As an associate partner, the THA is pleased to inform members that on 26 January 2016 the NetMib (Network of multidisciplinary ideation and business model generation) project was officially launched during the first Consortium meeting. Partners from Hungary, Greece, USA, Italy, Finland, Spain, met at the University of Pécs (Hungary) and set the basis for a fruitful and effective cooperation.
The project aims to set up a virtual incubation programme by internationally connecting the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) action learning curriculum in the area of idea and business model generation to support the implementation of products and services that answer regional, country specific or international needs, problems for all members of the knowledge triangle.
The project, while developing entrepreneurial capacity, aims at providing answers to current socio-economic problems by generating relevant business ideas on the part of university students. This action learning approach will further strengthen the functioning of the Triple Helix model at the participating HEIs. By internationally interconnecting the participating HEIs’ ideation and business model generation practices in the framework of the NetMIB significant intercultural, cross industrial and multidisciplinary benefits will arise on the parts of all participants.
The project also intends to establish a transnational entrepreneurship ecosystem that can support the development of the entrepreneurial skills of participants (students, faculty members, business professionals, public servants), while creating innovative solutions that are able to solve regional, national or international socio-economic problems.
The direct target group of the project is universities that strive to achieve stronger Triple Helix relations and economic impact in their regions. NetMIB will equip HEIs with a cutting edge, action learning teaching methodology and toolkit that will allow them to establish their own Triple Helix Model within their region and also to connect to a vibrant, high quality network of entrepreneurial HEIs.
The indirect beneficiaries of the NetMIB project are (1) the students with marketable business ideas studying at the participating HEIs irrespective of their disciplinary area, (2) business students, who join the development of the business idea proposed by a fellow students to establish a validated business model, (3) faculty members, who participate in the incubation of student ideas as mentors or lecturers, and (4) business professionals, SME owners, nonprofits, public employees, who get involved in the development process as speakers, mentors or judges of the projects and receive new, creative impulses from the idea, or from the ideation process.
The first phase of the project will be devoted to research on the state-of-the-art existing offer within public and private HEIs of training programs and integrated supporting and incubating services to develop new entrepreneurial ideas. At least ten cases will be developed, to highlight the main points and enabling factors for such programs, with the aim of developing an effective and efficient program to be adopted cross countries.
This first phase will be closing in May 2016 when the design phase of the project will start, based on the main findings of the research.
For further information: NetMIB Project leader, Zsolt Bedo, Director of Simonyi Business and Economic Development Center, University of Pecs, *email address protected*