2

The right idea, although necessary, is not enough to guarantee the success of a project. While it will germinate on arid land, it will not grow there for long. Other elements are vital to fertilise the corporate soil.

The ecosystem, the venue for success

Several types of ecosystems help a business succeed. If some of them procure above all a stimulating atmosphere for the company in quest of success, in the form of infrastructures and services (DPARK in China for example), others have more in common with networks of innovative entrepreneurs (Technofutur TIC, EBN…) which promote the development of exchanges, meetings, benchmarking etc.…

Quote: « Innovation is less and less created by the company on its own, but through the meeting up and cooperation of the local players present in the ecosystem. » Martin WEGELE, European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN)

The keys to individual success stem from collective success

Integrate the environment

In the landscape of support structures, find the incubation and support structure best suited to your project (in the Nord - Pas de Calais region there are no less than 140 of them!)

Be active in the ecosystem

Practice networking and create partnerships in order to develop your credibility and visibility as a company and benchmark yourself in relation to your competitors

Put innovation at the heart of the company’s operations

Do not restrict innovation to thinking about technology, extend it to management, marketing (product innovation …)

Develop your markets

Even more so in the emerging countries, get in touch with local intermediaries as the cultural barriers cannot be overcome on your own (take advantage of DPARK’s ecosystem in Shanghai for example)

Focus: Euratechnologies

Located on a former industrial site, Euratechnologies is Lille’s innovation and excellence centre in the ICT sector.

2 levels of intervention: - to set up a business: for example, V-cult / Beloola, a virtual world dedicated to art (http://www.beloola.com) - tp develop a fresh activity or structure your R&D: for example, R2IS (http://www.r2is-it.fr) with its Mobil IT Studio, specialised in mobility projects (http://www.mobilit-studio.fr/mobilit/index.html) In pratical terms, Euratechnologies offers: - A stimulating work environment: modular infrastructures, cutting edge technological equipment … - Strategic support: engineering consulting, sharing of experience, networking… - Financial backing: grants, a job creation support system … For more information, go to http://www.euratechnologies.com/ or contact Raouti Chehih (rchehih@euratechnologies.com)

Workshop 1 / Creating a favourable climate for success

Which ecosystem to promote success?

Creating a favourable climate for success

What ecosystem is needed to promote success?

3

Creativity is not a gift: everyone can learn to be creative. Inspiration is first and foremost about being in the right state of mind: creativity is “the art of bursting through patterns, habits and uncertainty”, says Marc Clerkx, senior project manager at Flanders DC. Once you possess the skill of being creative, learning how to harness this innovative spirit to benefit your company is the next logical step.

Cultivate your entrepreneurial creativity

As Einstein once put it: “when you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always got.”

Innovative organizations don’t necessarily heavily invest in R&D, instead they choose to cultivate a new style of corporate behavior by introducing new ideas, change, taking risks and even facing failure.

Try these three simple steps to get there:

Challenge your perception

Always take a step back to see things from a different angle and perspective. Look beyond the needs and desires expressed by the customer.

Postpone your judgment

Delay your rational judgment. Start out by thinking positive: all the ideas you have are good. Some are simply better than others.

Use the power of imagination Creative solutions are the hardest to come by. Don’t be afraid to let your fantasies get the better of you, at least in the beginning.

Test your creativity: http://www.flandersdc.be/view/nl/2558555-test+your+creativity.html

Open your brain to the creative process: effective brainstorming techniques

Start by generating as many ideas as possible to solve a problem (divergence). After the spontaneous generation of ideas dries up, use techniques to produce more ideas.

Quick storm Choose two words from your problem description. Match each word with a list of 10 features. Combine words from the lists and think of associations. Use associative thinking.

Scamper Think about the problem from eight different angles (can it be substituted for something? Combined? Maximized? Minimized? Adapted? Put to another use? And so on) and see what ideas you come up with.

Negative brainstorm Come up with as many reasons as possible why the problem you’re working on can’t be solved (use your imagination, exaggerate…). Then turn each reason around until you see how it could be possible. Create opportunities instead of obstacles.

With these three techniques, within 40 minutes, you’ll have more than 100 ideas on the table. Your next step is to narrow down the ideas (convergence) by selecting and developing ideas.

Once your brainstorm is over: DO color code your ideas: red for short term, yellow for ideas to be used in the future…. DO follow through: do something about the chosen idea (put it in a project plan). Otherwise, entrepreneurial creativity won’t last. For more information: http://www.flandersdc.be/ Contact Marc Clerkx directly for workshop presentation: marc.clerkx@flandersdc.be

Workshop 2 / Be inspired and get going !

Find your company’s creative bone

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Innovation is the raison d’être of some companies. For these companies, beyond innovation, what development path should be taken, what business models adopted to ensure sustainable development? Five young companies bear witness to the paths they have followed (some of them figure among the finalists of the EBN Smart Entrepreneurship Competition)

1 sentence, 1 company Fishing Cactus (www.fishingcactus.com): Located in Belgium, this video games studio uses innovative technologies and multimedia to stand out in a highly competitive sector.

Idees 3com (www.idees-3com.com): Thanks to the 3D contents it produces, this company wishes to improve the e-commerce sales and scores of e-learning (aka serious games).

