CIE-TEC). CAATEC is a private, independent,non-profit foundation that supports social andeconomic development in Costa Rica by leverag-ing advances in information and communicationtechnologies (ICT). CAATEC is made up of indi-viduals from the academic sector (including thepresidents of the four national universities), theprivate sector and representatives of the largestmultinational high-tech corporations operatingin the country. The mission of the CAATECFoundation is to increase the competitiveness ofCosta Rica by strengthening strategic infrastruc-ture, by e-development of human resources, andby the appropriate use of science and technologyby small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).CIE-TEC was created in 1994 with the objectiveof promoting innovative start-up firms with thepotential to make substantial contributions tonational productivity. CIE-TEC’s facilities arelocated at an industrial park in the province ofCartago. The current facilities allow CIE-TEC tosupport the incubation of a maximum of eightcompanies and to support other incubating firmsoutside its premises. It currently offers logistic andstrategic services to tenants.

Project ObjectiveThe infoDev-funded work program is to facilitatethe development of competitive ICT-enabledSMEs in Costa Rica through the creation of aneffective e-business incubator model (eBIM) atCIE-TEC. This model is to improve the levels ofefficiency and effectiveness of the incubator itselfresulting in the creation of competitive CostaRican SMEs which are estimated to be 95% ofthe country’s formal businesses. This will enable

CIE-TEC to consolidate its operational and self-sustaining capabilities, performance and businessoutreach through the creation and more effectiveuse of ICT skills and ICT-enabled business incu-bation services.

Partnerships:� Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce

(MEIC)� Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (ITCR)� National Bank of Costa Rica (BCNR)� Intel Corporation� Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica

(PROCOMER)*� CAATEC

Activities Completed and Milestones � Office space and basic office services: These activi-

ties were undertaken on the basis of a needsassessment and included creating a new comput-er training center on the premises with at least12 new work stations. An agreement has beenreached with ITCR (where the total bandwidthhas been raised to 14 megabits per second) toreserve a portion for CIE-TEC. There are alsoplans to construct a new computer laboratorygiven CIE-TEC’s participation in BCNR’smobile unit program.

� Human resource development: CIE-TEC needsto define and implement ways to determine thebasic training needs of its tenants. The firstcomponent includes capacity building to findinformation they need on market conditionsand competition, etc. and adding value to theskills they already possess (Internet searchengine techniques and tools). The second com-ponent provides information to tenants aboutoutside consultants/training services and helpsthem negotiate costs for these services that willbe paid by the tenants themselves.

� Access to financial resources: At the beginningof the project, CIE-TEC did not have optimalmethods to analyze operating costs, to deter-mine pricing for the services provided to itstenants, and to control expenditures, but thishas been mitigated through a spreadsheet-based cost control system. A recycling projectfor tenants in the industrial park was startedto raise income to cover budgetary shortfallsthat the incubator has suffered in the recent past.There are also plans underway to investigate


strategies for acquiring financial interests intenants and to reduce the overall debt levelsof the industrial park in Cartago where it ishoused.

� Formation of non-financial support networks:Regular meetings between current tenants areto be arranged, and efforts have been made tostrengthen relationships with outside organiza-tions. Online communication and interactionwith other members of the incubator communityare currently progressing at a satisfactory level.

� Incubator administration: Clarifying and formal-izing the relationship between ITCR and CIE-TEC regarding the work plan is a high prioritythat has recently been spelled out in detail. It isnecessary in order to better anticipate the typesof assistance that the incubator can receive fromITCR. An administrative information systemhas been deployed to better manage data aboutthe activities and experiences of the administra-tion and its tenants.

� Admission and graduation criteria: New selec-tion criteria are planned based on economicdevelopment and the return on investmentevaluation suggested by studies by BCNR andMEIC. A pre-incubation entrepreneurial train-ing program is also planned for all the prospec-tive tenants.

� Outside incubator services: The incubator willparticipate in the mobile unit program ofBCNR which will provide $45,000 over twoyears for maintaining a computer laboratory inthe incubator and for the participation of incu-bator staff in the mobile program. A vehicleequipped with computers and a satellite Internetconnection will travel across the country visiting50 communities to present BCNR’s Internetbanking services for entrepreneurs and in theprocess will gain an understanding of small busi-nesses through interviews.

Project funding provided by infoDev has allowedCIE-TEC to substantially improve the quality ofthe services that it offers to local small businesses.Incubator tenants now have improved access tocomputers, high-speed dedicated Internet access,critical evaluation and revision of their business plans,training in business process improvement integratedwith ICT use (including Internet investigation

techniques), support for regular meetings betweentenants to share experiences and suggestions, and e-mail newsletters with content relevant to theirsituations and problems.

These advances are noteworthy in and of them-selves, but they have also fostered a new level ofoutside confidence in the professionalism and use-fulness of incubator services. This has led to addi-tional benefits for the incubator itself as well as forsmall businesses outside the incubator in CostaRica and Central American. The value of courseswith a primary emphasis on training in businessprocess improvement with ICT as cross-cuttingelements integrated into training in all businessareas impressed the school of BusinessAdministration of the Instituto Tecnológico deCosta Rica (ITCR) sufficiently to convince themto become responsible for the administration ofthe Incubator as well as to assume increasedresponsibility for incubator funding—a vital steptoward assuring the incubator’s sustainability andcontrolling service quality.

These same training resources have also attractedthe interest of organizations such as MEIC, theNational Network for Assistance to SMEs(DIGIPyME) and the Intel Corporation. Theyhave joined the incubator, ITCR and CAATEC topromote a pilot program for training Costa Ricansmall businesses in the use of ICT to improvebusiness processes. On a broader level, the incuba-tor, ITCR and CAATEC have received fundingfrom the Kellogg Foundation to develop a pilotprogram to provide similar training throughoutCentral America and southern Mexico. This willpotentially benefit thousands of regional smallbusinesses and will be one of the outcomes of theinitial support infoDev provided to create incuba-tor courses.

Membership in projects such as the Incubator-MEIC-CAATEC-Intel effort to promote ICT inCosta Rican SMEs and the Kellogg foundation-funded Central American effort (as well as theITCR business school’s increased levels of financialsupport) demonstrate the ability of the incubator todraw the attention and funding necessary to betterserve the national and regional SME community.


Indicative portfolio comisión asesora en alta tecnología de Costa Rica

Name of Client/TenantCompany Description of Business

Laboratorio de Biotecnología In-vitro plant reproduction, cloning of selected commercial plants, germination of orchid seedsVitroPlant S.A.

Corporación de Profesionales en Construction consultants (new and remodelled buildings: commercial, residential, industrial)Ingeniería (CPI) S.A.

Sistemas de Colaboración Information systems for educational institutionsEducativa H y F S.A. (SICOE)

Innovaciones Biotecnológicas Waste treatment for food processing and agricultural industries

Guaycará Breloa, S.A. Production and sales of marzipan confections

Orel Biotecnologías ,S.A. Phytosanitation

Laboratorio de biotecnología vitroPlant S.A.: in-vitro plant reproduction


DOMINICAN REPUBLICGrantee: Cyberpark of Santo Domingo

Grant: Operational Grant. US $150,000Contact: Eddy MartinezE-mail: [email protected] Website: www.wati.com.do

Cyberpark of Santo Domingo’s Westport AppliedTechnology Incubator (WATI) is the firstapplied technology enabler business incubator inthe Dominican Republic. WATI’s mission is tofacilitate enhancement of international competi-tiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises by pro-moting a more efficient and vibrant use of appliednew information and communication technolo-gies and ease of access to these enterprises whilepreserving respect for intellectual property rightsand foster potential intellectual property generatorprojects.

Project Objectives� To continue promoting the local use of ICT

applications within the small and medium tech-nology enabled enterprises in the DominicanRepublic to stimulate greater productivity andinternational competitiveness, creation of greaternumbers of jobs and thus cascade the tools forpoverty reduction.

� To use the WATI as a source of long term,easily accessed source of best practices forICT enabled business in the DominicanRepublic and the Caribbean. This shall beaccomplished by engaging external consultingto improve the marketing, e-business, net-working and operational capabilities ofWATI’s tenant companies.

� To expand the capabilities of WATI in the areaof “open source” software and “open systems”architecture, enabling e-business activities using

the open source platforms and thus helpingstem the rate of intellectual property violationswhile allowing a creative tool to inspire the birthof indigenous intellectual property creation inthe field of ICT.

� To promote and support refurbishing and deviceadaptation for use in the rural health provisionand social security reform in the DominicanRepublic.

Partnership: � Universidad Dominicana O & M—the largest

private university in the Dominican Republicwith 28 thousand students and regional centersall around the country. The role of theUniversidad O & M in the Westport AppliedTechnology Incubator (WATI)-infoDev projectis to provide support in the following areas:project assessment; survey preparation; ICTarchitecture design; software development, andtraining and workshops.

� Conferederacion de Pequenas y MedianasEmpresas (CODOPYME)—the federation ofSmall and Médium Enterprises’s associationsin the Dominican Republic, which serves as arepresentative of the concerns and interests ofthe SME sector before the governmental enti-ties and general society as a whole. Within thestrategic alliance with WATI to implementthe infoDev supported project, Codopymewill continue its role of building capacity toaccelerate the competitiveness of theDominican Republic’s SMEs to face the chal-lenges and opportunities presented by grow-ing globalization throughout the world. Toachieve these goals, Codopyme will helpleverage ICT within SMEs to facilitate inte-gration into the global knowledge-based econ-omy, developing SMEs human and institu-tional capacity at the national levels by pro-moting a wider use of ICT and specially with-in women owned businesses.


