Associação da Incubadora do Beira Atlântico Parque/ BIC Beira Atlântico
Incubators vary between economies and regions depending on the local conditions, culture and the range of other business development service available. Consensus exists among the governing body, sponsors and incubation program staff on a mission that reflects community need, and this mission drives incubator operation. All parties and incubator stakeholders recognize that the chief goal of the incubator is to develop successful companies
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PARK
The Associação Incubadora do Beira Atlântico Parque (AIBAP), with activities related to regional development, innovation, incubation and entrepreneurship, since 2002 and like a Regional non profit making association, promote the incubation, support individual entrepreneurs, start-ups, enterprises and innovating SME's; improving access to the capital, financing funding, capital supply.
Financial and market expertise it's AIBAP core business like, improving innovation support, access to labour market, demand strengthening activities, new market opportunities. AIBAP exist to improving business, environment and spatial arrangements and supporting and encouraging networks and clusters
AIBAP mission is building a Region of knowledge, Innovation and Science based into the new models of the regional competitiveness' in order to reinforce the National, Sectoral and Regional Systems of Innovation.
AIBAP has a clear mission shared within the incubator and client companies, governing bodies, and all stakeholders in the region in which it operates.
AIBAP has explicit entrance and exit criteria for clients. AIBAP selects high-quality clients, implements proactive and customized programs to serve them and graduates them into the community, because we know that a good incubation program is an integral part of a community-wide network aimed at providing financing, services and cultural support for entrepreneurial companies.
INCUBATOR FACILITIES IN THE REGION
A successful business incubator depends on the incubator management having the skills, experience and contacts required to help to grow start up companies and in this sense, the incubator should pull stakeholders together and endeavour to build linkages to appropriate knowledge-bases, finance providers, and market channels in order to obtain a good incubator management values networking and promotes a dynamic community of entrepreneurs, both within and outside its building.
AIBAP provides client-oriented service based on the client needs. The mission of our business incubation is always the success of the client companies. It is focused on the market and how its clients can achieve market success. We are engaged in continuous evaluation, both to gauge its success in meeting its mission, and to ensure the program evolves to meet changing needs.
With FINICIA - IAPMEI , now we can provide assistance to clients in accessing to appropriate sources of finance. These include government finance programs, banks, angels, seed and venture capital, the second board stock market, and so on. we provide a vital role in helping clients be "investment ready" by assisting them to develop documentation, and present their case in the best possible light to finance providers.
Incubators can play a key role in building relationships with financial providers, and conveying their needs and requirements to clients.
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
A number of stages are necessary for developing innovative products into a commercially successful business: idea; concept testing; feasibility assessment; property rights protection (e.g. patent); prototyping and production practice; product testing; start-up. An important function of AIBAP is to help firms to go through the whole process of commercialization in a systematic and fast track way. Generally, the process can be divided into the first part of technology or product development, and the second part of marketing.
To accomplish the first part, AIBAP has strengths in the provision of technological facilities and specialist professional consultation obtained with the alliances made with the Universities of Aveiro and Coimbra and with the TEMA/SENT for the Nanotechnology Facility and with Linux group for the Open Source Centre, both of the University of Aveiro. For transfer of technology, alliance will be performed with an IRC during 2006.
On the second part, incubators need marketing professions to assist companies at an early stage. In this era, it is important to understand the global market, not just the local market. AIBAP need to be able to provide international marketing and business training programs and advice with the future alliances with the Euroinfocentre and ICEP/ADI .
MOST IMPORTANT SERVICES
- Global Growth Network Essential
Please find more information of the emergence of our technological region
SUPPORT FOR BUSINESS START-UPS
Intellectual property right protection provides incentives to individuals and firms to undertake innovative research. Governments should work to provide an adequate and functional intellectual property infrastructure to help incubators to commercialize intellectual property. In this sense AIBAP will established a partnership with IPN/GAPI during the 2006.
In addition, AIBAP held promotional events for incubated enterprises, such as open house, entrepreneur Award day, etc.
