Radu TICIU

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Business Incubator Institutional
OperationalOverview

• Radu TICIU
• Executive director

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Introduction

• the first business incubator focused on IT
  development in the Western part of Romania
• a common project of Politehnica University of
  Timisoara, Timisoara City Council and Timis
  County Council with the support of IBD/GTZ
• mainly local funding (vs national/external
  funding)
• conceived as a local development instrument
• countermeasure to the high migration rate of
  local Computer Science graduates

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Context

• Timisoara is a regional economic, technological
  and university pole
• 3 universities with Computer departments
• legal framework for establishment of business
  incubators, science parks, etc., enforced in 2004
• national programs to finance BI and ITT centers
• Romania is fostering its position on the global
  software market
• Timisoara is hosting software development and
  software support departments of world class
  corporations (Siemens, Alcatel, Oce, etc)

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Short history
1999 Strategic Development Concept for
Timisoara Area 2003 Incubators founding
document signed Incubators administering
company registered 2004 building remodeled and
inaugurated incubation process started for the
first set of companies 2006 - May 15
companies admitted, 12 companies located on site,
approx 45 people employed
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Mission
As a center of entrepreneurial activity, the
Software Business Incubator will foster the
start-up and growth of software companies founded
by students and young university graduates of
high technology specialization (Automation,
Computer Sciences, Electronics, Communications,
Informatics) by providing business infrastructure
and assistance and low rent office space.
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Goals

• To create opportunities to start technology
  businesses, especially among university students
  and graduates.
• To stimulate young graduates to remain in the
  region.
• To create quality employment opportunities in
  Timisoara.
• To use worldwide incubator best practices to grow
  successful software companies.
• To create an environment that supports the growth
  of companies with innovative approaches in this
  sector.
• To be part of a local hub of SW activity.
• To foster strong partnerships with local
  universities, the business and technology
  communities.

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Functional diagram
UBIT ltd.
Board of Directors
Executive team
Timisoara Software Business Incubator
Comp N
Comp 1
Comp 3
Comp 2
Business Plan Evaluation Committee
Candidate Comp 1
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Services

• Office space rental
• - 17 incubation units (20 or 40 sqm)
• - monthly rent 6 euro/sqm (subsidized)
• access to communication networks (broad-
• band Internet phone)
• access to meeting rooms
• Basic secretarial services
• - phone switchboard
• - faxing, scanning, copying, color printing
• - incoming mail sorting outgoing bulk mail
  preparation

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Services (cont)

• Business support services
• Entrepreneurial Support Program
• General business information
• Legal and accounting/tax consultancy
• Partner search assistance
• Contracting facilitation
• Facilitation of fair/expo participation
• Internal/external networking
• Benchmarking service ( under dev)

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Admission

• Eligibility criteria
• Company registered no early than 24 months
• Company located in Timisoara or Timis County
• IT related main field of activity declared
• Turnover less than 100.000 euro
• Staff of less that 7
• Intelligent, marketable, feasible, financially
  sound business plan

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Incubated Companies
MHSWare complex hardware and software
system Realnet - web development,
e-commerce Smart-X SRL - web development,
e-government applications Silver No 9 web
development, medical software SOFTAge
industrial customized software Soft Class video
streaming, e-commerce, e-learning applications
Abstract Connection accounting/economics
analysis applications Atysoft - web development,
e-commerce Bodrag utilitary PC tools Conick -
web development Interkor web development, web
applications, customized software Inteligent
Solution Group -web development, system
integration
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Current Projects I

• Entrepreneurial Support Program
• series of business-related training sessions
• demand driven approach (need-assessment, program
  design, client intermediary evaluation, program
  detailing, post-session evaluation, program
  re-design)
• themes IT field legal knowledge, marketing,
  sales, soft skills (PR, HRmanagement, time
  management, project management, communication,
  business behavioral patterns, etc), TTI
• time span continuously
• trainers academics, IT experienced
  practitioners, GTZ and GTZ mediated (Zenit GmbH,
  VDI/VDE, etc)

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Current Projects II

• Business Breakfast
• Quarterly networking events
• Cross-sectoral participation (business, business
  support organization, local government, MPs,
  academia, organizations of foreign businesses,
  etc.)
• Informal atmosphere and open-space approach
• Short presentations on IT relevant themes and
  open discussions
• Initial contact making for further co-operation

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Projects II

• Monday Evening Business Planning Classes
• Admission to Romanian network of TTI entities
• Strategic planning for the next functioning
  period
• Phare RO-Serbia CBC application for establishing
  of the Zrenjanin Software Business Incubator
• Presentation of national/european financing
  opportunities for IT companies
• Organizing internships students summer
  practice in the Incubator

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Contact

• Timisoara Software Business Incubator
• 9th Bd. Republicii, 3rd floor
• 300159 Timisoara
• Tel [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• E-mail office_at_it-incubator.ro