ECUADOR Grantee: Incoval, Emprender, Stratega Bds,Ecuadorian Network of Incubators, Ministry of Production, and Foundation E.dúcate

Grant: Capacity Building Grant GrantAmount: $125,000Contact: Ivan Hernandez, CEO, Stratega BDSEmail: [email protected] Website: www.stratega.com.ec

Stratega BDS is one of the leading consulting com-panies in Ecuador, specializing in business develop-ment services, and competitiveness. Stratega BDS’smission is to facilitate the creation and growth ofSMEs, with potential and management leadership.Stratega BDS also has a brokerage house, which hasseats in both the Quito Stock Exchange andGuayaquil Stock Exchange, and have always beingin the top five houses in terms on negotiated vol-ume in both exchanges. The mandate of theinfoDev funded work program is to strengthen thenational incubator network, by training the recentmembers through an on-line platform that willallow procurement of incubators services andknowledge sharing, as well as strategic research oninnovation export sector demands and new finan-cial models. Based on lesson learned and new infor-mation acquired by this project, it is expected thatthe business model of the Incoval and Emprenderincubators will be enhanced. The work program isto also design and implement a competitive fund tofinance incubation of enterprises, which will seek tofinance at least 10 new business plans of enterprises.It is expected that all this will provide ICT basedservices that will enhance productivity of sectorsalready identify with potential export growth, andthat will benefit from a potential free trade agree-ment with USA.

Partnerships � INCOVAL was founded in 2003 as non-profit

organization and it was certified on April 12,2004 by the Ministerio de Industrias yComercio Exterior, MICIP. It aims to provideincubation services to innovation and valueadded start-ups in the Province of Guayas. Themain objective is to promote the developmentof private profitable companies that seek toincrease the efficiency of businesses value chain

through innovative ICT based products andservices.

� EMPRENDER is a Public-Private Companyfounded in 2003, to provide incubation servicesto technology-based startups in the Province ofPichincha. Strategic partners include Quito’sChamber of Commerce, Pichincha’s Chamberof Industry, Quito’s Stock Market and theNational Foundation for Science andTechnology (FUNDACYT).

� E.dúcate is a non profit Ecuadorian founda-tion certified by the Ministry of Education byresolution no. 3878, on the 26th of September2002. E.dúcate seeks an egalitarian societythrough the equal access of all citizens toopportunities, particularly to education, andtechnology.

Project Activities and Milestones � Strengthen the national incubator network

that includes incubators, university centers,business development enterprises, national agen-cies that foster innovation and business develop-ment, competitiveness agencies at the nationaland local level, local governments and privatesector in general. The specific activities include(i) Create virtual venues of knowledge andinformation sharing among members of the net-work; (ii) Increase local awareness regards theimportance of innovation through the presenta-tion of success cases, best practices and an analy-sis of needs of innovation by business sector orclusters and its impact on productivity; (iii)Strengthen actual network relationships withinternational innovation centers, universitiesand financial community.

� Enhance the business model of theIncubators - INCOVAL and EMPRENDERthrough (i) Integration of new business andservices that will enhance productivity of newenterprises during incubation and post incuba-tion phase; (ii) Find ways to work more closelywith business development services enterprises,which have specific knowledge of small andmedium business enterprises and investors,and national and local government programsthat aim to foster productivity of SME’s; (iii) Identify by sector, potential innovation needsto enhance productivity and to develop valuedadded to current or potential products; (iv)Develop with local key players such as the


Guayaquil and Quito Stock Exchange, newschemes of financing for the different phases ofthe process: pre-incubation and during the busi-ness cycle of the enterprise once start selling.

� Create a competitive fund to finance incuba-tion of enterprises, that will finance 10 busi-ness plan of enterprises. This will (i) Provide

ICT based services that will enhance productivi-ty of sectors already identified for potentialexport growth that will benefit from a potentialfree trade agreement with USA. (ii) Foster entre-preneurship among youngsters, from 19 until30 years old, at least two of the ten proposals,will be selected from this niche.


MEXICOGrantee: Technology Based Business Incubator(IEBT), University of Guadalajara

Grant: Capacity Building Grant GrantAmount: $ 125,000Contact: Mr. Juan Villalvazo, Head IEBTEmail: [email protected] Website: www.dip.udg.mx

The infoDev funded work program will acceleratethe Technology Based Business Incubator (IEBT),located at the University of Guadaljara, to makemore effective use of ICT for creating new andcompetitive Mexican companies both small andmedium that can participate in the global econo-my. The infoDev funded work program is expectedto further strengthen linkages between the institu-tions of higher education, enhance their capacitiesfor teaching and research in a manner that impactsnot only on the existing sectors but also on thepoor and unemployed people in the region.

Partnerships � State Government’s Economic Promotion State

Council: this is part of the state government andis responsible for the industrial promotion acrossthe state. The priority activities identified by thestate government include Electronics,Biotechnology, Software development.

� Federal Government’s Ministry of Economy:This Ministry together with The NationalCouncil of Science and Technology are responsi-ble to promote the development of the economyand technology and science, through assistanceto the creation of enterprise incubators andenterprises of innovation

� Non Financial Partners include the NationalSystem for the Technological Education(SNET); CONALEPS Network (NationalColleges of High Education); CASTs Network(Assistance and Technological Services Centers)and CECATI’S (Centros de Capacitación para elTrabajo Industrial)

Project ObjectivesThe infoDev funded work program will include thefollowing activities:� Design and deploy an online training portal

for incubation and innovation: The websitewill be a central point of information for train-ing, expert counseling, and outsourcing of infor-mation, planning, and evaluation systems forthe operation and development of incubatorsand companies involved in the project

� Training Room: The Training Room is a physi-cal space that is to be equipped with ICT,video/teleconferencing equipment and multime-dia for virtual training sessions over the Internet.This space will be a dual usage, both to giveconferences and also for all of the users to accessapplications on the Internet, and possible toconnect to other remote conference

� Knowledge for Incubation and Innovation:This knowledge from experiences and lessonslearned is to be made online to the members.Other documents from important incubatororganizations around the world, includinginformation from ANPROTEC (Brazil), NBIA(United States), SPICE Group (Europe) andothers. Plans are underway to complete theconceptual design for the creation of the e-Library and the development of additional tools

� Networks for Incubation and Innovation:Applications will be developed to facilitate com-munications between entrepreneurs, directors,and the national and international experts inbusiness planning, technical markets, and otherareas. This will include the international groupsthat promote the relations with organizationssuch as ANPROTEC, NBIA and SPICE; thebusiness sector based on pertinent activities ofthe west central region of Mexico; and networkof 14 university centers at the University ofGuadalajara, the National System forTechnology Education (SNET) integrated withabout 184 Technology Institutes of HigherEducation (ITs), 8 Industrial TechnologyCenters (CAST´s) and 198 Centers forIndustrial Job Training (CECATI´s), locatedthroughout Mexico


PANAMAGrantee: City of Knowledge Foundation

Grant: Operational Grant. US $300,000Contact: Jorge Arosemena, Director of City ofKnowledge Foundation, Panama TechnologyBusiness AcceleratorEmail: [email protected] Website: http://www.cdspanama.org/

The Panama Technology Business Accelerator(PTBA) established in Panama City in 2000operates on a non-profit, foundation-supportedbasis and focuses on information and communi-cation technologies (ICT) and biotechnology. Itis the only incubator in Panama. It provides acomprehensive range of services to tenants andgraduate clients including pre- and post-supportcenter incubation through mentoring; assistancewith finance through local banks, privateinvestors and angel investor networks; broad-quality technology incubation in the leastamount of time possible and provision of busi-ness plan, management, and virtual entrepreneurdevelopment training courses.

The incubator has a total of 2,896 square meters ofbuilding area with 11 tenants; it has graduated 10clients. It faces significant challenges in its plans togrow and become more effective, namely regulatoryand business environment impediments, poor devel-opment of entrepreneurship and lack of finance forclient and other enterprises. The incubator aims tobecome self-sufficient financially by 2008 byupgrading its revenue base through new rental,equity and royalty arrangements; new service feesand private donor funding based on tax credits.The approach to incubation has been to learn fromthe United States National Business IncubationAssociation and to attend incubation conferencesand then adapt these to Panamanian conditions cre-ating a so-called incubator “soup Panamanian style.”The foundation is seeking further assistance in men-toring/consulting, financing, establishing supportive

networks, and accessing other incubators throughexchanges and study tours.

Project ObjectiveThe infoDev-funded work program is to facilitatenew activities that will help the incubator to reachout to more prospective clients all over the countryand to deliver better solutions for them.Specifically, the new activities are to include thefollowing:� creating a seed capital fund for PTBA that will

enable it to start new ventures;� developing a national business plan competition

to create awareness of the incubation systemand what it can offer in the entrepreneurialsector to help create a stronger incubation base;

� formulating an incubator training course for thecountry in Spanish and a methodology that canbe applied across all the other incubators inLatin America;

� serving as a virtual incubator to complement thework of PTBA as well as to expand the reach ofthe incubator to more entrepreneurs preparingbusiness plans using the methodology alreadyapproved by the incubator;

� finalizing an online training course for entre-preneurial development that local universitiescan offer.

Partnership:� Inter American Development Bank (IADB)

Activities Completed and Milestones PTBA started its incubation program with 5 newICT and biotech companies after 10 of the 15 orig-inal tenants of 2000 were spun off early in 2005.Those 10 companies have invested over $1.3 milliondollars in the development of their products orservices and have created (while in the incubator)54 high-tech jobs and 25 administrative positions.PTBA has also begun to develop its post-incubationmodel with the help of international consultantsand the portfolio of services to be delivered in thisphase.


PARAGUAYGrantee: Fundación Enlace

Grant: Planning Grant. US $100,000Contact: Marcos Tatijewski, Project ExecutiveDirectorEmail: [email protected] Site: www.enlace.org.py

Project Genesis: An Incubation and RegionalInnovation System is part of the IPORA Projectdesigned to create a catalyst for incubators, tech-nological parks and entrepreneurial supportorganizations. It has as its objective the develop-ment and implementation of an inter-institutionalprogram of business incubation that integrates theintensive use of technology as a fundamental toolfor optimal production, management, marketingand knowledge network formation. The projectdesign includes an initial phase of investigation,diagnosis and benchmarking followed by theimplementation of networks, participant trainingand dissemination and promotion of an entrepre-neurial culture. Additionally, a series of technolog-ical tools is planned to enable incubators to offerservices of high value from the start of their activi-ties, to improve the success indicators of newbusinesses and to stimulate exchange on best prac-tices among incubators and their businesses.

