About Provider

Provider of Gate2Biotech is South Moravian Innovation Centre.

The South Moravian Innovation Centre was established as an association of legal entities in 2003. Its founders are the South Moravian Regional authority, the Statutory City of Brno, Masaryk University and Brno University of Technology. In February 2005 the group was joined by Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry and University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno.

The South Moravian Innovation Centre creates a complex infrastructure for innovative enterprise in the South Moravian region supporting innovative companies, science, research and development and students with original ideas.

The services of the Centre are based on four key pillars:

finances
consultancy
contacts
premises

One of the main activities of the Centre is operating the Technology Incubator at Brno University of Technology, which concentrates several support tools for starting entrepreneurs in one place, reduces the risk for start-ups and assists them to achieve the level they could engage self-dependently in commercial-economic activities and compete on the market.

The South Moravian Innovation Centre was the coordinator and currently serves as the implementing agency of the Regional Innovation Strategy of the South Moravian Region which is a strategy for increasing implementation and fostering innovation.

The South Moravian Innovation Centre currently employees an experienced staff of 20 people.

The South Moravian Innovation Centre offers the following services:

1. Consultancy and training services

The South Moravian Innovation Centre provides information for the tenants of the Technology Incubator VUT Brno, counselling and training services for entrepreneurs on various business organisation and development issues, such as business strategy, preparation of business plans, planning, distribution, propagation, marketing, consultancy in intellectual property rights, patenting, licensing, human resources, networking and other fields that might be problematic for starting entrepreneurs in order to direct them and to faster their development. The consultancy service is provided by professional team of consultants specialized in various fields. There are two consultancy teams: high tech and biotech. The centre also cooperates with external professionals in assessing the state of individual companies and other activities related to business and innovation.

2. Financial support

The South Moravian Innovation Centre provides several finance support tools:

Micro Loans – a unique product of the Centre which enables entrepreneurs from the South Moravian region to apply for a loan up to 26 500 EUR without the need of guarantee. This loan is intended for individuals and SMEs based in the Technology incubator VUT Brno to facilitate easier start of their company, co-finance innovative projects, develop new products, enter new markets, assist with business strategy, etc. The interest rate is 3% p.a.

Grants for external services – co-financing of 50% of eligible costs defined for external services such as marketing consultancy and surveys, consultancy in strategy development, company establishment, intellectual property rights, human resources and financing, legal counselling, etc.

Patent and Licence Fund – a programme developed by the South Moravian Centre for individuals, entrepreneurs and SMEs providing professional assistance and basic consultancy in intellectual property rights and financial support through advantageous loan up to 16 000 EUR co-financing 80% of eligible costs. The interest rate is negotiable from 3 to 7%. This programme aims to support innovative potential of SMEs in the South Moravian region and increase the number of patent and utility model applications filed.

Fit4Finance – a service providing assistance for entrepreneurs with the broad range of finance support tools and to identify the most convenient way of financing their projects.

Facilitating financing through investors

3. Facilitating contacts

The Centre provides useful contacts to not inconsiderable number of partners, suppliers, customers, technology providers and investors. The aim of this service is to assist in regional and international partnership development, cooperation and coordination.

The Centre closely cooperates with its founders - the South Moravian Regional authority, the Statutory City of Brno, Masaryk University, Brno University of Technology, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry and University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno. Such contacts and references might be very useful especially in technology and professional terms and the tenants of the Technology Incubator VUT Brno often use them for testing, opponency, background search and analyses, the use of technology equipment provided by university laboratories, cooperation with university researchers, etc.

4. Skills improvement services and education

The South Moravian Centre organises education programmes focused on support of competitiveness of starting innovative companies. The courses are intended for managers and employees of innovative companies in the South Moravian region and also for all individuals interested in starting or expanding a business. The programme is designed on the basis of a survey conducted in order to identify the needs of starting innovative companies and comprises courses from development of individual personalities to general strategy management.

5. Services related to membership in the Technology incubator VUT

The South Moravian Innovation Centre operates the Technology incubator VUT providing subsidized information, counselling and training services for its tenants on various business organisation and development issues. The main goal is to facilitate the establishment of new companies, to provide assistance to existing ones to develop, to adapt themselves to the changing market conditions and to increase their competitiveness and efficiency. The incubator aims to reduce business failure by assisting business in the critical early stages.

