Innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem
A technology accelerator is based on a fairly simple premise: on the one hand, we have many talented people or teams with an idea for a company; they are provided with a certain amount of money in exchange for a part of the company (seed funding), as well as office spaces to enable them to create a prototype technology of their idea, within a limited period of time.
The technology accelerator (Innovation Labs) is a program designed for entrepreneurs, which provides students of all educational levels, but especially doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers, with the opportunity to test their ideas on the market and to develop their entrepreneurial skills.
2023_InnovationLabs_presentation
What does it imply?
Innovation Labs is a program that runs for 3 calendar months and includes mentoring activities (specialist courses in the entrepreneurial field and guidance sessions), providing some of the participants, subject to a selection process, the opportunity to showcase the vision of an entrepreneurial path for their enterprise in front of a community of investors and companies active in the field of technology transfer.
Participants in the mentoring program are invited to establish connections and interview a significant number of potential customers, competitors, or users with regards to their technology, chiefly resulting from scientific research activities, in order to refine their ideas and estimate the impact of the research results by identifying market needs and potential customers.
Additionally, they are encouraged to take part in:
- Masterclasses, ranging from IP management and industrial design to service design and investment attraction;
- Courses for entrepreneurial skill development, aimed at flexibility / thinking versatility / attitude, business model development and competitive offer creation, potential customer identification, and effective communication / customer relationship practices;
- Business risk assessment and control, benefiting from the support of experts, advisors, and professional investors.
The mentoring program is intensive, and participants are invited to take part actively and remain engaged in order to fully benefit from the facilities provided.
Allocated resources
In order to ensure a high degree of professional interaction and to achieve the objectives of the mentoring program, several resources are provided for each participant, as follows:
- Funding to facilitate the discovery and development of relationships with potential customers on a global scale;
- A travel stipend to cover the costs of meetings with potential clients and industry professionals;
- Access to UPB's business incubator, where you will benefit from personalized “coaching” from experienced trainers;
- Access to the collaborative workspace within the facilities provided by the CAMPUS and PRECIS centres.
Innovation UPB Hub will be a modern infrastructure for innovation and entrepreneurship that will provide workspaces, laboratory spaces, support, and support services for companies established based on results obtained in UPB or in partnership with UPB, for the development of new technologies and products.
Ambitious, fast-growing startups need offices (workspaces) and laboratories that match their needs.
UPB Innovation Hub facilities must be modern, well-equipped, and versatile, enabling inventor-entrepreneurs to run their business effectively.
Laboratory infrastructure
Innovation Hub will include:
- A separate design/writing office space;
- Laboratory furniture and adjustable installations;
- Essential safety features including emergency wash stations and mechanical smoke ventilation, hoods;
- Gas and electricity supply;
- High-speed communications networks and telecommunications services;
- Access to the security control systems.
Joint laboratory
The joint laboratory of the UPB Innovation Hub will be designed to help establish companies that, starting from scientific results, require their own laboratory space. These companies are at the very beginning of their development and cannot afford to incur expenses for their own fully equipped laboratory. The joint laboratory will provide basic equipment and supplies to help these companies take the first step in their development.
Offices
A range of offices will be made available to entrepreneurial inventors to meet their needs. Private individual offices with areas between 50 and 150 square meters will be built. A wide range of offices varying in size and style will be developed to suit the needs of the companies created. All types of offices will be provided with all utilities and supplies, such as water, gas, telephone, and high-speed networks. Offices will be furnished with classified furniture configurations according to space specifications.
Meeting rooms
The UPB Innovation Hub will offer five meeting rooms capable of accommodating groups of 5 to 15 people, providing media capabilities, smart equipment, and audio-visual equipment, and configured with standard meeting-room furniture.
Services and other types of support
In addition to the facilities provided by the dedicated compartments of this infrastructure, a multitude of services and other types of support will be offered for startup and spin-off companies at the beginning of their development, as well as during their maturation, in order to develop marketable businesses. The purpose of UPB is to provide the best and most useful conditions through this innovation and entrepreneurship facility so that the research and development results of UPB, as well as results from partnerships between UPB and other universities, research institutes, and private partners, can reach a maturity stage that enables their valorisation through market commercialisation. Establishing a company can be a daunting but also extremely rewarding experience. The Innovation UPB Hub Incubator will provide access to support and training in order to give the innovative company and team the best possible chances of success.
Virtual service package
The UPB Innovation Hub Incubator proposes a customized Virtual Membership Package for technology startups and spin-offs, for all stages of company development. Packages may be customized for startups that are in the pre-occupancy or post-occupancy stage.
The possibility of contacting a company (potentially interested in supporting development) is provided, and search possibilities are offered to identify solutions that avoid the expenses of setting up a physical office space. Various virtual subscription packages (by complexity level) are available. Other services include: access to discounted meeting rooms, a hot-desking phone answering service, opportunities to attend seminars and events, and access to a network within an innovative and dynamic community.
Service providers
The incubator will have an extensive network of suppliers, updated annually. This network will enable companies in the incubator to benefit from:
- Quick provision of a range of important services to support the successful development of early-stage companies;
- Strengthening of ties with the external business community;
- Negotiation of preferred rates and payment structures aligned with the financial position of early-stage companies.
Seminars and events
The incubator will form an entrepreneurial community that shares the experience of developing a business based on results obtained in the academic development environment. The incubator will run a program of seminars and events specially designed for entrepreneurs and inventors. These events are designed to inform businesses about issues affecting startups and spin-offs, generate discussions and debates around key topics, and help establish new networks aimed at supporting company growth.
Events will focus on industry (engineering) and health. External partners and guests from these sectors will be invited to hold lectures/presentations and to sponsor events. Additional events will focus on technology update topics, including technology updates and introductory presentations delivered by the new companies hosted by the incubator.
Programmes
UPB will provide courses focused on the fundamental knowledge entrepreneurial inventors need in order to build, grow, and exit a startup or spin-out company within the Innovation UPB Hub incubator. Courses will be delivered by a mix of UPB staff with innovation expertise and external industry specialists. The courses are offered free of charge to members of the UPB community – faculty, staff, students, and alumni. The courses focus primarily on the incorporation and management of university startups and spin-outs – companies established based on Intellectual Property developed at UPB.