Project ObjectiveProject Genesis aims to (i) produce a replicablemethodology to design regional innovationsystems (ii) promote incubation to improve the competitiveness of Paraguay’s products and(iii) support emerging ventures. Finally, a strategyfor businesses and entrepreneurs to benefit fromthe opportunities created by new information andcommunication technologies (ICT) is also to bedeveloped.

PartnershipsIn addition to the Enlace Foundation, the imple-menting institution, there are a number of collabo-rating institutions including the Ministry ofIndustry and Commerce (MIC), the NationalScience and Technology Council (CONACYT),the National University of Asuncion (UNA) andthe Business Cooperation and IndustrialDevelopment Center (CEDIAL).

Activities Completed Project performance has been structured in phaseseach with specific results (products) that will con-tribute to the deliverables and to the target activi-ties according to the grant agreement. The phasesare the following: Phase 1: Technological Orientation of the

Incubator Phase 2: Articulation of Regional ActorsPhase 3: Business Plan Phase 4: Follow-Up, Control and Diffusion

Phase 1: Technological Orientation of theIncubator� Analysis of the region’s scientific and technological

offerings based on their capacities and the capacityto interface with the production sector: Define theinformation gathering instrument and the sam-ple of institutions to interview. Train pollstersto acquire and gather accurate information.Analyze and interpret the information, collectfeedback and make adjustments.

� Study the industrial dynamics (demand for inno-vation) and analyze the regional market for scientificand technological services: Define the informationgathering instrument and the sample of institu-tions to interview. Train pollsters to acquire andgather accurate information. Analyze and inter-pret the information, collect feedback and makeadjustments.

� Economic analysis and analysis of future tendenciesin the incubator’s regional environment: Compiledocuments and studies related to the economicenvironment. Conduct interviews with govern-ment, academic and business entities. Defineand/or identify strategic actors (stakeholders)and build their awareness. Conduct a workshopto identify future tendencies in the region thenanalyze them (application of techniques).Collect feedback and make adjustments.

� Assessment of regional scientific and technologicalcapacity: Assess the legal, political and regulatoryenvironment and infrastructure. Prepare a reporton competition including business innovations,institutional technology offerings, interfaceactivities and strategies. Collect feedback andmake adjustments.

Phase 2: Articulation of Regional Actors� Planning workshops with actors: Define objec-

tives, schedule, participants and topics. Contactstakeholders in the incubation system. Conduct


workshops to conceptualize and consult withstakeholders. Design guidance mechanisms fororganizational policies. Design an agenda ofcommitments. Define an incubation policyguidance committee (COPI, in Spanish).

Phase 3: Business PlanThis is to include conceptualization; an analysis oflocal conditions; structure, projection and simula-tion; a feasibility assessment and a definition ofstrategic actions for the incubator.

Phase 4: Follow-up, Control and Diffusion This includes follow-up and control activities andsubmitting deliverables; promoting a labor networkand diffusing knowledge; establishing new allianceswith partners and stakeholders to increase opportu-nities to create a regional incubator that includesICT and supporting human development and theinstitutional capacity to incorporate ICT in smallbusinesses and e-business.

MilestonesAlliance: The highest government authorities havebeen involved from the beginning, and an alliancewas formed among five organizations to implementthe project: � MIC through its General Bureau for Business

Development; � CONACYT;� UNA through the Entrepreneurs Program of the

Poly-Technical Faculty; � CEDIAL;� Enlace Foundation..

Each organization designated one or two membersto sit on a coordination council that meets periodi-cally with the project team to follow up and adviseon activities completed and to provide insights forimprovement. In this manner, this project hasreceived the permanent support of public institu-tions, NGO’s and the university sector.

Diagnosis: The strengths and weaknesses of the varioussectors involved in innovation and incubation are nowavailable for any interested organization. This is thefirst study of its kind in the country made throughthe following comprehensive surveys performed on agroup of 100 enterprises: institutional technologicalofferings, academic offerings, stakeholder focusgroups, and focus groups on innovative activities.

Know-how: The incubation environment and capaci-ties in any region of the country can now be measured.

Strategic model: A model for operating incubatorsin Paraguay including the business plan of an incu-bator (portfolio of services, administrative, financialand intellectual property models, strategic agendas,technological orientation, etc.) is now available.

Capacity building: This will be developed for inno-vation, incubation and entrepreneurship. A one-week training workshop will be held in November2005 with international experts from Colombia,Chile and Argentina.

An awareness and capacity-buildingevent



infoDev has allocated $100,000 to Enlace for the implementation of a virtual incubator that would operate simultaneously with two otherinstitutions. To achieve this, a presentation will be made to all the universities and institutions that are currently involved in entrepreneurship-related activities (such as the Center for the Promotion and Support to Businesses, a division of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, andthe Technological Park of Itaipu). Following this, two entities will be selected from those that show the highest interest, potential and commit-ment, so that each may simultaneously develop the model jointly with ENLACE. The other organizations will also be invited to participateas observers of this process and to participate in the actions. Entrepreneurs in general are also to participate. The contents to be offeredthrough Genesis Virtual Incubator will be oriented towards the promotion and development of the entrepreneurial spirit and the entrepreneur-ship culture, with the aim to raise the awareness of and to strengthen the potential entrepreneurs in fundamental areas for the formulation ofbusiness creation projects.

The infoDev funded work program is aimed at strengthening the incubation environment, building knowledge and catalyze a critical massthat may aim their efforts towards the identification, selection and development of projects with innovative and value-creation components.Furthermore, it seeks to broaden the base of local human resources having specialized training, to generate strong incubation initiatives.


PERUGrantee: Centro de Innovación y Desarrollo de laPontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Grant: Operational Grant. US$ 350,000Contact: Joaquín González Mavila, Manager,Centro de Servicios y Transferencia Tecnológica,Pontificia Universidad Católica del PerúEmail: [email protected] Site:http://www.pucp.edu.pe/invest/cide/ Project website:http://www.peruincuba.net/

The Centro de Innovación y Desarrollo de laPontificia Universidad Católica (CIDE-PUCP) isa nonprofit university technology incubator basedin Lima established for the purpose of promotingan entrepreneurial culture and information andcommunication technology (ICT) projects; provid-ing entrepreneurial training, business planning andincubation training and establishing networks ofnational and global significance to assist Peruviansmall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It cur-rently provides training and consulting services,networks with investor angels and partners withmicro-credit organizations for the further develop-ment of small ICT companies. The university incu-bator has 30 off-site tenants and 1 on-site tenant inan area of 30 square meters (center’s office) and hasgraduated 15 clients.

Project ObjectiveThe infoDev-funded work program is implementedby three institutions that include CIDE-PUCP,Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Capacitaciónen Telecomunicaciones (INICTEL) and AcciónComunitaria del Perú (ACP). The first two institu-tions lead in managing technology incubators inthe country, and ACP is a private micro-lendingorganization. The specific objectives of the projectare to do the following: � strengthen the institutional capacities of the

technology incubators of PUCP and INICTELthrough the use of ICT;

� certify the staff of the existing incubators andincubation projects in Peru;

� promote the emergence of new ICT companiesin Peru;

� disseminate knowledge of local and internationalexperiences in business incubation.

Partnerships� CIDE-PUCP : This is the leading proponent of

the project and has had experience in incuba-tion-related activities since 1995. It is supportedby the experience and the infrastructure ofPUCP, the first private university in Peru.

� INICTEL’ Incubator: This incubator has beenin business since 2000 and has the institutionalsupport and the technological background ofINICTEL with core competencies in telecom-munications and related activities.

� ACP: This is a private, corporate group commit-ted to the business development of emergingsectors in Peru. It was founded in 1969 by out-standing business leaders in Peru. The group’swork is currently being carried out through itsthree strategic units (1) MIBANCO-Banco dela Microempresa S.A (2) Acción ComunitariaCorredores de Seguros S.A.C. and (3) IESAcción Comunitaria - Centro de FormaciónEmpresarial. Acción Comunitaria del Perú isan important partner of the project; it will takecharge of providing and administering a microloan fund for incubated companies.

Activities Completed and Milestones � Strengthening of business incubators and capacity

building of PUCP and INICTEL through the useof ICT: The activities within this theme includeddeveloping a generic and customizable informa-tion system for the administration of incubators.This began with the compilation of best prac-tices from online research of different models ofincubators. To have a more complete vision ofthe best system to develop, the research includedColombia, Brazil and Peru. The information sys-tems of both incubators were improved as weretheir ICT facilities and physical infrastructures.

� Training and extension services for the staff ofexisting incubators and other incubator initiativesin Peru: With the help of international experts,incubator planning and management courseswere developed. The design of the course ofincubators was completed. The target audienceincludes the staff of different projects and incu-bators across Peru. The syllabus of the course isavailable. Initially, it was divided in two modules,pre-incubation and incubation, based onresources revised by PUCP and INCITEL. Thisdesign was validated in a workshop of thePeruvian network of incubators in which theparticipants indicated their training necessities.


Contacts were then made with Brazilian expertsof Rio de Janeiro and Curitiba. The courseincludes modules on entrepreneurship, innova-tion, technological business plans, and planningand managing incubators.

� Training and extension services to tenant companies:There were a number of national competitionsheld for prototypes and business plans related toICT. A training program to develop ICT busi-ness plans using distance education modules wasalso undertaken. The task of designing thecourse began with two parallel activities. On onehand, a comparative study of similar onlinecourses was made to know the actual courseofferings and to identify the best practices toincorporate into the new course. On the otherhand, a feasibility report focused on the variablescritical for the success of the course. The design

of the course was carried out with methodologi-cal support from the Unit of Education toDistance of the PUCP (PUCP Virtual). Micro-loan funds were also made available for incubatedcompanies. Details of the qualifications formicro-credits are stipulated in the agreementsigned by PUCP, INICTEL and ACP.

