Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TransUP (Supporting Transnational Start-up Ecosystems)

Teaser

The overall objective of TransUP -“Supporting Transnational Start-up Ecosystems” action, submitted and approved under the H2020-INNOSUP-2014-5 Call, is to peer-review transnational support programmes for enhancing international driven attitude among new entrepreneurs from...

Summary

The overall objective of TransUP -“Supporting Transnational Start-up Ecosystems” action, submitted and approved under the H2020-INNOSUP-2014-5 Call, is to peer-review transnational support programmes for enhancing international driven attitude among new entrepreneurs from cross border territories. By leveraging the multicultural character of the area, the aim is to improve start-ups’ success performance and their survival chances on the global market.
Specific focus is dedicated to start-ups and scale-ups from the Alpe Adria region although recommendations developed will be valid for all sectors and EU geographical location.
TransUP also tackles the challenge of making the enlarged Alpe Adria multilateral region an attractive hub for innovative entrepreneurs and investors from other countries, where the ecosystem, made of actors and services devoted to support the creation and development of new businesses, is really collaborative and transnational. Specific objectives of the TransUP project are:
• Identify good practices of transnational start-up softlanding programmes in the cross-border area, in Europe and beyond.
• Design a dedicated Cross-landing Programme - by capitalizing the experience and recent results achieved by partners, as well as by getting inspiration from identified good practices. The ultimate goal is bringing neighboring start-up ecosystems together, fuse the entrepreneurial communities to one, globally known as Start-up ecosystem in the Alpe Adria region.
• Apply “Agile” feed back lab focused on start-up and stakeholders needs in the Alpe Adria transnational region in view of further expanding the start-up network model to Eastern Europe and the Balkans (enlarged Alpe Adria region).
• Strengthen and expand the strategic partnership among the Alpe Adria start-up ecosystem agencies (i.e. enlargement of the MoU to Croatian partner) to engage in more frequent peer learning activities in the future concerning open network start-up and SMEs policies improvement.

Work performed

TransUP implementation process was developed during 12 months divided into four main parts, which were combined respectively with three Peer Learning Meetings plus one operative meeting which took place respectively in Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and Italy. The process was implemented by the TransUP peer learning group, made of representatives and stakeholder experts from the four partners innovation agencies networks .
The Peer learning activity was aimed to strengthen the collaborative network and develop a systemic Cross- regional Softlanding Programme for start-ups /scale-ups in the Partners ‘territories as well as improve the delivery capacity of the organization partners through the application of Twinning + methodology.
An external expert jointly selected by the partner organization, facilitated the peer review process thus assuring a systemic, agile and lean methodology for the design of the Alpe Adria Start-up Cross-border Softlanding Service.
The TransUP cross landing service delivery design (SDS) process
The first Peer Learning meeting, focused on the analysis and identification of related measures concerning good practices of cross-border Softlanding Service delivery to new entrepreneurs and innovative SMEs. It included also other combined support services on internationalization both on a local and global dimension. In addition, partner referents together with representatives of local start-ups and service deliver organizations were invited to share their ideas on the target needs (start-ups, scale ups and innovative SMEs) based on their experience in the enlarged region. A Design Options List through peer reviewing and international benchmarking as well as the reviewed Target Need Analysis Table were the outcomes of this first project phase.
During the second Peer Learning Meeting, participants were actively involved in the design of a “cross-border start-up support transferability Scheme”. Guided group works and plenary sessions focused on the analysis of framework conditions and organizations of the concerned the transnational territory as well as on the processes by which the addressed support service delivery should operate. This implied critical analysis of the selected options according to contextual aspects that need redesign, on linkages to good practices and on the drafting of a CB Service Delivery process including the setting up of an “agile” Service Delivery test.
In the third and last Peer Learning Meeting partners focused on further systemizing the knowledge created during the previous months with the aim of making it directly applicable and available to other innovation agencies. Partner organizations finalized a sustainable pilot action based on the contents of the TransUP Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Partners are promoting the pilot cross-landing service within own start up network by means of direct contact to target beneficiaries as well as through their websites.

Final results

The implementation of TransUP project activity generated outcomes in terms of knowledge about: stakeholders and innovative SME, established linkages and networks, services and programs, spin-off and start-up hub activities in the cross border area. Consequently, this produced dynamics in the field of high growth entrepreneurship in the cross-border territories.
Still more needs to be done in terms of consolidating the cross border ecosystem. In particular with reference to supporting scale up companies within the enlarged cross border region as well as in terms of connecting this peripheral ecosystem to other core high tech entrepreneurial hubs as well as to globally recognized high tech entrepreneurial destinations.
Following TransUP results, Partners organization are jointly involved in the development of a strategic cooperation connecting their peripheral ecosystem with core hubs.
In particular, TransUP cross-border partners acknowledged the following objectives as relevant actions to be further implemented on a cross border level.
• Set up of start-up Alpe Adria destination by further connecting neighboring Start-up HUBS together with their stakeholders (service and infrastructure providers) and by placing the cross-border area on a global map connecting it with other core hubs in Europe and beyond.
• Improving and developing new services for scale-ups in the cross border region. Provide direct support for innovative talents and start-ups and complete the services with lean methodology approach evaluation and upgrade.
• Funding for growth across the continent. Another common identified growing start-up and innovative SMEs’ need directly affecting the health and success of an ecosystem is the access to funding
• Enlargement of the established cross-border startup ecosystem by involving new neighboring countries/regions
The existing interconnections within the targeted Cross border startup ecosystem guarantees effective promotion and dissemination of the services and opportunities available for startups and growing innovative companies within the enlarged cross border Region.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.friulinnovazione.it/progetti/fare-impresa/transup-supporting-transnational-start-up-ecosystems.