NETWORK YOUR WAY INTO EUROPE In association with Business & Innovation Centres (BIC)

Joe Greaney, Chair, Assoc. Irish BICs and Director, EBN

The Irish EU-Business and Innovation Centres are all full members of EBN, the EU Network of which there are 200 similar organisations in 33 countries. It gives start-ups and early-stage SMEs extensive access to all the regions of the EU and beyond, writes Joe Greaney

Though this resource is still to be fully exploited, both clients and partners of the Irish BICs are regularly exchanging access to buyers, technology and know-how with their European counterparts in many regions, often outside the scope of the national capitals. Language and cultural barriers are overcome with ease and at zero cost through the commonality of purpose and effectiveness of the social and human network that is built since the early 1980s.

In our daily work with knowledge-based and innovative start-ups we are constantly seeking those opportunities to ensure that they are internationalised as early as possible. This is often pre-business plan and so we are seeking to give the start-up every chance of being “born global”.

FOSTERING INNOVATION

All of this activity greatly assists the clients of BICs to be attached, “plugged-in” to opportunities across the many EU regions and beyond despite their, often times, peripheral location. The constant development and cultivation of these networks is a vital role for the Irish BICs. They, uniquely, are regionally focussed and close to the needs of the start-ups while again, uniquely, they enjoy privileged access to an EU wide active network in 200 regions. Established in the 1980’s as Private Public Partnerships and mainstreamed by the Irish Government in 1992, the Irish BICs are among the oldest and regarded as the most successful in the network.

A GATEWAY TO EUROPE

Tomorrows innovative start-ups will need even more innovative solutions and will have a greater need for timely access to collaborative networks throughout the expanded EU and beyond. Supported by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment and Enterprise Ireland, the Irish BICs look forward to further exploiting and contributing to our vast EU network.

BUILDING INNOVATION BRIDGES

Philippe Vanrie, CEO, the European BIC Network, discusses this years EBN Congress

As an association we maintain the human side of our networking and meet annually under the auspices of the EBN congress, which is hosted every year by a member and their strategic partners. This year it was held in Kent in the UK. Attended by around 350 delegates of BICs, Corporate Sponsors and Public Sector supporters, we dedicated two and a half days to discussing several topics under the general heading of “Global Innovation Bridges”. We examined and compared models from outside and within the EU with a view to always learning from each other and always improving on service levels.

Workshops debated the role of Education in Entrepreneurship, the role of Innovation in SME re-generation and how we can strengthen the partnerships between SMEs and multi-nationals. In a sense we allow the practice to inform the policy of how BICs can be more effective and sustainable over the longer term.

INNOVATION AND RE-GENERATION

The development of the Irish economy and the progress and role of the BICs in that activity is attracting a lot of attention from many of our members, partners and sponsors. In Ireland you seem to have taken an holistic view, combining very well incubation, seed capital, training and hands on support to entrepreneurs. As a model we are interested in this successful approach and many of our members would like to learn more.

BUTTERING YOU UP FOR ARTS AND CRAFTS

Marie-Claire Donaghy, NORIBIC; Ethna McNamee, Invest NI; Barney Toal, CEO NORIBIC; Sandra Kirkpatrick, Buttermarket

Enniskillen’s renowned Buttermarket Art, Craft and Design Courtyard, which is home to 15 arts and crafts studios, a gift store and bistro café has just launched a new website to target tourists from home and abroad with help from the DG Regio Western Innovation Network (WIN) programme. This is the first in a series of initiatives by the group which will include linking with other craft and tourist bodies and internet selling. The Buttermarket houses diverse crafts including pottery, fly-tying, ceramics, handmade jewellery, textiles, picture framing and original art.

Creating lasting partnerships

“While each business is an individual success, they recognised that together they could expand their marketing reach and enrich their tourism offer by working as a group. The website demonstrates the confidence of the group and gives prospective visitors both real and virtual insights into the range of crafts available and a taster of what to expect on a visit to the Buttermarket. We see this support as key in beginning the engagement process between small businesses and NORIBIC and our suite of business innovation support programmes. We are keen to bring such companies on board our new business linkage programmes and to actively encourage further internationalisation, often with the assistance of the BIC network,” Toal explains.

Mentoring expertise

Stimulating new endeavours

Recognising the support received, Sandra Kirkpatrick from Bramble Pottery said, “we are delighted to see the launch of the website www.thebuttermarketenniskillen.com just 12 months since we took the decision to market ourselves under the distinctive archway of the Buttermarket. Throughout, Marie-Claire Donaghy, our mentor, has provided us with practical support every step of the way and continues to stimulate the creation of our new marketing strategies. We hope that visitors both at home here in Enniskillen and further afield will take time out to explore the full range of art and crafts available.”