� Knowledge dissemination: This included activitiesundertaken to strengthen the national network ofbusiness incubation. Progress has been made inidentifying and contacting the diverse players inthe network, and project activities have con-tributed to strengthening relationships amongincubators across the country. The search for bestpractices led to defining the online strategy for theproject including the creation of a project websitewww.perincuba.net. Case studies and reports dif-fusing experiences have also been written.


URUGUAYGrantee: Ingenio—Incubadora de empresasLATU—ORT

Grant: Operational Grant. US $300,000Contact: Ing. Miguel Brechner, President,Laboratorio Tecnologico del Uruguay (LATU)Email: [email protected] Site: http://www.latu.org.uy/ Projectwebsite: http://www.latu.org.uy/incubadora/

The Ingenio-Incubadora de empresas LATU-ORT based in Montevideo is the first non-profittechnology incubator to be established in Uruguay.It was developed with funding support from thegovernment, university and private sectors. It pro-vides tenants a range of services such as marketingsupport; international links; information and com-munication technology (ICT) and e-business infra-structure and training; support for regional andinternational networking; exchanges with otherincubators in Latin America and online forums andbusiness planning training workshops. The incuba-tor’s total building area is 580 square meters and itservices eight on-site tenants and 23 off-site tenants.The work program includes the development of anincubation support network including incubatorsin developing countries with similar conditionsand online forums to improve international linksfor clients.

Project ObjectiveThe objectives of the infoDev-funded work pro-gram are to enhance the performance and scopeof the services of the incubator to demonstratethe feasibility of technology incubation inUruguay. Specifically the objectives include thefollowing:� increase the ICT capabilities of tenants through

new services and support to offer post-incubationservices to graduated companies;

� increase the possibilities of knowledge exchangeand training with incubators and incubatorassociations throughout the world.

PartnershipsIngenio is a business incubator in the ICT fieldcreated as a joint initiative by the LaboratorioTecnológico del Uruguay (LATU) and

Universidad ORT Uruguay with financial supportof the Inter American Development Bank(IADB). This initiative builds on the joint effortof the state, the universities and the private sectorwhich, through their active participation in theNational Committee for the Information Society,foster the development of the ICT industry as keyto the economic growth of the country.

Activities Completed and Milestones1) Capacity building of tenants in ICT: � E-business development and infrastructure: Tenant

companies will be provided with adequate infra-structure and know-how to implement their e-businesses. A number of services will contributeto business development, and special attentionwill be paid to product launching, e-advertisingand online customer support activities. Theseservices will include website design and mainte-nance for tenant companies and for the incuba-tor itself. The websites will be built andlaunched as the companies prepare to approachthe market.

� Improvement of ICT marketing skills: The staff ofthe tenant companies will be trained by ICTmarketing and sales specialists who will focuson the design and implementation of the tenantcompanies’ marketing plans, product designs,product launches and pricing policies. Trainingwill be provided by consultants through a num-ber of activities such as workshops (also accessedon the Internet), meetings with distinguishedICT entrepreneurs and individual advisory andconsultation meetings.

� Technical assistance for marketing campaigns:Product launching is identified as a criticalactivity that requires special attention and sup-port by the incubator. Technical assistance is tobe provided to incubator tenants to financeadvertising campaigns in the initial productlaunching.

� Internet connectivity: The incubator currentlysupplies all tenant companies with free, dedicat-ed Internet connections. The incubator is alsoto have a free access library on topics related totenants’ activities.

� Regional and international networking: A numberof entrepreneurs will receive financial assistanceto cover their participation in commercial activi-ties, fairs and events abroad. The purpose is tosupport their business development on a region-al or international scale.


� ICT managerial and technical courses: Managerialand technical courses specifically for ICT com-panies will be given to incubator tenant compa-nies along with a selected number of local ICTsmall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).The courses commenced on June 14, 2004.

� Introduction to information technologies for SMEs:A series of courses on information technologiestargeted to non-ICT SMEs will be held on thefollowing subjects. � Case studies: Local ICT companies succeeding

abroad will be selected and analyzed as casestudies in order to help start-up companiesbuild an international strategy.

� Presentations of best practices in the applicationof ICT in SMEs: Lectures on best practiceswill be given. SMEs located outsideMontevideo will have access via videoconfer-encing. Courses will also be taped and pub-lished in the web.

� Workshop on business plans: Ten ICT compa-nies will participate in a workshop to assistthem to design sound business plans. At theend of the workshop, each company shouldhave a completed plan.

� Support to implement ICT solutions in SMEs:Graduate student projects are useful tools topromote the utilization of ICT. AlthoughSMEs located in small cities outsideMontevideo are frequently less ICT-enabled

and consequently the ones where help is mostneeded, they are seldom chosen as case stud-ies because of high travel costs unaffordablefor students. Between 15 and 30 graduateICT student projects aimed at developingcustom-made ICT solutions for SMEs will beselected and supported. The projects to beimplemented in companies located outsideMontevideo will be given higher priority.

� Contest for the best ICT innovative projects forSMEs: The winning projects will receive sup-port to finance their implementation.Winners will be selected by a committee thatincludes representatives from all universitiesissuing ICT-related degrees.

2) Support for client companies’ development: Inorder to follow-up and assist companies in the firstyear after graduation, business counseling will beprovided in relation to marketing, administration, andhuman resource management as a post-incubationservice.

3) ICT incubator performance improvement:Incubation is a new activity in Uruguay, so thereis a strong need to network with other more expe-rienced incubators in other countries to shareexperiences, knowledge, training and consultantsand to attend incubator associations seminars andevents.


IRANGrantee: Isfahan Science and Technology Town(ISTT)

Grant: Operational Grant. US $300,000Contact: Mehdi Keshmiri, Vice-President forResearch and TechnologyEmail: [email protected]: http://en.istt.ir/ ; Project website:http://www.incubators.ir/

The goal of the project is to provide enhancedincubation services to the growing number of ten-ants and non-tenants and small and medium-sizedenterprises (SMEs) across geographical and genderbarriers to contribute to successful knowledge-based businesses and to create adequate employ-ment. The project will improve upon the short-comings stemming from university educationalinadequacies, the centralized system in the capitalTehran, underdeveloped business incubation prac-tices, poorly defined communication among stake-holders in the business domain, poor relationswith international bodies active in the field andinadequate infrastructural information and com-munication technology capabilities. The imple-mentation of the project will lead to the following: � Improved managerial and operational capabili-

ties among knowledge-based SMEs andimproved incubation and facilitation manage-ment capabilities among incubators;

� the infrastructure required for service deliveryand resource and knowledge sharing amongincubators and their tenants;

� augmented geographical and gender impacts ofincubation programs across the nation;

� reduced incubation costs through facilitating e-services and knowledge sharing as extensions oroutreach of incubation programs to non-tenantsthrough an incubator portal system;

� economic development at the local and nationallevels through wider national and internationalbusiness transactions (internationalization).

Partnerships The infoDev-funded work program in Iran is a strate-gic, collaborative effort of Isfahan Science AndTechnology Town (ISTT) a government organizationrunning three incubators, a pre-incubation program,a multi-tenant building and one newly establishedtechnology park; Yazd Science And Technology

Park (YSTP) established in 2001 with a specialfocus on information and communication technolo-gies (ICT), biotech, new energy, and textile technol-ogy and Rooyesh ICT Incubator affiliated with thenot-for-profit National Job Creation Organizationof Iran (JobIran) established in 2000. The fundingfor this unique public–private partnership includesinternal funds, those solicited as grants from theDeputy Minister of Science, Research andTechnology and those from the State Managementand Planning Organization (MPO) in addition tofunding from the infoDev Incubator Initiative.

Project ObjectivesThe planned work program is to result in the cre-ation of training packages for trainers, enhancedincubator services, wider relations nationally andinternationally, new incubation programs and anincubator portal system. The work program is toinclude five main modules related to (1) training insite-specific content by national and internationalexperts; (2) creation of two complementary network-ing systems, one for tenants and the other for tech-nology parks and business incubators; (3) enhancementand diversification of services and e-services; (4) creationof a bilingual portal system and (5) development ofvirtual incubation programs.

Projected Activities and Milestones Training:� The aim is to provide the skills required to

establish a business and manage an incubator.There are prerequisites like English competency,basic understanding of business administration,etc. that have been and are being providedthrough regular training at partner organiza-tions. Training in this project will raise the levelof skills to international standards.

� A group of international consultants has beenapproached to collaborate on the implementa-tion of the project. Provisionally, three areashave been identified that require collaboration:(1) the incubation management system includ-ing the training of trainers and incubator man-agers; (2) training in IT and SME/businessdevelopment including venture capital, interna-tional marketing, trade and foreign investmentand (3) system development (including portal,e-service, etc.).

� Consultants will come from UN specializedagencies (negotiations are underway) and fromforeign government schemes (the French

Middle East and North Africa . 115

Government has been already approached). TheFrench embassy in Iran and the French Ministryof Foreign Affairs have approved ISTT”s prelim-inary request to organize a seminar for tenantcompanies, SMEs outside the partner organiza-tions in the present project and Iranian publicsector managers and decision makers on intel-lectual property rights and innovation with aspecific focus on biotechnology, pharmaceuticalsand agronomy/environment.

� A four-day workshop was organized from Dec.20–23, 2004 with support from the UnitedNations Development Programme office inTehran and MPO on project management ande-government.

Existing incubator improvement and e-service: � A baseline has been created for the incubation

support services provided to tenants in termsof quantity, quality and need. A process re-engineering approach will be adopted toimprove upon current services. New ones willalso be created upon completion of a needsanalysis and feasibility study. Internationalconsultants will be hired to help.

� Later, a feasibility study will be conducted tofind out what services, if any, can be offeredelectronically. One good candidate will belegal advice although face-to-face contactswith legal advisers will still be necessary in aminor number of cases.

Networking:� The research and technology network already

exists in Isfahan, but its regulatory system andtransactions have to be refined. It will furtherhave to be connected to the incubator portalsystem, and e-transactions must be designedand implemented to allow for easy access bySMEs to lab and technical services available inthe network.

