Project acronym: CBSR
Project title: Connect Baltic Sea Region
Application round: 2
Measure / Priority: Measure 2.1 Promoting balanced polycentric settlement structures
Selected outputs:
- How to Write a Successful Business Plan : Publication_Plan.pdf [628 kByte]
- Building Growth Companies through People: Publication_CBSR.pdf [275 kByte]
Lead Partner:
Oslo Teknopol IKSP.O Box 527 Sentrum
0105 Oslo
NORWAY
Contact person:
Knut Halvorsen - manager of Oslo Teknopol IKSAkersgata 13
105 Oslo
NORWAY
Tel: 47 22 00 29 92
E-Mail: knut.halvorsen@oslo.teknopol.no
Summary description of the project:
The overall objective of CBSR project was to stimulate creation of new firms and jobs in knowledge intensive sectors by linking entrepreneurs and innovators with R&D, service providers and venture capitalists. A short term goal was to establish Connect organisations or networks in all the countries participating in the project (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany). Connect Baltic Sea Region supports entrepreneurs to attract venture capital. Through the voluntarily help of experts working in various business sectors, R&D institutions and service providing companies, entrepreneurs get the chance to validate their business in panel debates (springboard).The gap between an entrepreneur's idea and a potential investor's money is in most cases perceived as being overwhelming. Very often the distance is a result of different jargon (academic vs. business language), bad presentations and underdeveloped business plans. Connect seeks to reduce this distance and through various actions improve the business plan, professionalize the presentation and implement the use of business jargon.
CBSR has supported the development of existing networks and establishment of new Connect organisations around the Baltic Sea. One of the main operations has been to activate the human resources and expertise existing in large corporations, R&D institutions and service providers. The advices an entrepreneur can get from these organisations are often invaluable and too costly for a start-up company. These target groups work voluntarily because they learn, they help create new business and future customers, they network with other experts and because it is a good thing to do.
The goal of international cooperation in the project is to link the regional networks to each other and ease the internationalisation process for start-ups. Through common events and actions, the main target group – entrepreneurs – can accelerate their expansion to new markets.
Connect organisations are member organisations and financed partly by membership fees, sponsorship and public support. Connect organisations have been established all over the Pan-Baltic/Nordic region; Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and North-Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). Connect Nordic which is a Pan-Baltic /Nordic organisation is also established in order to increase trans-regional cooperation and business development. Expansion of Connect networks in further regions has been an important objective in the project and was expected to happen in several regions.
Achievements of the project so far:
Connect has created an arena for evaluating business plans. Organising so called springboards was one of the main activities of the Connectorganisations and project partners. At these springboard events, entrepreneurs got the chance to validate their business plans in panel debates through the voluntarily help of experts working in various business sectors, R&D institutions and service providing companies. The aim is to help the entrepreneurs to develop business plans that in the end will attract venture capital. At financial and partnership forums the same objectives were promoted. In total, 1227 springboards and pre-springboards have been organised focusing on 1227 business plans. The number of participating companies was approx 850.
Connect organisations are now established in Sweden (22), Denmark (3), Norway (5), Estonia (1), Lithuania (1) and Latvia (1). Connect Nordic, an umbrella organisation for all Connect activities in the Baltic/Nordic region has been established in order to secure and promote linkages between the regions/countries, secure best-practise procedures and knowledge transfer. The total network of experts in the various regional Connect organisations counts some 4300 persons in addition to a considerable number of member companies /sponsors /organisations (including the Baltic countries).
The CBSR project considers the BSR to be a macro region. In this respect, the project has enhanced and further developed Connect (which existed before the project) to become a true city/interregional network of cooperation for business development. For instance, the CBSR project has supported the development of the capital metropolitan regions of Norway, Sweden and Denmark to release their R&D potential further into new sustainable high growth businesses.
One of the major objectives in CBSR was to establish and/or strengthen viable regional/national Connect networks with the purpose of securing the results created by the project. The network Connect Nordic was established as a result of the project and will continue to exist beyond the project as an umbrella organisation securing transregional/transnational cooperation. One of the main tasks will be to attract Nordic/Baltic sponsors to secure the development of the umbrella organisation. Connect Nordic has together with all regional networks developed a vision for Connect in 2010.
CBSR is followed up by CBSR+ that focus on developing Connect in new member states and countries bordering the BSR. National public funds are supporting to a varied degree the development of these Connect networks.
