FITT (Fostering Interregional Exchange in ICT Technology Transfer)

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Entrepreneurship Seminars

FITT

(Fostering Interregional Exchange in ICT Technology Transfer)

2 | 22.01.2010 Entrepreneurship Seminars Partner Logo

What is INRIA Transfert BarCamp?

3-days residential interactive seminar about company creation

role-playing (participants develop and present their project)

coaching

teaching (INRIA Transfert staff & invited experts)

A starter for researchers - entrepreneurs

a realistic exercise of management of company creation & growth

an opportunity to express one’s ideas and to receive feedback

essential information, tools and contacts provided

Goal: convince the “would – be” entrepreneurs

changing mindsets

encouraging to enter the business environment

Source: Microsoft Office Images Clipart


BarCamp in Practice

Internal event organised 3 - 4 times a year for INRIA staff

To built awareness of all aspects of company creation: development of the project, team construction, administrative steps, financial matters, challenges and possible obstacles

The “role-playing” concept

Focused more on “learning by experiencing” than on technical issues

The “camp” concept

Three days in residence, full-time interaction between participants, coachers and experts

The program is evolving within a fixed framework

The lectures and case studies are followed by working sessions with coachers and group work inside of the teams; two assessment sessions during the event.

INRIA Transfert provides the right people

INRIA’s subsidiary, charged with supporting start-up projects, provides experienced coachers and experts from its staff and numerous contacts among business people, consultants and investors


Program scheme


The rules of the game


When?

Timing

First BarCamp organised in January 2008

The concept has been tested during 2008: 4 “regular” BarCamps and 2 “light” versions for students

The frequency is 3 - 4 times per year; it will increase after opening BarCamp to participants from other organisations


Who?

Stakeholders

BarCamp event: 16 trainees, 3 full-time trainers and 8 experts for projects assessment (jury) and coaching

To launch a BarCamp event: one person is enough, as the scheme is well described

To carry out the event: minimum 2 persons, 3 persons is optimal to better manage the time dedicated to coaching

Participants

Profile: open, curious, motivated to gain new experience, with research background, concerned and close to start-up projects, ready to work intensively during 3 days; age and experience do not play a role

Selection: INRIA members, priority to those who already have a start-up project at short or medium term; those who want to discover are welcomed if places are available; their participation boosts the group dynamics


Where?

Location

Near Paris, Vallée de Chevreuse

Organised at the national level, involving INRIA’s headquarters (Transfer and Innovation Department, general management) and INRIA Transfert, as well as regional TT officers


PRO’s and CON’s

PRO’s

Role playing and case solving with presence of high level experts renowned in Paris region; exchange between various actors is easy

Learning by experience during BarCamp work, even if the problems to solve are fictive

No ‘theoretical’ lectures, but overview of main concepts and lessons learned

Visible impact on motivation of participants with “entrepreneurship spirit”, which get stimulated by role-playing experience

Innovative concept; residential seminar

CON’s

Some elements are necessary to succeed: strong and experienced organisation team, homogeneity of culture, quality of experts, construction of trainees group; if one or more of them are weak points, the risk of failure is high

It is difficult to try similar approach without the specific know-how (the best is to contact INRIA Transfert which can share it)


Why ? (1/2)




Why ? (2/2)

Impact:

Participants express higher motivation to go into start-up

The future entrepreneur can realise the challenges he will have to face; this will help him to anticipate the problems and to take decisions

Examples of participants feedback:

“Yesterday I believed that technology was doing all by itself; I started to create a company and now I change the way I used to think about its development.”

“I understood that if I wouldn’t go into the start-up, being the technology creator, the company had no chances to succeed.”


Outcome


Lessons Learned

The main part of success comes from unique competencies and know-how:

training mode, relations with trainees, expert’s quality are determinant

The scheme of BarCamp is well funded, but still evolving, taking into

account new ideas and improvements


Suggested Readings

Link to bibliography:

Boosting the knowledge valorisation process: putting plans into action. - Direct your university towards entrepreneurship, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Technopartner 2006

Creating University Spin-Offs : A Science-Based Design Perspective; Elco Van Burg, Georges L. Romme, Victor A. Gilsing, Isabelle M.M. J. Reymen, Product Development & Management Association 2008

Link to code book:

Creativity, Start-up, University Spinoffs, Coaching, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship

Link to related websites:

www.inria-transfert.fr

www.inria.fr/valorisation/index.fr

FITT (Fostering Interregional Exchange in ICT Technology Transfer)

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