� A second network, the incubator network, willbe designed that will electronically and other-wise connect all incubators across Iran to sharetheir services, e-services, and facilities.

Portal:� To create easy access to all types of information

for business development, a portal system isenvisioned that will be designed and implementedup to the pilot level.

� Databases will be created and engines will bedevised to allow for easy, fee-based sharing ofinformation, e-services and transactions. Theportal will be scaled up by the ministries of

commerce, finance, labor, industries, etc. oncethey realize its importance.

Semi-virtual incubator:� A virtual system is to be designed with all possible

aspects of an incubator to admit non-tenants.They will be connected through the Internet withoccasional visits to a central facility or visits byincubator professionals for delivery of certain serv-ices and training. This is a semi-virtual incubatorin the sense that there is a central headquarters orfacility where the managerial staff and advisers canbe reached. ICT are a powerful means of deliver-ing support services to non-tenants.

� The semi-virtual incubation system will drawupon the other components of the project suchas e-services, training and e-learning, the portalsystem and the networks. It is expected that atleast eight non-tenant firms will be admitted tothe program within the life cycle of this projectin order to develop and test a model for scalingup and replication.

ISTT has also been appointed as the executive oftwo national programs:� implementing the special national project to

support ICT companies throughout the country(Takfa project, i.e. the program for increasingthe application of ICT in the country) and pro-viding the support of $1.5 millions to 60 ICTcompanies;

� implementing the financial support plan for pilotproduction and prototyping of technologicalprojects that amounts to $1 million.

Establishing several incubators in Iran and foster-ing the culture of incubation and actively partici-pating in international meetings and seminarsrelated to entrepreneurship, innovation, scienceparks and incubators have made ISTT a pioneer inthe country and have also resulted in internationalrecognition. The following are the main activitiesof ISTT:� establishing the Qadir Incubator and admitting

82 tenant companies and inaugurating the pre-incubation stage in which 102 start-ups wereadmitted;

� establishing two university pre-incubators in theIsfahan region;

� establishing a high school student incubatorwith the cooperation of the State EducationDepartment;


The French ambassador in Iran and the deputy minister of science, Researchand technology inaugurating the intellectual property workshop

Below: Dr. Abdin Salih, UNESCO representative in Tehran cluster office andDr. Luc-Bernard, the representative of UNIDO in Tehran; both in ISTT

� expanding the physical space allocated to ten-ants by 20,000 square meters from 3500 squaremeters in just two years;

� equipping specialized and technical laboratorieswith a credit of $3.5 million and planning anincrease to $6 million;

� designing a financial support system for compa-nies in the incubation stage (seed funds) andproviding financial support to more than 80tenant companies that amounts to $ 2 million.

Some ISTT international successes include fullmembership in the International Association ofScience Parks (IASP); active participation in theconferences and meetings of this association;establishing the West Asia division of IASPbased on activities in Iran and electing Dr.Keshmiri, ISTT president, as the president ofthis division and nominating ISTT as the organ-izer and host to the IASP Asia DivisionConference in 2006.


Indicative portfolio of isfahan science & technology town (ISTT)

Name of Client/Tenant Company Description of Business

Pardis Rayaneh Co E-tourism

Pooyesh Royanama Co. Computer graphics

Tarashe Pooyeshgar Co. Video conferencing

Wireless solutions Support Co. Web programming, Office automation

SarvNet Co. Network Security

Shayan Mehr Co. Web programming, Digital library


JORDANGrantee: National Consortium for Technology andBusiness Incubation (NATCTIB)

Grant: Operational Grant. US $350,000Contact: H.E. Dr Taher Kanaan, SecretaryGeneral, NACTIB Email: [email protected]: http://www.hcst.gov.jo/En/Home.php

NATCTIB is based in Amman and is led by a suc-cessful but small non-profit, government-sponsoredinformation and communication technologies(ICT) business incubator set up in 2003. The leadincubator in the consortium fosters new ICT enter-prise start-ups and job creation. It has a buildingarea of 800 square meters with 8 tenants and nograduations, as the incubator is only one year old(one tenant is about to graduate and expand opera-tions). There are 3 other incubators in the consor-tium; one focuses on agriculture, one on generalengineering and one has an emphasis on femaleentrepreneurs

Partnerships The founding members of NATCTIB are theHigher Council for Science and Technology(HCST), Jordan University (JU), the RoyalScientific Society (RSS), and Princess SumayaUniversity for Technology (PSUT). The associatemembers are Jordan Technology Group(incubator/venture capital), Jordan Forum forBusiness and Professional Women (incubator),Bidaya Ventures (consultancy), United Group (con-sultancy) and Investor Protection Association. Thepartners of NATCTIB include Jordan TechnologyGroup (incubator/venture capital), Jordan VentureProjects Co. (venture capital) and the IndustrialDevelopment Bank (venture capital).

Project ObjectivesThe work program addresses the key issues ofentrepreneurial culture in the region, especially inregard to facilitating enterprise start-ups, small andmedium-sized enterprise (SME) finance and gov-ernment networking. Following a governmentgrant of $US 200,000 to establish the incubator, itaims to achieve financial self-sufficiency through amodel of tenant rentals and revenue sharing. Theprimary objectives of the infoDev-funded work

program are to connect the numerous activities inJordan that relate to job creation through entrepre-neur and small business development and support,to achieve success through coordinating the differ-ent efforts so as to reduce duplication and toincrease know-how and knowledge through thefollowing activities:� capturing lessons and know-how from member

incubators and SME support programs ofNATCTIB;

� revising and enriching these lessons usingknowledge (training) gained through internshipswithin successful international incubators;

� creating computer-based systems to monitor,evaluate, disseminate and facilitate best prac-tices, lessons learned, successful procedures andknowledge among all members;

� improving awareness of NATCTIB’s servicesand the entrepreneurial process as a whole.

The consortium aims to achieve the following.� Increase the effective use of the existing RTD

center’s resources in helping Jordanian entrepre-neurs and start-up companies to succeed in theirbusinesses, enhance their contributions to thenational economy and provide job opportunitiesfor the different categories of Jordanian laborforce.

� Link entrepreneurs and start-up companies totechnical and administrative know-ho andfinancing.

� Encourage economically viable cooperative andcontractual projects (RTD) with the privatesector.

� Promote and support valuing and commercializ-ing RTD output.

Activities Completed and PlannedMilestones The planned activities under the infoDev-fundedwork program are to include the following:� Procuring the services required to extend the capa-

bilities and to enhance the performance of the incu-bator: This involves cofunding national programsthat enable an increase in deal-flow and outreachtoward all potential sources of new projects forthe purpose of awareness and education of theincubator services available. ($75,000)

� Development and implementation of new services,organizational transformation and trainingrequired for enabling e-business: (1) The consor-tium will create a management team focused


on transforming the knowledge gained duringits limited incubation experience from animplicit form to an explicit, reusable one.($50,000) (2) It will then build a knowledgemanagement system from the input of thetransformation management team securing allintellectual property rights. To warehouse his-torical data and implementing knowledgemanagement (KM) systems to facilitate real-time decision making based on the data, thesystem will include a computerized audit sys-tem, entry criteria, progress evaluations, pric-ing schemes, graduation criteria and incubatorbench marking. The second objective for thissystem is to provide service to all membersand associate members through a secureHTLM/XML-based system through traditionalInternet connections. ($150,000)

� Improve the business management and opera-tional skills of incubator and tenant companies,

especially to integrate ICT throughout the entireincubation and tenant business cycle:Institutionalize the best processes and digitizethem to make them available nationwide to allmembers ($15,000).

� Core business development: Develop digitizedbusiness development tools and templates suchas business plan templates, company prospectustemplates, website/virtual store front templates,and newswires ($35,000).

� Training: Develop instructional and trainingmaterials and programs on the use of digi-tized material and templates ($24,000).Provide training on the use of the audit andKM systems ($7,000); on the upkeep andfurther logistical development of the auditand KM systems ($15,000) and for 3 indi-viduals in the management of incubatorsthrough participation in internshipprograms ($45,000).


MOROCCOGrantee: Moroccan Information TechnoparkCompany (MITC)

Grant: Capacity Building Grant. US $250,000Contact: M. Abderrafie Hanouf, General Manager Email: [email protected]: www.casablanca-technopark.ma

Casablanca Technopark is managed by a privatecompany, the Moroccan Information TechnologyCompany (MITC). With an area of 29, 000 squaremeters including conference rooms, meetingrooms, cafeterias and offices equipped with the lat-est technologies, the Casablanca Technopark pro-vides its clients with a set of general services andtechnical inputs. It is currently hosting 130 compa-nies most of which are start-ups and small andmedium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the informa-tion and communication technology sector.Multinational companies and training, research anddevelopment centers are also tenants. All thesecompanies are provided with facilities and withservices such as international networking, businessplan follow-up and commercial assistance.

Casablanca Technopark is developing a businessincubator in order to provide the necessary mana-gerial assistance, technological support and trainingfor successful entrepreneurial ventures. It will com-plete the existing infrastructure that currently pro-vides services to operating technological start-ups aswell as to small, medium-sized and large companiesin the information and communication technologyindustry. The Casablanca Technopark businessincubator aims to meet the needs of entrepreneursin residence by operating as a hub through whichinternal and external resources and intellectualassistance will be channeled with the main goal ofhelping entrepreneurs turn their ideas into viablebusinesses in a two-year incubation period.

Partnerships� Educational institutions include the Al

Akhawayn University, the National Schoolof Computer Sciences and Analysis Systems(ENSIAS), the National Institute ofTelecommunications (INPT), MohammediaSchool of Engineering (EMI), the e-BusinessManagement School of Lecce (Italy) andIndiana State University (US).

� Research institutions include R&D Maroc, anassociation promoting innovation and entrepre-neurship in which the Casablanca Technopark isalso one of the main partners.

� Other professional affiliations include theAssociation of Information TechnologyProfessionals (APEBI) and the Young LeadersCentre of Morocco (CJD).