Homepage: www.connect.nordic
Duration: 01.06.2002 - 31.08.2005, 39 months
Approximate total project budget: 2,755,000.00€
ERDF: 385,000.00€
Norwegian national contribution: 992,500.00€
List of partners
Institution | Town | Country | Contact | Telephone / E-Mail |
Oslo Teknopol IKS | P.O Box 527 Sentrum 0105 Oslo | NO | Knut Halvorsen | 47 22 00 29 92 knut.halvorsen@oslo.teknopol.no |
Hedmark Fylkeskommune | Fylkeshuset, Parkgt. 64 2325 Hamar | NO | Ole Jørn Alfstad | 47 62 54 40 00 . |
Buskerud Fylkeskommune | Fylkeshuset 3020 Drammen | NO | Oddmar Aurvoll | 47 32 80 85 00 postmottak@bfk.no |
Telemark Fylkeskommune | Fylkeshuset 3706 Skien | NO | Karl Gran | 47 35 58 44 58 post@telemark-f.kommune.no |
Akershus Fylkeskommune | Schweigaardsgate 4 0185 Oslo | NO | Tore Kobbergård | 47 22 05 56 00 . |
Connect Norge | c/o NHO Pb. 5250 Majorstuen 0303 Oslo | NO | Mikael Klingberg | 47 907 47 314 klingbe@online.no |
Connect Østlandet v/Forskningsparken as. | Forskningsparken as 0349 Oslo | NO | Andreas Rygg | 47 908 25 434 andreas.rygg@hydro.com |
Connect Vest co IT Vest as | Pb. 4287 St. Jackobs plass nr. 9. 5837 Bergen | NO | Kjell Hilde | 47 913 47 976 kjell.hilde@connectvest.no |
Connect Møre co Statens Nærings- og distriktsutviklingsfond | Pb. 166 6404 Ålesund | NO | Harald Nordahl | 47 70 11 64 50 hno@snd.no |
Connect Midt-Norge co Sinvent AS | Sinvent AS - SINTEF S. P Andersens vei 5. 7465 Trondheim | NO | Nils Spidsøe | 47 73 59 26 06 nils.spidsoe@civil.sintef.no |
Connect Nord Norge co Forskningsparken i Tromsø as | Breivika 9291 Tromsø | NO | Ketil Sundelien | 47 77 67 97 60 ketil.sundelien@fparktos.no |
Connect Denmark | Fruebjergvej 3 2100 Copenhagen | DK | Dorte Wiene | 45 39 17 97 72 dorte@connectdenmark.com |
Connect Sweden/Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences | Grev Turegatan 14 10242 Stockholm | SE | Örjan Isacson | 46 8 791 29 03 oei@iva.se |
Connect Stockholm/Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences | P.O Box 5073 1024 Stockholm | SE | Johannes Dyring | 46 8 791 29 46 jdy@connectstockholm.org |
Technologie Transfer-Zentrale Schleswig-Holstein | Lorentzendamm 22 24103 Kiel | DE | Franz Gelbke | 431 51962 11 zentral@ttsch.de |
Innovationszentrum Itzehoe mbh | Fraunhoferstrasse 3 25524 Itzehoe | DE | Dr. Ingo Hussla | 49 4821 778-0 www.izet.de |
Tallinn Technical University | Ehitajate tee 5 19086 Estonia | EE | Tarvo Tamm | 372 620 2002 www.ttu.ee |
Riga Technical University | Kalku 1. 1658 Riga | LV | Leonid Ribickis | . ribickis@adm.rtu.lv |
Kaunas Technological University - Institute of Business Strategy | . . Kaunas | LT | Gediminas Dapkus | 370 7 300129 bkcentras@bkc.ktu.lt |
Riga City Council | 3 K. Valdemara St. 1539 Riga | LV | Maris Tralmaks | . maris.tralmaks@ccr.lv |
Tallinn City Enterprise Board | Vabaduse väljak 7 15199 Tallinn | EE | Kariri Teniste | 372 640 4218 ettevotlus@tallinnlv.ee |
Connect Finland Oy | Uudenmaankatu 11A7 120 Helsinki | FI | Teppo Tammi | 358 9622 2851 teppo.tammi@kolumbus.fi |
Connect Skåne co Enh for Næringslivssamverkan Lunds Universitet | P.O Box 117 Lunds Universitet 2210 Lund | SE | Per-Olof Hegg | 46 46 222 12 70 per-olof.hegg@ind-liaison.lu.se |
Sør Trøndelag Fylkeskommune | Erling Skakkes gate 14. Postuttak. 7004 Trondheim | NO | Ragnhild Nisja | 47 73 86 60 00 postmottak@stfk.no |
Nord Trøndelag Fylkeskommune | Fylkets Hus 7735 Steinkjer | NO | Arild Egge | 47 74 11 12 77 arild.egge@nord-trondelag-f.kommune.no |
Oslo Kommune | Rådhuset 0037 Oslo | NO | Mary Moe | 47 23 46 16 94 mary.moe@radhuset.oslo.kommune.no |
Source: http://www.bsrinterreg.net/programm/project.php?id=10138
Project: Connect Baltic Sea Region