The South Moravian Innovation Centre leases premises and provides consultancy services to its tenants on favourable terms and conditions. Lease agreements provide reasonable flexibility in allowing the client company to expand or retract within the Incubator, or to move to another facility at an appropriate time. The total length of tenancy is 3 years, with a maximum 5 years for biotechnology companies. Beside office space, the incubator provides technical services such as telephone, fax machine, IT infrastructure, printer, photocopier, etc. Client companies share-use meeting rooms, audio visual presentation equipment, the kitchen facilities, car parking, etc.

The Centre currently hosts 30 companies.

6. Disseminating information for SMEs

Besides consultancy services and referencing to EU relevant websites the Centre actively disseminates information related to innovation and business.

Newsletter JIC – the South Moravian Innovation Centre creates a periodic newsletter covering the latest news and information on business and innovation, news about the client companies, interviews, information about currently held events, awards, etc. The newsletter is distributed in both email and printed version.

Tenants Meeting – the Centre organises meetings for the client companies in order to inform them about updates, new services and other useful information related to the membership in the incubator.

Innovation Club – a periodic meeting which aims to engage the client companies and all subjects interested in innovative business through interactive programme. The purpose of the Innovation Club is to provide a forum for interested individuals to come together to network and discuss issues of common interest. It also covers presentations on various issues.

7. Providing targeted information

Czech Biotech Report - is a unique first-ever annual publication of detailed information about the Czech biotech sector created by the South Moravian Innovation Centre. The publication contains comprehensive directory of Czech biotech companies and research institutions systematically catalogued by the specific field of their activity, used techniques, type of organization and other relevant records, individual profiles of Czech biotechnology companies, statistical evaluation of the main biotechnology elements within the Czech Republic, authorship articles on a variety of biotechnology topics, interviews with eminent personalities from Czech biotech on the present state and future development of Czech biotech, etc.

Technology Profiles – the Centre is also involved in production of technology profiles of biotechnology companies within the Czech Republic for the purpose of promotion and matchmaking.

8. Development and operating websites

Development and operating the website www.INOVACE.cz which aims to create a central place for all subjects interested in innovation by providing targeted information, linking to other relevant services and assisting in realisation of their innovative projects. The website is aimed at researchers, inventors, innovative companies, producers, universities, research institutions, investors, students, suppliers, state administration and organisations supporting innovations The content of the website comprises information on innovation from the Czech Republic and abroad providing:

Information – fast and easy access to the latest news related to innovation, technology, international trends in research and development, offers and requests, licence opportunities, finance sources and conditions, documents, databases, information on education, etc.

Contacts – linking to potential partners, investors, owners of innovative projects, experts, producers, service suppliers, support organisations and associations

Instructions – realisation of innovations policies, instructions for financing, access instructions for patent databases, etc.

Other – analyses, active tools incl. software

The website is going to be launched in May 2007.

Developing and operating the website www.gate2biotech.com which contains all information on biotech.

The website is aimed at biotechnology companies, suppliers, investors, institutions, students, professional community and everyone interested in this field of future.

Gate2Biotech maps over all biotech news and its users can also find a complete database of Czech biotech companies and research entities. The database is searchable by their specialisation, offers and request of collaboration or jobs, overview of currently undertaken research projects, contains information on international conferences, seminars, fairs and other interesting events. Through the portal the companies can easily search partners for various technology problem solutions and present their services to potential partners from the Czech Republic and abroad. The users of the website are located in more than 50 countries.

9. Cluster activities

The Centre is actively involved in developing clusters such as the Water Treatment Alliance (environmental biotech cluster focused on waste treatment and water purification), CETI cluster (bioinformatics cluster), CAIC (Czech Aircraft Industry Cluster) and Aeronautics cluster.

10. Organising of seminars, conferences and fairs

BIOTEC – the first biotechnology exhibition and conference in the Central Europe which is held annually.
Workshops
Road Show – a special event aimed at university students in life sciences and biotechnology field to introduce them the biotechnology portal www.gate2biotech.com
Awards – the Centre has held several competitions such as the best business plan contest, the most innovative company, etc. The aim of these awards is to find and reward innovative ideas and business plans and encourage entrepreneurs to make a business case for their innovative ideas with plans for their implementation.

11. Conducting of surveys

Regional Innovation Strategy of the South Moravian region – Besides being the implementing agency of the Regional Innovation Strategy of the South Moravian region, the Centre is also actively involved in its creation.
Net BioCluE – participation in project which involves clusters from eight different European countries aimed at fostering networking between clusters in biotech for health at European level. The Centre contributes to the creation of analysis of different European and non European biotechnology clusters in order to identify the best practices related to the critical issues for cluster development.

12. Collaboration with local and international organisations supporting SMEs

The South Moravian Innovation Centre is engaged in several organisations and networks supporting innovation and activities related to its core business: