SERVICES AND SUPPORT TO START-UPS AND SPIN-OFFS

The Thematic Working Group (TWG) "Support for Start-Ups and Spin-Offs" was already very active in the forerunner Thematic Network ERIK with focus on:

  • knowledge based start-ups (KBSU) which develop and commercialize new products, engineering processes or services based upon a proprietary technology or skill


  • start-ups with potential for global competition
The ERIK TWG regions have developed a pragmatic methodology based on a step-by-step-approach and involving the exchange on Good Practice cases as well as a set of in total 40 indicators describing the "Regional Start-up Profile".



The model of the start-up process developed within ERIK


With the EXCEL based tool - also developed during the ERIK network - ERIK member regions have already carried out a pragmatic self-assessment of their own regional projects and infrastructure dealing with support and services to start-ups and spin-offs. Under the ERIK+ Thematic Network the TWG "Support for Start-Ups and Spin-Offs" has selected a set of 9 indicators out of the larger ERIK set with 40 indicators in order to allow a more detailed description of Good Practice Cases for the "Support for Start-Ups and Spin-Offs" within the ERIK database where several Good Practices cases in the field of start-up and spin-of supported have been inserted in the meantime. If your region is also interested in promoting successful start-up/spin-off support activities – particularly under the program of the Innovative Actions - you are welcome to insert your own Good Practice case in the ERIK database.
Mid of July 2006 a study visit with focus on Start-up/spin-off support under the Regional Program of Innovative Actions (RPIA) was organised in Évora, the capital of the Portuguese Alentejo region. More than 40 participants from 10 regions and the European Commission have used the opportunity to learn more about the Alentejo Program of Innovative Actions and to share their experiences about start-up/spin-off support (Study visit conclusions).
The following activities are now on their way:
  • Documentation of the selected case studies on start-up/spin-off support from Hamburg and Lower Austria under the respective RPIAs (until end of November 2006)
  • TWG specific policy recommendations and practical guidelines based on Good Practice Cases and case studies (until January 2007)
  • Integration of TWG specific policy recommendations and practical guide-lines in an overall ERIK+ policy paper with concrete recommendations on regional innovation policy (February 2007)
  • Organisation of TWG specific workshop in combination with ERIK+ final conference
The TWG is coordinated by the Department for Economy, Tourism and Technology of the Federal Government of Lower Austria.

Further information on the TWG is available from:

Irma Priedl, irma.priedl@noel.gv.at    or

Martina Ebner, Martina.Ebner@noel.gv.at