INCIPIT Campania:ICT for Automation Enterprises

Development Program (2007-2011)

A Government Funded Incubator Experience Across Two Southern

Italy Universities

Diego Perifano, Senior Business Consultant on behalf of Prof. Franco Garofalo,

University of Naples

Program Objectives

The “INCIPIT CAMPANIA” program aims to foster in the Campania region:

• the dawn of enterprises whose value proposition is based on ICT innovative technologies

• university researchers to further develop their scientific or technological achievements in the field of the ICT and automation to become entrepreneurial ideas

• Program funded by the Italian Ministry for Economic Development

• Worth 2,9 Mio €

The INCIPIT Consortium

The INCIPIT Consortium has been established in 2007 from 8 partners

In Latin the word “INCIPIT” means "it begins“

In our meaning it stands for starting a new entrepreneurial idea

The partners of the INCIPIT Consortium

• University of Naples Federico IIDepartment of Information Technology

• University of SannioDepartment of Engeenering

• Alintec• Redifin S.p.A.• AIFI Ricerca e Formazione Srl• Stoà Scpa• API Naples• Technova Consorzio Politecnico

per l’innovazione Scarl

Value Providers

Innovation Mediators

Knowledge Suppliers

SME, Corporate

PST, Universities, Chamber of Commerce

Research Centers

Deal flow services• Scouting• Pre-

incubation• Mentorship• Post-

incubation

Support Services• To assist• To inform• To Direct

Monitoring and

controlling

Studies, researches,

statistics

Knowledge management e collective intelligence

Promotion and

coordination

INCIPIT is a partner of the Campania Innovation Network

• An open network of relations and services

Risk

Basic Research

Patenting

Pure Research

Prototyping

Market Trial

Go-To-Market

Applied Research

Services and goods production

Public funding

Venture Capital

Enterprise Incubators,

Venture Capital funding and Public funding

The Enterprise Incubatorsand the Go-to-market Chain

INCIPIT allows entrepreneurs• to join a network of innovative, cutting-edge enterprises

sharing experiences and opportunities• to ask business advisory services issued

– from the University partners for supportingthe technological development

– from the entrepreneurial partnersfor addressing the managerialtopics

– from financials partners for supportingthe fund raising activities

• to get support for taking up patent andprotect their business ideas

• to get introduced for elevator pitch with Venture Capitals• to apply for being incubated in a safe environment

Enterprise Network

Business Advisory Services

PatentVenture Capital

Incubators

INCIPIT Organizational Model

- Start Up

- Fund raising

- Assistance to start-up

- Incubation

- Business Planning

- Technology development

- Entepreneurial Proposal

- Feasibility Study

- Technology check

- Market Test

- Mentorship

- Scouting

- Promotion

- Technology mining

INCIPIT: the deal flow

30+ groups assisted to starting-up

113 groups contacted from universitiy and research labs

60+ questionnaires

Non university applicant

The INCIPIT outcomes in a nutshell…

Preferred Incubator

Applicant Ages

34 groups

Applicant Background…

Practices/ sectors …

Competences of the start-up team…

Managerial skills are crucial!

Trust: the researcher has to be convinced that both persons and the network he is in contact with have the only goal to push his business idea on the market

Reputation: all the actors the researcher get in touch with have to have his own confidence, and a solid reputation connected to visible results

Competences: the program has to attract the best competencies available on the research and advisory market

Transparency: the program has to be continuously monitored and controlled in order to avoid to blow resources and, in turn, to lose distinctive competencies

Lesson learned: for the program

Market: all the entrepreneurial initiatives have to have a sound products/ services portfolio, clearly distinctive in their reference market

Innovation: the business idea has to bring in sufficient originality to catch-the-eye of possible investors: this is one of the key success factor for raising funds from venture capitals

Feasibility: both technical and economic feasibility have to be carefully taken into account. Sometimes university researchers needs to get proactive mentoring on the topic

Management: it’s crucial that the coordination of the business initiative in the start-up phase is in the hands of a person (a team) with a solid experience and adequate management skills

Lesson learned: for the entrepreneurs

Thank you for your attention!