Promoting Entrepreneurial Spirit –
Case Studies
Stefan Thuis
TU Dortmund
stefan.thuis@cs.uni-dortmund.de
Content
1) Entrepreneurship programmes of
EU
2) EXIST – Entrepreneurship out of
Science
3) G-Dur – A network at TU Dortmund
EU goals and actions in promoting entrepreneurship
 Develop a more entrepreneurial culture among young people
starting from school education
 Administrative requirements need to be entrepreneur friendly
 Easier access to investors for entrepreneurs
 European Commission launches various campaigns to promote the
image of entrepreneurship
 Co-operation with Member States to facilitate sharing of
experiences
 Difficulties of ethnic minorities have to be overcome
 All actions have a comprehensive framework:
“The Small Business Act for Europe (SBA)”
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Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs
 Young entrepreneurs can work for 1 to 6 months with an
experienced entrepreneur in another EU country
 Exchange of experience between experienced and new
entrepreneurs
 Access to new markets and potential business partners for new
entrepreneurs
 Enhances Networking
 Experienced entrepreneurs can also profit by developing new
contacts and discovering business opportunities in other countries
4
Entrepreneurship in Education
 Mini-companies run by students at school deliver a realistic insight
into the functionality of economy and stimulate entrepreneurial
attitudes
 Entrepreneurship education at universities should be accessible to
all students, also of non-business disciplines
 Promoting entrepreneurial spirit also to trainees in vocational
education
 Call for project proposals lead to various EU projects in this context
 “Oslo Agenda” was elaborated as the policy framework to promote
entrepreneurial mindset in education
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Entrepreneurship in audiovisual media
 Entrepreneurial gap between Europe and other countries
 Media can help to promote entrepreneurship
 A project was initiated to analyze the relation between media and
people’s attitude towards entrepreneurship
 Member States co-operate with media to promote entrepreneurship
6
Promotion of Female Entrepreneurship
 The “European Network of Female Entrepreneurship
Ambassadors” was founded was founded to encourage more
women to become entrepreneurs
 “WES”, a network to promote women’s entrepreneurship was
launched to:
 Raise visibility of existing female entrepreneurs
 Create a climate that is favorable to female entrepreneurs
 Increase the number of new women entrepreneurs
 Increase the size of existing female run businesses
 “Woman Entrepreneurship Portal” aims to provide a link between
networks, projects and events that relate to Female
Entrepreneurship
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Entrepreneurship for migrants and ethnic minorities
 The number of entrepreneurs among migrants and members of
ethnic minorities compared to nationals is disproportionately high
 They face particular problems in addition to those problems all
entrepreneurs face:
 Access to financial support
 Language barriers
 Limited business, management and marketing skills
 Over-concentrated in low entry threshold activities
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EXIST – Entrepreneurship out of Science
 EXIST is a program of the German Ministry of Economy and
Technology which is co-financed by European Social Fund
 Main goal is to sensitize university students and scientific assistants
to entrepreneurship
 Support is provided by consulting, coaching and infrastructural help
 Other goals of EXIST:
 Spread entrepreneurial spirit
 Improve entrepreneurial climate
 Enhancement of formation of technology orientated and
knowledge based companies
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The 3 pillars of EXIST
 Culture of Entrepreneurship:
 Universities are supported in finding and implementing a
strategy of entrepreneurial culture and spirit
 Business Start-up Grant:
 Financial support for preparation of technology orientated and
knowledge based entrepreneurship projects of students, alumni
and scientists
 Transfer of Research:
 Promotion of development work to prove technical feasibility
and preparations for formation of companies
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EXIST networks
 15 networks were funded at universities:
 “Start 1998” was a project where 5 model regions offered the
conditions to motivate, support and train entrepreneurs
 An adjusted program was developed for students, alumni and
scientists
 “Start 2002” established 10 more networks and incorporated
experience of Start 1998
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Network to promote academic entrepreneurship
Exchange of experiences
across all networks
Regional support
offers
Business development
agency
Chambers of industry
and commerce
Public consulting
facilities
Training facilities
Regional
press
Venture capital
companies
Research institutes
Project co-ordinators
Chair of
Entrepr.ship
Entrepreneurs
Professors /
Promoters
Banks
Infrastructure
Practitioner
SMEs
Required:
- business climate
- stimulus to co-operate
- goal and task orientated co-operation
- transparency, communication and
trust
Financing of
formation
Universities
Corporate
consultants
Supra-regional
co-operation
Business
angels
Companies
Public relations
Trusts
Concerns
Federal states
Alumni
State
Policy
Promotion
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Stages of EXIST
 1998: Ideas competition EXIST I
 Universities who have to co-operate with at least 3 partners
from science, economy and politics can submit their ideas. 5
model regions are picked by a jury among 200 submissions
 2000: EXIST-SEED
 Students, alumni and scientists of the 5 selected model regions
receive money to make a living and a fixed amount for coaching
and preparation of formation to convert their business idea to a
business plan at university
 2002: EXIST II
 10 additional networks were selected
 2006: EXIST III
 Non-academic public research institutions can participate
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EXIST-SEED
Evaluation after 6 months
Universities and
Mentors
Entrepr. ship
network at university
Use of university resources
External coaching
Formation of
companies
Guidance by mentors
Business plan
Business idea
Universities and Mentors
Funding by EXIST-Seed
(max. 1 year)
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Outcome of EXIST
 The 15 regions could gain experience in implementing network
concepts which stimulate entrepreneurship
 Projects should be primarily carried out by universities
 Knowledge transfer to students by regular teaching staff together
with corporate staff proved to be most appropriate
 Intensive marketing by EXIST initiatives is needed to sensitize
students for the subject of entrepreneurship
 Non-academic consulting institutions can enhance the flexibility and
working capacity of the network
 Participating universities have assured to permanently include the
subject of entrepreneurship into their curriculums
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Perspective of EXIST
 Inspire other regions to copy the EXIST concept
 Force the transfer of outcome and experience from the EXIST
regions
 Further enhancements to a culture of entrepreneurship at
universities
 Universities need further impulses from exterior to implement the
necessary changes
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G-Dur – A network at TU Dortmund
 Founded in 2002
 Received funding as part of EXIST
 Project partners: TU Dortmund, University of Applied Science
Dortmund, the city of Dortmund and technology centers of the
region
 More than 60 enterprises where founded with support of G-Dur
 Since 2007, G-Dur offers sector-specific support to cultural and
creative industry
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Activities of G-Dur
 Teaching program for self-employment
 Tutors offering guidance to formation of enterprises at Dortmund’s
universities
 Support of various entrepreneurship initiatives and contests
 Offering of office space except from charges
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Thank you for your attention!