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International Soft-Landings Network NBIA Conference Discussion

David Denny New River Valley Econ Dev Alliance, Radford, Virginia, USA. International Soft-Landings Network NBIA Conference Discussion. David Butler Canterbury Enterprise Hub University of Kent Canterbury United Kingdom. Canterbury Enterprise Hub.

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International Soft-Landings Network NBIA Conference Discussion

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  1. David Denny New River Valley Econ Dev Alliance, Radford, Virginia, USA International Soft-Landings NetworkNBIA Conference Discussion David Butler Canterbury Enterprise Hub University of Kent Canterbury United Kingdom

  2. Canterbury Enterprise Hub • Part of the SEEDA funded network of 21 Hubs supporting high-growth & high-tech businesses • CEH established in 2004 as a “virtual incubator” currently supporting 36 Portfolio (intensive-support) clients, & 105 Network clients • Located at the University of Kent campus in Canterbury, with 7,000 sq ft of incubator space provided by the university for client use. 15 tenants • Clients from biosciences, medical devices, ICT, biometrics & security, nanotechnology, sustainable fuels & diamond processing sectors • New 39,000 sq ft Innovation Centre under development on campus for Autumn 2009

  3. Soft Landings - traditional approach • Provision of business support services for companies wishing to trade in other countries • Support services include market-access advice, legal and banking services, translation facilities • Typically real-estate based support designed to support relocation to another country, finding and acquiring suitable premises. • Not necessarily appropriate to small or early-stage companies that just seek collaboration, sales agents, or marketing partnerships prior to relocation.

  4. Gaps in current Soft-Landing provision: • Essentially one-directional and highly competitive – focuses on attracting incoming companies for regional economic growth • Mainly real-estate based - assumes companies want to relocate to trade abroad – not always true • Good levels of business support available but cultural and family support is less consistent • Young companies often need more that incubator space and business support – e.g. R&D resources or university collaboration • Access to investment funding for growth can be difficult • Small companies need market access advice about suitable target markets or locations prior to the decision to relocate • Worldwide RSLN would aid internationalise of incubators clients

  5. Reciprocal Soft-Landings Network The proposed RSLN aims to build on current good practice to: • Proactively encourage start-up and early stage companies to engage in international trade • Help those companies to engage at levels appropriate to their own stage of development • Source research or product development collaboration • Finding sales agents, distributors or strategic marketing partners • Facilitate Licensing of intellectual property • Facilitate relocation or establishing overseas subsidiaries • Access high levels of family and cultural support alongside business support

  6. The proposed RSLN model: • Network members would be made up of a consortium of incubators, science parks, universities, economic development agencies, and business support specialists. One of those will act as the lead partner. • Network Member consortia will be assessed against specified quality standards and accredited by one or more of the international bodies. Draft criteria for those standards are in preparation, and will incorporate NBIA / EBN good practice • In the early stages there will be one consortium in each country that will act as a gate-keeper for client companies trading with other parts of the Network. • As the Network grows then larger countries may develop regional consortia.

  7. RSLN – developing the network Pilot stage initial members: • New River Valley Economic Development Alliance, Virginia Tech & Radford Universities, Virginia USA • Canterbury Enterprise Hub, University of Kent, SEEDA Enterprise Hub Network, UK Phase 1 members: • Target: 10 – 12 consortium members accredited by mid 2009, from UK, USA, Poland, Canada, Australia, Northern Ireland, India, Spain & France • By late 2010 – 20+ consortia members across the world • Project to be self-financing from 2011

  8. RSLN progress to date • Confirmed interest: - New River Valley EDA / Virginia Tech, VA - Canterbury Enterprise Hub, Univ of Kent UK - Poland: Krakow Tech Park + 3 universities, Warsaw & Gdansk Technology Parks - Enterprise Northern Ireland - European Business Innovation Centre Network (EBN -150 incubator members in 30 countries) use of accreditation facilities, support for project and for application for to WTO for funding, • Potential interest / initial discussions: - Norway, Spain, France, India, Nigeria, New Jersey

  9. Today’s Challenge: The NBIA as the biggest organisation representing business incubators and innovation centres worldwide We invite NBIA and its member incubators to join us in discussing the future of the Reciprocal Soft-Landings Network project

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