Incubator networks can help to accelerate growth of firms across borders. By networking, incubators can "cluster" in virtual or physical space, and make better use of resources. It is also possible to provide better services and opportunities for growth and expansion across borders, and to develop skills and knowledge at global best practice levels. During 2006 partnerships will be established with the Incubator of Figueira da Foz and with IPN Incubator from Coimbra.
In 2005 AIBAP joined EBN, Incubator Forum and had participated in some European, National and Regional projects to make part of an open network in order to build a strong partnerships with a whole range of organizations active with innovation, incubation entrepreneurship, development, internationalization SME growth and regional economies development.
To reinforce the transfer and implementation of best practices methodologies, know-how, and innovative solutions for SME, Start-ups and Spin-offs support policies and practices between regions AIBAP participate in the Interreg III C project, because there is an increasing demand from practitioners and stakeholders, as well as strategic bodies, to identity and establish good practice and to develop "benchmarks" against which incubation management teams can measure and monitor their own performance. It is of great importance to develop a "benchmarking" framework, with a view to establishing go.
The AIBAP Criteria is the follow:
- Business concept involving technology based products or services in the areas of ICT/IT, nanotechnologies, Microsystems, agro+agri technologies (food quality and safety, packaging, agriculture), energy and environmental technologies, advanced materials, mechatronics and biotechnology.
- Demonstrated financial resources to sustain the business during the start-up phase.
- Capable and motivated entrepreneur or entrepreneurial team
Submission of a formal written business plan is usually the final step in the application process. This submission typically follows initial exploratory meetings that introduce the incubator to the entrepreneur, determine if suitable space in our facilities is available, and determine if the proposed business is a good match for our program.
Since the creation and evaluation of a written business plan represents a significant investment of time and effort on the part of both the entrepreneur and the incubator staff, we suggest that applicants to the incubator program first submit a short (two page) executive summary of the business concept. The Incubator Team will review this summary and advise the applicant if a full business plan should be submitted.
The summary will contain a brief overview of each of the sections of the full business plan, which typically includes:
- Description of the industry, the company, and its products or services.
- Market research and analysis: customers, market size, competition, market share.
- Marketing plan: marketing strategy, pricing, sales tactics, promotion, distribution.
- Design and development plans: development status, proprietary products, risks.
- Manufacturing and operations plan: facilities and equipment, regulatory issues.
- Management team: key personnel, Board, professional advisors, organization plan.
- Overall schedule.
- Critical risks and assumptions: contingency plans.
- Financial plan; 3 year proforma income statement and cash flow analysis; investments.
IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE REGION
In an annual basis, AIBAP promotes the awards for the tree best businesses plans, with another's regional institutions and national public organizations. It's another way to promote the entrepreneurship.
The Incubator Program is designed to help launch new ventures, which will typically "graduate" in three to four years. However, companies may stay longer or shorter periods, depending on the extent to which they continue to meet the entrance criteria, to demonstrate growth and to interact with the University Community.
The Basic Shared Business Services are:
- High-speed internet access.
- Flexible rental space.
- Receptionist.
- Copier and fax machine.
- Conference room.
- Telephone service with voice mail and a videoconference system.
- Building maintenance and security.
- Mail handling and notification of events.
- Consultancy services, training entrepreneurs and other common services.
Access to facilities:
- 4 Labs, and equipment
- Library
- Nanotechnology facility
- Open source centre
AIBAP try to give assistance to develop and commercialize new products, new technologies, or services, with the aim being to increase the success rate of start up businesses. In some cases, it's our aim too, help existing businesses to restructure in order to improve their chances of success.
Our main functions can be identified as:
- space and facilities;
- technology and human resources;
- business management support;
- access to finance;
- information and data support;
- diagnostic and crisis support;
- and shared services for administrative support (accounting, legal etc).
We pretend:
- stimulation of local economy;
- job creation;
- wealth creation;
- intellectual property and technology commercialization and smoother transition of research result of universities or research institutes to new companies;
- increased international competitiveness from new industries and so on.
MOST IMPORTANT WEBSITES OF THE REGION
www.ccdrc.pt
Official website of the region
www.iapmei.pt
Economic Development Organisation of the region
www.iapmei.pt
Chamber of Commerce of the region
http://www.iapmei.pt
www.dre-centro.pt