� Discussions are underway on integrating with theMoroccan Incubation Network (RMIE), whichcurrently comprises only university incubators,to exchange experiences and competencies.

� Partnerships with other technological poles inTunis, Marseille and Beyrouth are beingexplored to develop a Mediterranean approachto incubation.

Project ObjectivesThe operational grant under the infoDev IncubatorInitiative has been earmarked for capacity buildingespecially for the integration of information andcommunication technologies (ICT), for monitoringtenant progress and sharing knowledge and for mar-keting and networking for tenants. With this workprogram, the first Moroccan incubator to functionlike a private fund will be established. The projectnot have any form of subsidy and will add significantvalue to the incubated companies and to Morocco.

Related Project Activities andMilestones� The technopark was associated with the creation

of the African ICT Innovation Task Force(AIITF) at the African Incubator meeting, MedIT 2004, in Tunis. The principal mission of thistask force is the promotion of African techno-logical innovations.

� The technopark’s business incubator respondedto a bid launched by the Algerian governmentfor a feasibility study concerning the creation ofa national incubator in Algiers.

Awareness Raising� Two advertising campaigns calling for innovative

ideas and projects were launched in majorMoroccan newspapers in 2004, one in June andthe other in December.

� Press conferences have been held to explain theessence and the purpose of incubation. These haveresulted in articles published by economic newspa-pers and in coverage on the main Moroccan por-tal, Menara, as well as on national TV channels.


� The technopark is conducting a feasibility studyfor creating Morocco’s first entrepreneurial cara-van that would travel to main cities to informentrepreneurs about the incubator and to selectinnovative projects.

Client StrategyThe strategy involves focusing on specific areas ofhigh-tech expertise capable of leveraging economicdevelopment in the ICT sector. Although theincubator is targeting potential projects in the sec-tor as a whole, the focus is on areas where trueexpertise is still lacking in Morocco. At present theincubator is encouraging the creation of start-upsin software development for business managementsolutions; e-business (e-commerce; m-commerce);mobile multi-media; Internet content developmentand value-added services for telecommunications.

Services to TenantsThe business incubator provides entrepreneurs witha supportive environment that helps them establishand develop their projects in the ICT field andturns their ideas into sustainable businesses. Byproviding services on a one-stop-shop basis andenabling overhead costs to be reduced by sharingfacilities, the incubator aims to significantly improvethe survival and growth prospects of start-ups andsmall firms in the early stages of development.

The incubator offers a wide range of complementa-ry services and provides dedicated office space,value-added business support, technical assistancein developing effective business planning, hands-ontraining in special fields (sales and marketing strate-gies, public relations and communication, account-ing and finance-related issues, etc.), business links,advice and networking.

MilestonesSince the launch of operations, the strategy has beento interact with the local stakeholders in the incuba-tor. Hence, efforts have been concentrated on rais-ing awareness of activities, finding new sources forprojects, attracting quality projects and partneringwith select financial and educational institutions.� Awareness and public relations: Efforts are ongo-

ing to ensure that the activities carried out at theincubation unit are communicated to a largeaudience and that achievements are regularlydocumented through direct communication inlocal newspapers and through press releases(usually on a quarter basis).

� Entrepreneurial caravan: Some of the targetedcandidates are recent and future university andengineering school graduates, so the objective ofthe first entrepreneurial caravan was to promotethe incubator and entrepreneurship throughoutthe country. In all, the caravan stopped at fiveMoroccan cities and visited nine universitiesreaching hundreds of potential candidates.

� Seminars and forums: One of the initial chal-lenges faced was to establish the incubator asa reference in the ICT sector. This was accom-plished by participating in technology showsand fairs and hosting live seminars at the center.Over time, the incubator has been able to exhib-it in four forums: INNOVA 2004(http://www.rdmaroc.org/tabronde.php); SITEB2005 (Salon International de l’Informatique, desTelecommunications et de la Bureautique); CJD(http://www.cjd.net/Default.aspx?tabid=52);MED-IT (http://www.xcom.fr/medit/ma/).

� Partnerships: Over the past year of operations,the incubator has signed several partnershipswith different institutions, some of which willprove beneficial for tenants. The partnershipsthat have been developed are classified as finan-cial (they tend to help tenants and future candi-dates access sources of needed working capitallike the Réseau Marocain d’Incubation etd’Essaimage Réseau Maroc Entreprendre), scien-tific and technological (with local and interna-tional universities and engineering schools togenerate new quality projects) and organizational(in order to facilitate entrepreneurship by provid-ing administrative procedures to tenants from,for example, the Fondation Banque CentralePopulaire pour la Création d’Entreprise).

Casablanca technopark


Indicative portfolio of casablanca technopark incubator

Name of Tenant Company Description of Business

ISN Geographic information systems

Axentis Payment systems (e- and m-commerce)

Planetarium Production of 3D films and synthesized images

N2A Management software


infoDev has provided an additional $50,000 to Casablanca Technopark to develop a CD-ROM application as a resource for young entre-preneurs who are planning to create their own businesses and avoid failure in starting and operating a business. This application is to bedeveloped in partnership with successful business owners and organizations. The infoDev grant will cover half of the cost of the applicationdevelopment and the other half will be financed by the Technopark and its sponsors.

Casablanca Technopark’s experience has brought to bear that people in Morocco lacked the entrepreneurship spirit, and that upon gradua-tion students preferred joining government agencies or other private firms to become employees. The Technopark has decided to widen themission of its incubator and will not only be guiding existing firms having difficulties in reaching their innovative potential and helping thecreation of new companies, but will also be trying to incorporate the entrepreneurship spirit within the different communities. The CD-ROMapplication will be promoted through its annual visits to universities.

The CD-ROM application is planned as an interactive, easy-to-use and should provide tips in a pedagogical and yet reader friendly way.This application is to be developed with select e-learning institutions, special consultancy firms and/or other entrepreneurs; it will includeseveral headings, among which the following:

� Business Creator’s Checklist: this part will be the road map to the Business Creation process through pinpointing avoidablemistakes, giving hints to save time and gaining knowledge of the entrepreneurship value-chain

� Business Model Guidelines: under this heading, interactive users can determine the economic feasibility of business concepts,evaluate the feasibility of the technology concept, design a self-tailored business model and ultimately create a business plan to com-municate to stakeholders

� Entrepreneur’s Assessment Quiz: this is a self-administered test to determine the user’s potential as an entrepreneur; the test isinteractive and live answers appear after each question. The logic behind such a quiz is to evaluate whether the candidate under-stands the risks inherent to running a business and the advantages in terms of freedom of decision, etc.

� Successful Entrepreneur’s Testimony: this is a live testimonial from successful entrepreneurs that started a business fromscratch. They will introduce their hands-on experience along with all the challenges, problems and ultimately the advantages andpride associated with creating and running a successful business. The aim here is to show to the users of the CD-ROM that entrepre-neurship is possible for each and everyone and that, like anything else, self-discipline, motivation and a creative approach are neces-sary to become successful


MOROCCOGrantee: Al Akhawayn University Incubator

Grant: Capacity Building Grant GrantAmount: $ 150,000Contact: Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdellah,PresidentEmail: [email protected] Website: www.aui.ma

The main objective of Al Akhawayn UniversityIncubator is to create an enabling environmentfor regional and national socio-economic devel-opment. Taking advantage of Al AkhawaynUniversity’s human and physical resources, inaddition to its international and national net-work, the incubator aims at implementing astrategic goal for the Meknes-Tafilalt region thatrelates to creating start-up companies for graduat-ed tenants. The infoDev funded work program isto build the local capacity within Al AkhawaynUniversity, to support existing firms that havedifficulties in reaching their innovative potentialand help the university graduates with originalideas create new companies, to contribute toregional development.

Partnerships With over 1300 graduates from 13 undergradu-ate, graduate, and executive degree programs AUIhas not only earned the respect of the businesscommunity, but the confidence of governmentagencies, international organizations and academ-ic institutions. AUI includes a number of researchinstitutes like the Azrou Center of CommunityDevelopment that collaborates with theUniversity of Arkansas and the Society of Friendsof AUI in Saudi Arabia; the Hillary RodhamClinton Women’s Empowerment Center; theInstitute for Economic Analysis and ProspectiveStudies (IEAPS) for research on knowledge econ-omy and local development in Morocco; and theCenter for Environmental Issues and RegionalDevelopment (CEIRD). Also, AUI is creating theMiddle Atlas Valley Research & InnovationTriangle (MAVRIT) with the support the government.

Moulay Ismail University in Meknes and SidiMohamed Ben Abdellah University in Fez are thepartners.

Project Activities and MilestonesThe infoDev funding will value-add to the servicesoffered to entrepreneurs by the incubator. � Capacity building and range of services: The

incubator’s ability to develop a sustainable andreplicable incubation relies on the capitalizationof knowledge and know-how through training,consulting and experience. Plans are underwayto pay particular attention to ICTs and to theirintegration into the innovation process, toimprove productivity, give access to new outlets,and help to create an efficient environment. Awide range of ICT-related services will be pro-posed to the tenants, encouraging them to workon and around technology. It is also expectedthat the infoDev network will help to imple-ment good practices and propose improvementsin services

� Monitoring and evaluation: This key issue rep-resents the main link in the transmission chainof knowledge. The incubator’s managers will bein regular touch with the tenants, checking theprogress and providing them every day withadvice. Monitoring will also feed the incubator’sstrategic vision, helping it collect key perform-ance indicators. These indicators will pinpointtenants’ needs, shortcomings, resources utiliza-tion, achievements, and challenges. It will helpthe incubator determine the relevant actions toundertake like training, mentoring, consulting.

� Marketing and networking: The incubatedcompanies must enter the business world withtheir innovative products and/or services. Theirsuccess will widely depend on the quality of themarketing approach. The marketing manager,as well as external consultants, will help thetenants to refine their positioning. The abilityof tenant companies to sell products and servic-es will also rely on the networking activitiesundertaken by the incubator. For this, all inno-vative products will be presented to opinionleaders, companies, professional associationsand government members. In addition theincubator will ensure high media exposure totenants and attend several fairs.


