The INTRO project

1

• The INTRO project
• Innovation Through Research Opportunity
• 22nd 23rd March 2007
• Mr. Michael Dee
• Enterprise Ireland

2
Objective of the INTRO Counselling Scheme in
Latvia

• To build up the Social Infrastructure that
  supports Innovation Culture in Latvia.

3
Gaps Identified in Latvia

• Lack of a visible, open enterprise culture
•  
• Lack of National and individual self-confidence
•  
• Lack of coherent, cohesive national vision in
  relation to entrepreneurship, innovation, and
  enterprise culture
•  
• Poor understanding of enterprise in civil and
  public sectors
•  
• Risk adverse
•  
• Low levels of R D
•  
• Commercialisation of R D not given sufficient
  attention
•  
• Low levels of cooperation between the different
  actors that can play an important role in
  developing the knowledge economy in Latvia.

4
Challenge

• Need in Latvia to adopt the new age of enterprise
  creation which includes the following features
• Enterprises increasingly based on knowledge
• Enterprises have a high technology content to
  them
• Enterprises need to be more global in their focus
• Enterprises need to employ highly skilled workers

5
How to achieve this?

• Development of Innovation Culture Programme
  where
• Entrepreneurs are respected and encouraged
•  
• Local, Regional and National structures to
  support actions
•  
• Supportive Financial Institutions and Government
  Departments and Agencies
•  
• Knowledge Transfer from Education to Enterprise
  is well developed
•  
• Widespread media coverage of entrepreneurial and
  innovative companies.

6
Key Criteria to develop an Innovation Culture

• Programme activities and systems must be in place
  to encourage people to be entrepreneurial,
  creative, and innovative
• Entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation
  programmes must be present at all levels of the
  education system
• The general public need to be aware of the
  naturalness and benefits of being
  entrepreneurial, creative, and innovative

7
Key Criteria to develop an Innovation Culture

• People need to be able to experiment with
  entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation and
  be allowed to fail and try again as well as
  allowed to succeed
• The benefits of success must out-weigh the fear
  and stigma of failure
• The benefits of having tried and failed must also
  out-weigh the fear and stigma of failure
• Role models of good entrepreneurial activity must
  be widely available

8
Benefits

• The benefits that come from implementing an
  entrepreneurship and innovation strategy will
  include
• More start-up businesses in knowledge and
  technological based industries
• More innovation and creativity in existing
  industries
• More focus on Global market opportunities
• More productive and competitive enterprises
• More high value job opportunities for graduates
• More spin-out enterprises from research projects
• Closer linkages between industry and Universities

9
Thank you for your attentionMr. Michael
Dee,Enterprise Ireland,Regional
Office,Industrial Estate,Cork
Road,WaterfordIrelandTel 00 353 51
333500Email Michael.Dee_at_enterprise-ireland.comW
ebsitewww.enterprise-ireland.com