Jamendo (www.jamendo.com): This project is based on two main ideas: more and more music is made available on the Internet and it ought to be accessed free - for private individuals at least. The Jamendo project is sustainable because professionals are charged for the use of the music.

Optima Concept (www.optima-concept.fr): With a patent to its credit, this young innovative company develops on-board electronic products for the farming sector.

Slider Studio (www.sliderstudio.co.uk): This London company develops web tools such as Sticky World, devoted to the exchange of data and collaborative work in virtual rooms.

Pecha kucha

Fishing Cactus Idees3com Jamendo Optima

Concept Slider Studio

Poi

nt

of

dep

artu

re Bankruptcy of a

studio: its employees decide to set up a new company

Assessment: websites lack interactivity, which 3-D technology can improve.

Innovative idea: music can be made available free of charge without losing its value

Determination to improve the existing products: improve farming electronics

Redeployment: Sticky World includes elements of a previous experiment in architecture

Dis

tin

ctiv

e si

gn

Young company with very few competitors on the Belgian market

Competitive rates and interactive 3D products

New conception of intellectual property

Filing of a patent and exploitation of a niche market

Use of democratic design tools that everyone can improve

Econ

omic

si

tuat

ion

Establishment in 2008 17 employees Turnover: objective €1 million in 2010

Establishment in 2006 23 employees Turnover 2010: NC

Establishment in 2005 25 employees en 2009 Turnover: objective €1 million in 2010

Establishment in 2002 8 employees Turnover: €1.7 million in 2010

Establishment in 2005 7 employees Turnover : n/a

Inte

rnat

ion

al

Dim

ensi

on

International dimension inherent in the video games sector

Development in Germany and the Benelux planned for 2011

Objective of development on a European scale

Via the manufacturers’ networks (Latin America, Asia…) and two direct foreign customers

Customers in China and Dubai and objective of development in the USA

Med

ium

-te

rm

pro

ject

ion

Develop the brand image of the company by developing projects in its own name

Become the European 3D leader for the e-commerce and retail markets

Create a second start-up

Become a market name for customers

Offer the customer the possibility of personalising the product by selling « Sticky Room » licences

Workshop 3 / Smart festival of entrepreneurship

New entrepreneurs are honoured

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Only 30% of entrepreneurs in France are women, a phenomenon that is also seen at the global level. Women entrepreneurship are slowly being recognized as a veritable lever for economic growth. Many structures therefore encourage women to set up and develop new businesses.

Experts from support structures and women company directors offer their testimonials: - Saloua KARKRI Founder and Honorary Chairperson of the AFEM - CEO of GFI Maroc - Lin WANG Chief Executive Officer of Duarte China - Frederique CLAVEL Founder Chairperson of Paris Pionnières and Fédération Pionnières - Helène SZULC Chief Executive Officer of TECHSUB - Anne BOUY Chief Executive Officer of SO PARIS

- Stephanie CHASSERIO / Philippe PAILOT Skema Business School - Janluc BASTOS Egalitère - Jaime SILVA European Commission - Christine NACRY Chairman of Femmes Chefs d’Entreprise, Grand Lille - Fatiha LEGZOULI Co-Director Initiatives Plurielles, Lille

A cultural change to be orchestrated Two-thirds of women have never thought of becoming an entrepreneur whereas 51% of men have. Far from being a problem of skills or a question of machismo, it is because society has trouble imagining women as CEOs of companies that so few women create their own companies. Beyond this issue of (mis)representation, deeply rooted in the collective subconscious, women are victims of a segregation stereotype : they are too often confined to the services sector. A cultural change over the course of time therefore needs to be orchestrated.

Start-up support dedicated to women? The technical support for start-ups is the same as for men. However, on account of society’s poor perception of women as company directors, the support from the personal development standpoint has to be different.

- Work on the ego is necessary: the female entrepreneur may not assume her power. - Communication has to be worked on: statistically speaking, women entrepreneurs appear less

credible to partners than men and a woman’s business plan will be less well received. - Women’s attitude towards money has to be re-accessed: a lot of women entrepreneurs start their

companies through self-financing and have fewer financial assets.

In practice: close-up on 4 support structures

Femmes Chefs d’entreprises Federation Pionnières Initiatives plurielles AFEM

Mis

sion

Association which aims to promote equality of the sexes in senior positions

Network of business incubators dedicated to helping women set up innovative human services and business services companies.

Start-up advice undertaking through support rooted in field work.

Association advocating an increased participation of women in economic decision-taking

Dim

ensi

on National association (with

local branches), part of a global network (30 countries)

Set up in Paris in 2005, the network has grown in France and abroad (Casa pionnières in Morocco).

Regional (Nord-Pas de Calais) undertaking. Launch of a national network.

National association (Morocco)

Sig

nif

ican

t ev

ent

The Grand Lille delegation created the annual trophy « They set up in business in Nord - Pas de Calais » and is celebrating its 5th edition this year.

The network welcomes women from all over the world: incubators will be set up in Togo and the Cameroons

“God-mothers” sponsoring system: experienced women CEOs provide expertise and assistance for women who recently created a business.

Future creation of a surety fund financed by the State and reserved to women entrepreneurs only

Web

site

www.fcefrance.com Trophy: www.ellescreent.com

www.federationpionnieres.org

www.initiatives-plurielles.org

www.afem.ma

Workshop 4 / Entrepreneurs, new vision and values!

Women successfully set up their businesses

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