The European Business and Innovation Centre Network is an international non-profit association bringing together over 200 Business & Innovation Centres (BICs): business incubators, innovation and technology centres, technology parks, technopolis and other similar organizations. The EBN was set up in 1984 as a pilot initiative of the European Community with a view to stimulate the creation of new innovative companies and increase of economic potential of European regions. The main tool for achieving this goal is the creation and development of Business & Innovation Centres (BICs).
The main purpose of BIC – the development of innovative entrepreneurship at regional level providing a full range of incubation services aimed at the creation and development of start-ups, spin-off companies, individual entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises.
With the object of support and develop these initiatives the European Business and Innovation Centre Network holds the EBN Congress that brings together over 500 participants from all around Europe on the annual base. This year the 20th Annual EBN Congress was held from June 15 to June 17 in Tuolon, France. At this event Russia was represented by CJSC “Innovational Production Technopark “Idea” which has been recognized as a full member of EBN since 2010.
In 2012 the Annual EBN Congress will be held traditionally in June. The EBN Board of Directors at the previous congress selected the City of Lappeenranta (Finland) as a place of the XXI Annual EBN Congress. The Congress will be held in conjunction with the III Russian-European Innovation Forum.
The key subject of the Congress in 2012 will be the international development of innovative business-ideas and a particular role will be given to the cooperation between innovators in Europe and Russia. The Third Russian-European Innovation Forum will be held immediately prior to the EBN Congress combining its program with the Congress program. Combining the two events will turn the City of Lappeenranta into the meeting place of Europe and Russia. Participants will have a chance to evaluate the advantages of the cooperation programs of European Union and Russia, as well as find partners at the business-contact meeting.
Currently the Board of Directors of the European Business and Innovation Centre Network is considering the possibility to hold a joint EBN/Technopark “Idea” Seminar with the participation of European experts on the subject of Innovation development in emerging economies. This Seminar is scheduled to be held in Kazan in 2012 prior to the XXI Annual EBN Congress.
It should be reminded that the activity of CJSC “Innovational Production Technopark “Idea” has been based on the performance indicators of the EC BICs since 2008.
Annually all full members of EBN undergo a mandatory audit against the standard of BICs performance indicators.
Based on the audit results for 2010, experts of the European Network have received the following values of the key performance indicators of Technopark “Idea” in comparison to the average value in the Business and Innovation Centre Network:
The obtained performance indicators of Technopark “Idea”’ made it possible to compare it with the best practices of the European Business and Innovation Centre Network and identify similarities in many items, reflecting the efficiency of the innovation infrastructure.