TUNISIAGrantee: Elgazala Park of CommunicationTechnologies

Grant: Capacity Building Grant GrantAmount: $ 125,000Contact: Mrs Aïcha Essedika Ennaifar, GeneralDirector Email: [email protected] Website: www.elgazalacom.nat.tn

The Technology Parks and Incubators program inTunisia, aiming to develop at least one incubatorwithin each Higher Institute of Technology Studies(ISET) and each Technology Park was launched in1999. Till date, 16 incubators and two specializedTechnoparks have been established in across thecountry. Elgazala, the first park to be set up in1999, specializes in ICT. More than 40 companies,most of them being SMEs and some multination-als, are located in the park. An incubator was alsoestablished in 1999. Given the experience and thecompetencies that it has developed, Elgazala and itsincubator are considered to be the leaders. TheinfoDev project will:� Promote a nationwide innovation program, to

undertake innovative projects and to share expe-rience among incubators through meetings,workshops and development of a Tunisian incu-bation portal

� Develop and foster innovative projects develop-ment and incubation skills, especially for theElgazala incubator staff through a targetedSMEs consultancy and better organize the incu-bation process and to improve monitoring,coaching and training methods to guide projecttenants. The targeted audience for the projectincludes both the incubator and Elgazala ten-ants, as some of the Technopark tenants aresmall and face difficulties to grow and develop.

� Better understand the ICT incubation andfinancing environment through the launch ofthree studies on (a) Tunisian incubation prac-tices and private sector involvement, (b) ICTinnovative projects financing, and (c) Tunisianprofessional use of ICT.

Partnerships 2CW is a consulting company, set up in 1998, pro-viding businesses and public institutions with spe-cialized advisory services to facilitate business

expansion, define and implement developmentstrategies, technology transfer, with a view towardinnovation and valorisation. 2CW specializes inmainly in Information Technologies and e-services,consulting and support of technological and inno-vative enterprises, science parks and incubators.The goal of the partnership with 2CW is to bringthe participation and support of the tenants and toassure know-how transfer to the incubator staff atthe same time.

Project Activities and MilestonesThe Elgazala Park has more than 40 tenants, all inthe ICT field. This includes engineering and serviceswith several scales and activities; SMEs; multina-tional companies; training and R&D centres. TheElgazala Park is managed by a governmental com-pany. The infoDev funding will value-add to theservices offered to the tenants through the follow-ing activities � Develop a Process Manual: This Manual will

result in a re-organization of a process manualand describing all the incubation steps, theactors, the responsibilities, the global strategies,the vision and the main activities. This manualwill help the next managers of the incubator tobe better organized and to facilitate their processfor formulating action-plans. It will guaranteesustainability and progress.

� Improvement of the management skills ofthe incubator staff and tenants: By improvingthe management skills of tenants implies coach-ing, supporting and mentoring the incubatorstaff and tenants through the course of theincubation phase, starting while preparing theiraction plan until their legal constitution andgraduation from the incubator. This stagerequires qualified consultants and expert practi-tioners. The selected consultants will meet thementorship needs, mentioned above and thetraining for the tenants. The consultant willalso make a competence transfer to the incuba-tor staff to improve their management andleading skills.

� Selection of Tenants and projects: To havegood results from incubation, the incubatormust choose and accept the best and qualifiedprojects and smart, serious and ambitious ten-ants. Therefore, a Selection Committee is to beconstituted and will work on a freelance basisfor the Incubating Project. This committee willmeet every 2 months at least and make a new


selection pool. The committee will be involvedthroughout the period by staying in touch withthe incubator management team and the ten-ants, through e-mail, meets and workshops) ifthis is necessary.

� Monitoring and Evaluation, Marketing:One of the objectives of this component is topromote innovation, incubators and especial-ly the Elgazala Incubator. A Marketing plan

will be prepared and applied during thecourse of the project. An important commu-nication campaign will be undertaken at thebeginning of the project. Following this,attempts will be made to attract innovativeprojects, to position the incubator as aninnovative and very active entity and to havesupporters and partners that are attached andinvolved in the activity.


WEST BANK AND GAZAGrantee: Islamic University of Gaza

Grant: Capacity Building Grant GrantAmount: $ 125,000Contact: Dr. Mahir Sabra, Assistant Professor,Computer Engineering Email: [email protected] Project Website: http://www.iugaza.edu.ps/

The goal of the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG)business incubator is to offer means for enhancingoverall economic growth and development in GazaStrip, facilitating restructuring, technology diffu-sion and commercialization, and creating employ-ment opportunities. This project aims at increasingthe awareness of importance and concept of busi-ness incubation, supporting the environment ofexcellence and development for entrepreneurs, andmaximizing the benefit from and impact of ICT-integrated incubation processes on economicalgrowth and unemployment reduction in GazaStrip. The project will reflect the resources of theIUG and its successful model in business incuba-tion represented by the Cartoon Unit (CU), hostedby the Community Service and ContinuingEducation Deanship (CSCED) since three years.IUG established the CU by providing the requiredincubation facilities for twenty entrepreneurs fromdifferent colleges and department and succeeded inproducing cartoon films addressing educational andcultural issues of the Palestinian community.

Partnerships During the last five years, IUG gave a special care toICT consolidating its use in and outside the university

utilizing the human resources and facilities found atthe university. IUG began its journey with the assis-tance of several international donors like ANERAand GTZ to finance programs related to IT. Theseefforts were recently crowned by INTEL Corporationfunding the establishing the IT Center of Excellencewhich will be implemented in year 2006 at IUG.

Project Activities and Milestones:This project is to be implemented in five stagesbeginning with the capacity building of the man-agement team of the incubator. The second stageinvolves awareness dissemination of importanceand concept of ICT and business incubation, sup-ported with creation of a webpage and a databaseto exchange knowledge and experience. The thirdstage will provide entrepreneurs and alumni withspecialized ICT, management and marketing train-ing in order to improve their skills and enhancetheir capabilities. The fourth stage aims at filteringout the alumni and selects a number of entrepre-neurs/teams with innovative project ideas to jointhe incubator and providing them with therequired facilities to start working on their projects.

The main activities that will be implemented bythe incubator team will involve the introduction ofICT into the local industries through providingtechnical assistance and consultancy. Some of theother activities include building capacity for man-agement team, disseminating awareness, trainingand providing support for tenants, implementingneeds assessment studies for local industry, andoffering training. The program will be evaluatedevery three months and audited in the final stages.The pros and cons, obstacles, success stories andany other things will be highlighted in the reportsas stated in the reporting section.


WEST BANK AND GAZAGrantee: The Palestine Information andCommunications Technology Incubator

Grant: Capacity Building Grant GrantAmount: $ 125,000Contact: Mr. Laith Kassis, Acting General ManagerEmail: [email protected] Website: www.picti.ps

The infoDev funded work program of the PalestineInformation and Communications TechnologyIncubator (PICTI) aims to develop the PalestinianMicro, Small and Medium Organizations (MSME)sector, as a means to generate new jobs, attractinvestments and improve the economic situation inthe target areas. The PICTI work program willassist in:� Revitalizing entrepreneurial culture in youth and

stimulation new businesses and entrepreneurs� Providing technical training and capacity-building

for PICTI staff for the benefit of clients

The outcomes of the infoDev funded work pro-gram will include leveraging PICTI’s relationshipwith the academic community to motivate univer-sities themselves to establish incubation programsand facilities at remote area other than centralRamallah. Therefore the Project’s, primary benefici-aries include the potential entrepreneurs from theacademic community (which will be organized intostart-up companies after the selection); the PICTIClients and PICTI Staff

Partnerships A partnership agreement between the foundingpartners Palestine Information TechnologyAssociation of companies (PITA), the PalestineBanking Corporation (PBC) and the PalestineTrade Promotion Organization (PalTrade) resultedinto the establishment of PICTI. USAID has part-nered by funding the operations of PICTI for threeyears and subsequently became a board member.

Project Activities and Milestones:� PICTI Operations and Assistance to Clients:

The work program will improve the businessincubation management skills of the PICTI stafflargely in three areas of (a) structuring of incu-bation agreements and financial management of

the deal flow, (b) Capacity-building of staff inorder to delivery quality services utilizing bestpractices and tools in this business and (c) Assistclients for graduation such as preparation ofinvestment term sheets and valuation. ThePICTI Outreach program will encourageCollaboration and Improve CommunicationChannels; Enable PICTI to Leverage Local andGlobal Expertise; and develop new value addedservices and new niche markets

� Strengthen regional and global networks:PICTI will strengthen its regional networks andparticipate in a regional infoDev conference inorder (a) to share information and knowledgewith MENA region and international incubatorsand become part of a larger network; (b)to buildcommunities of practice and collaboration, andfacilitate peer-to-peer mentoring and knowledgesharing; and (c) to promote operational cooper-ation and alliances

� Improve Enabling Environment ForInnovation: In partnership with PITA, thePalestine Information Technology Association ofCompanies, PICTI will organize an event aim-ing to discuss intellectual property issues insupport of MSME, particularly for start-upbusiness. The expected output will includewhitepapers about these topics for publications.PICTI will also request InfoDev and WorldIntellectual Property Organization (WIPO) per-mission to re-print some of its own intellectualproperty in the development of MSME publica-tions and other relevant material promoting ofthe creation, ownership and use of IP assets foreconomic growth.

� Redress the Financial Challenge: PICTI hasidentified the need to develop and establish aseed stage ICT fund that harmonizes its devel-opment objectives with commercial invest-ment approach for these start-ups that realizetheir true potential and continue their growthand development, which at the same timerequires post-incubation strategic funding andsupport. PICTI after a rigorous process offinding a suitable party has approached aregional company, Riyada Ventures, for theprovision of investment advisory services forthe development of the fund. Riyada Venturesin cooperation with PICTI management hasidentified their mandate which can be struc-tured into 3 tasks that span the developmentof the fund from concept to launch operations


including Fund Design and Structuring;Documentation and Operations Processes andProcedures. This activity is to be fundedthrough USAID funds.

