Start-up AA - Building the Start-up Alpe-Adria Cross-border Ecosystem

Connecting stakeholders, entrepreneurs, start-ups and talents from both sides of the border in Start-up Alpe-Adria Hubs and Resource container. Raising the quality, range of services, and resources for entrepreneurial talent and start-up companies. 
 

PROJECT SUMMARY

Startup companies grow, develop and create new jobs significantly faster within dynamic startup ecosystems. In the past few years, the “battle for talent” has intensified on the global level and accelerated the departure of talent into more attractive startup ecosystems, such as the Silicon Valley, Boston, Berlin or London. In this, not only small rural towns are affected, but also bigger centres in the cross-border region. The key challenge of the cross-border region is how to strengthen collaboration and raise the quality of services provided by the key stakeholders of the cross-border startup ecosystem.

     
 
     

The main goal of the project is raising the quality, range of services, and resources for entrepreneurial talent and start-up companies. The stated goal will be achieved through the establishment of a cross-border, globally recognizable start-up destination formed by local Start:up HUBs, and stakeholders of the start-up ecosystem joined into the “Resource container”. Those listed will offer their services on the local, national and cross-border level. With help of the project, we will build and implement a joint model (launch, growth of companies) for supporting entrepreneurial talents and startups.

With activities, we will develop a region that will be attractive to talents and will enable them to develop their own innovative business models. The goal is to develop an Alps-Adriatic destination that will be attractive for talents and startups as well as to national and international stakeholders of the startup ecosystem. In the past, project partners and interested stakeholders realized that building an internationally competitive startup ecosystem is only possible within a cross-border context and collaboration. The development also includes collaboration between various stakeholders that can be competitive (technology parks, incubators, cities, region), which gives the project an aspect of complexity and difficulty as well as demands a high level of innovativeness in implementation. Project activities will be carried out with help of the latest lean methodologies.

 

PROJECT’S SPECIFIC GOALS:

Establishing destination Start-up Alpe-Adria

With help of ecosystem analysis, we will develop a working Start-up Alpe-Adria destination that will consist of a network of local Start:up HUBs and connections to key stakeholders (service organizations, infrastructural organizations and startups) on the local and cross-border level (Resource Container). This will improve the relationship between stakeholders, enable an improvement in services for talents and startups, and contribute to the recognisability of the Start-up Alpe-Adria destination on a global level.

Development and implementation of services for startups

Throughout the project, we will improve existing and develop new programmes for the best talents and startups of the cross-border programme area. With help of the Resource Container, we will connect startups and talents with stakeholders of the cross-border programme area, and ensure their recognisability on the cross-border and global level.

 

MAIN RESULTS OF THE PROJECT

 

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The project Start-up Alpe-Adria, developed by 4 project partners and many supporters, will develop the destination Start-up Alpe-Adria, consisting of a network of start-up ecosystem stakeholders (start-ups, service organizations, infrastructural organizations, investors) on the local and cross-border level. The project will improve the relationship between stakeholders, enable an improvement of services for talents and start-ups, and contribute towards the recognisability of the Start-up Alpe-Adria destination on a global level.

The duration of project is from 1. 4. 2017 till 31. 3. 2020 (36 months). Joint eligible costs of the project: 1,181,718.20 EUR, ESSR co-financing: 85%.

 

PROGRAMME’S SPECIFIC GOAL

The programme’s specific goal is expanding the database of innovative companies in the programme’s area.

 

MAIN GOAL OF THE PROJECT

The main joint goal of the project is raising the quality and range of services and resources for entrepreneurial talents and new innovative SMEs and startups in the cross-border region, namely by establishing a unified cross-border and recognizable startup destination Alpe-Adria. The destination will be formed by local Start:up HUBs connected into a network, and stakeholders of the cross-border startup ecosystem connected into the cross-border “Resource Container”. They will offer their services and resources not only on the local or national level but primarily on the cross-border level. Throughout the project, we will develop and implement the scheme of joint cross-border support for the most innovative talents and startups in the seed stage and growth stage. By realizing the main joint goal, we will very concretely contribute towards expanding the database of innovative companies in the programme area as the main specific goal of the programme. By implementing project activities, we will make the cross-border area significantly more attractive for entrepreneurial talents who will be able to develop their ideas and startup companies in the domestic cross-border programme area to a much greater extent. We will also make the startup destination Alpe-Adria globally recognizable, which will make the cross-border area attractive not only to national stakeholders, but also foreign startup ecosystem stakeholders, such as investors, established companies, startups and entrepreneurial talents.

 

PARTNERS

  1. Venture factory, Business Incubator of University of Maribor (link: http://tovarnapodjemov.org/)

  2. Lakeside Science & Technology Park (link: http://www.lakeside-scitec.com/en/)

  3. Technology park Ljubljana (link: http://www.tp-lj.si/en)

  4. KWF - Kärntner Wirtschaftsförderungs Fonds (link: http://kwf.at/)