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A network of Multi-Cultural Technological Incubators in Sweden
Index: Support,
Activities, Results, Project Description, Reference Material, Media &
Research Coverage
The project
brought Sweden for the first time in contact with the Israeli technological
incubators and their knowledge and experience of how to enable technological
entrepreneurship among immigrants/refugees. The project resulted in a
national discussion in Sweden concerning immigration and entrepreneurship
with several bills to the Swedish parliament, proposing that Sweden adopts a
system inspired by the israeli Technological Incubators.
Support
The
project has received support from The Academy of Engineering Sciences -
IVA/Connect, The National Office for Integration (Integrationsverket) and The
University College of Karlskrona/Ronneby together with the Ministry of
Industry and trade.
Activities
In this
project we have
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** Spent half a year working with the israeli technological
incubators, accumulating knowledge and experience, both in individual
incubators and in the national management of the system. Established
cooperation with Israeli expertise - incubator managers, the office of the
Chief Scientist and venture capitalists
** Identified and
initiated discussions with potential hosting organisations who are
interested in building technological incubators in Sweden. Identified and
initiated discussions with potential national and international investors
and commercial strategic partners
** Delivered a
report to the government and our other financiers. Proposed a method for
establishing multicultural technological incubators
** Initiated a
public discussion in Sweden through, lectures, media exposure, arranging
& hosting delegations etc.
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Results:
We have
achieved
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** Broad publicity in Sweden making the Israeli incubators a well
known concept across the nation. Initiating a Swedish discussion concerning
immigration and entrepreneurship.
** Political support
for the ideas - bills to the parliament from the Moderate party, the Left
party and project support from the Social Democrat government.
** Publicity for
Sweden in Israel. Establishing Swedish presence in the Israeli high-tech
community.
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Project Description
The aim
of the project is to create a Swedish network of technological incubators for
cultivating promising entrepreneurship and innovation, regardless of personal
professional and ethnical background. The network of incubators will
broaden the way for global entrepreneurship in Sweden by creating succesful
companies, influence rules and routines in the Swedish society and making it
easier for immigrants to do business, as well as promote a positive attitude
towards immigration - as a source of new ideas and productivity.
The Israeli
network of Technological Incubators identifies and transforms individual
innovators, often newly arrived immigrants from the former Soviet Union, into
entrepreneurs. The innovators contact the incubators with an idea for a
Hi-Tech export product. The incubator can then help them start a company and
over a two year period supply them with all the administrative and logistical
support they need. This includes help with marketing and business
development. The transformation from innovator into entrepreneur takes place
through a hybrid of education, training and apprenticeship.
Reference Material
Read the bills to the Swedish
Parliament in 1999, proposing national support of the project.
Read the report to the National
Office for Integration (Integrationsverket), concluding the depth study in
Israel and suggesting how to build multicultural incubators in Sweden
(in Swedish)
Read our report from August 1998 (in English) published as a
chapter in a book by the Swedish Office of Science and Technology (STATT -
Sveriges Tekniska Attachéer): Kunskapsutbyte i nätverk. Forskning och utveckling som tillväxtmotor, volym I
(1998):
Media
& Research coverage (including links to scans & documents):
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