� Develop a Knowledge Management System:Leveraging the infoDev network of expertise,PICTI will improve the design and deploymentof knowledge management system to improveoperational efficiency by monitoring key per-formance indicators. PICTI will design andautomate a balanced scorecard targeting 4 areas:Financial Perspective, Customer Perspective,Organizational Learning and Internal Processes.

PICTI will also identify relevant KeyPerformance Indicators, identify process meas-ures, design performance reports, performancemanagement, build a data mart that wouldenable such a system to be expanded andextended to pre-incubation program at universi-ty sites. The key expected output is having anautomated dashboard application for PICTImanagement to measure the impact of new andexisting services for clients, which can also beextended to the Universities, and to monitor theprogress and sustainability of the businessPICTI’s activities on a regular basis.

Contact details of infoDev incubator grantee institutions . 129

Contact details of infoDev incubator grantee institutions

Proponent Contact Grant Country Organization Person E-mail Approval Type Of Grant

AFRICA

Angola Nacional Institute for Ms. Corina corinajardim@hotmail. 2006 Capacity BuildingEmployment & Vocational Jardim com,[email protected] (INEFOP)

Ghana Busy Internet Estelle [email protected] 2004 Capacity BuildingAkofio-Sowah

Kenya Jomo Kenyatta University Atieno [email protected] 2004 Planningof Agriculture and Ndede-Technology (JKUAT) Amadi

2006 Capacity Building

Mauritius National Computer Kemraz [email protected],Board (NCB) Mohee [email protected] 2004 Capacity Building

Namibia IT@AB Network - Namibia Tom Mukaiwa [email protected] 2004 Planning

Rwanda Technology and Business Ms. Rebecca [email protected], 2006 Capacity BuildingIncubation Facility (TBIF) Ruzibuka [email protected]

Senegal National Council of Negro Cynthia Ferguson [email protected], 2004 PlanningWomen/International Colas [email protected] 2006 Capacity BuildingDivision (NCNW)

South Voxel Technology Innovation Steve Giddings [email protected] 2003 OperationalAfrica Support Centre

South Bodibeng Technology Mr. Leon [email protected] 2006 Regional Africa Incubator (BTI) Lourens Network

Tanzania World Ahead Simbo Ntiro [email protected] 2004 PlanningConsulting Network

Uganda Uganda Industrial Charles G. Kwesiga [email protected] 2004 Capacity BuildingResearch Institute (UIRI)

ASIA

China Yangling Business Madam Cheng Juying [email protected] 2003 OperationalIncubation Center; and

The Tianjin Women’s Ms Wang Yan [email protected] 2003 OperationalBusiness Incubator (TWBI)


China Shanghai Technology Business Wang Rong [email protected] 2006 Capacity BuildingIncubation Association (STBIA)

India Indiaco.com (P) Limited Rahul Patwardhan [email protected] 2004 Operational


India Tiruchirappalli Regional R. M. P. [email protected], 2004 OperationalEngineering College-Science & Jawahar [email protected]. Entrepreneurs Park

India Society for Research & Anil Gupta [email protected] 2006 Capacity BuildingInitiative for Sustainable Tech. & Resources (SRISTI)




India Telecommunications and Prof. Ashok [email protected] 2006 Capacity BuildingComputer Networks Group Jhunjhunwala(TeNET)

India Vellore Institute of Dr. P. Radhakrishnan [email protected], [email protected], 2006 Capacity BuildingTechnology (VIT) [email protected]

Indonesia Koperasi Starcall Wartelnet Buyung Anasril [email protected], 2003 [email protected]

Indonesia Broadband Network Kurnia Tugiono [email protected] 2004 Capacity BuildingSystem (BNS)

Malaysia Universiti Teknologi Shukri Hashim [email protected] 2003 OperationalMalaysia (UTM)

Mongolia InfoCon Co., Ltd Tsetseg-Ulzii tsetseg@mongolia- 2004 PlanningYadamsuren gateway.mn

Nepal IT Professional Forum (ITF) Suresh Kumar Regmi [email protected], 2004 [email protected], [email protected]

Philippines UP-AFI Joint Experimental Victoria P. Garchitorena garchitorena.h 2003 OperationalFacility - AYALA Foundation [email protected]

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Technology Incubator Ms. Thusitha [email protected] 2003 Operational(Pvt) Ltd. - ConceptNursery D.Pilapitiya

Sri Lanka Intermediate Technology Jayantha Gunasekara [email protected], 2004 PlanningDevelopment Group (ITDG) - [email protected] Asia

Thailand Kenan Institute Asia (KIAsia) Marc DaSilva [email protected] 2004 Planning


Thailand National Science and Mrs. Naowarat [email protected] 2006 Capacity BuildingTechnology Development AyawongsAgency (NSTDA)

Vietnam Center of Research and Pham Minh Tuan [email protected] 2004 PlanningConsulting on Management (CRC)



Armenia Viasphere Technopark Aram Vardanyan [email protected] 2004 Capacity Building

Azerbaijan Information and Melahet Keiromova [email protected] 2004 PlanningTelecommunication Technologies Development Association (INFOTEK)

Bulgaria Applied Research and Angel Milev [email protected] 2006 Capacity BuildingCommunications Fund

Georgia Civil Society Support Centre Vazha Goginashvili [email protected] 2004 PlanningGeorgian Technical University [email protected] Foundation




Kazakhstan SODBI Business Incubator Kairat Sugurbekov [email protected] 2003 OperationalShymkent


Krygyzstan Union Of Business Incubators Zamira Akbagysheva [email protected] 2004 Capacity BuildingRepublic And Innovation Centers of

Kyrgyz Republic

Romania Business Incubator Centre Radu Big [email protected] 2003 OperationalBaia Mare, Romania

Turkey Ankara Cyberpark Inc. Mustafa Atilla [email protected] 2004 Capacity Building

Turkey METUTECH Ugur Yuksel Ugur.yuksel@metutech 2006 Capacity Building.metu.edu.tr

Ukraine Ukrainian Business Incubators & Nikolay Paal [email protected] 2003 OperationalInnovation Centres Association (UBICA-ICT), and

Kharkov Small Business Inna Gagauz [email protected] 2003 OperationalIncubator (Kharkov Technologies)

[email protected], 2006 Regional Network

Uzbekistan The Association of Business Zafar Mukhitdinov [email protected] 2004 Capacity BuildingIncubators and Technoparks of Uzbekistan (ABIT)


Bolivia Quipus Cultural Foundation Peter McFarren [email protected] 2006 Capacity Building

Brazil Minas Gerais Incubators Christiano Gonçalves [email protected] 2004 Capacity BuildingNetwork; and Becker

Technological Incubator of Gonçalo Guimarães [email protected] 2004 Capacity BuildingPopular Cooperatives of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – ITCP; and

Instituto Gênesis da PUC-Rio Jesus Hortal Sanchéz S.J [email protected] 2004 Capacity Building

Brazil ANPROTEC Jose Eduardo Fiates [email protected] 2006 Regional Network

Chile Access Nova Antonio Holgado [email protected] 2003 Operational

Colombia INNOVAR and Corporación Adolfo J. Naranjo [email protected], 2003 OperationalBucaramanga Emprendedora [email protected], (CBE); and [email protected]

Incubadora Parque Tecnologico John Restrepo Zapata [email protected], 2003 OperationalDel Software De Cali (Parquesoft) [email protected]

Colombia Corporación para el Desarrollo William Cifuentes [email protected] 2004 Planningde Tunía (Corpotunía)

Costa Rica Comisión Asesora en Alta Ricardo Monge [email protected] 2004 Capacity BuildingTecnología de Costa Rica (CAATEC)

Dominican Cyberpark of Santo Domingo Eddy Martinez [email protected] 2003 OperationalRepublic




Ecuador INCOVAL, EMPRENDER, Ivan Hernandez [email protected], 2006 Capacity BuildingSTRATEGA BDS, Ecuadorian Network of Incubators,

Mexico University of Guadalajara Juan Villalvazo Naranjo [email protected] 2006 Capacity Building

Panama Panama Technology Jorge Arosemena anavarro@ciudad- 2003 OperationalBusiness Accelerator—PTBA delsaber.org.pa

Paraguay Fundación Enlace Andrea Marcia [email protected] 2004 Planning

Alvarez [email protected] 2006 Capacity Building

Peru Centro de Innovación y Joaquín González [email protected] 2003 OperationalDesarrollo de la Pontificia MavilaUniversidad Católica

Uruguay Ingenio—Incubadora de Manuel Bello [email protected] 2003 Operationalempresas LATU—ORT


Iran Isfahan Science & Mehdi Keshmiri [email protected], 2004 OperationalTechnology Town (ISTT) [email protected]

Jordan National Consortium for H.E Dr. Taher Kanaan [email protected] 2003 OperationalTechnology and Business Incubation

Morocco Moroccan Information Abderrafie Hanouf a.hanouf@casablanca- 2004 Capacity BuildingTechnopark Company technopark.ma


Morocco Al Akhawayn University Rachid Benmokhtar [email protected] 2006 Capacity BuildingIncubator Benabdellah

Tunisia Elgazala Park of Aïcha Essedika ae.ennaifar@elgazalacom 2006 Capacity BuildingCommunication Technologies Ennaifar .nat.tn

West Bank Islamic University of Gaza Mahir Sabra [email protected] 2006 Capacity Buildingand Gaza

West Bank The Palestine Information Laith Kassis [email protected] 2006 Capacity Buildingand Gaza and Communications

Technology Incubator


Contact Information

Seth Ayers Samiha BoulosRegional Coordinator – Asia Program [email protected] [email protected]

Joan Hubbard Kerry McNamaraRegional Coordinator – Latin Regional Coordinator – AfricaAmerica and the Caribbean [email protected]@worldbank.org

Ellen OlafsenRegional Coordinator – Middle East & North Africa and for Eastern Europe & Central [email protected]

www.infoDev.org

the infodev global network of business incubators · 2 . the infodev global network of business...

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