Newsletter Edition
2: December, 2016
<< Focus on FINLAND>>
www.ecbiz.eu
IN THIS ISSUE: > > > > >
2. Findings from the IBIS Research Phase 3. Kick-off meeting: Vaasa 4. Exploring Finland 5. Success story: Kyrรถ Distillery Company 6. Upcoming events: I-BIS programme
I-BIS / 2015-1-UK01-KA202-01348
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Findings from the IBIS Research Phase Recommendations for the I-BIS Programme
During the first 6 months of the project, IBIS partners completed desk research, focus groups and online surveys with start-ups and incubator services in all partner countries to get information and feedback on their training needs. This research will feed directly into the development of the IBIS training materials.
Specific recommendations which startups and incubator staff felt were important for a training programme were: > Digital marketing and commercialisation is an area that needs to be enhanced in the I-BIS Programme. > Financial planning needs to be addressed in the modules, focusing especially on how startups can gain investment.
> One of the main challenges that face most start-ups is the detection, attraction and selection of Talented Human Capital. > Start-ups demand training to structure the growth of their businesses and to analyze the potential they have. > Networking between experts and coaching/mentoring are key learning methodologies, experiential learning - as a new methodology to explore. > Building of networks must be an integral part of the Programme, by ensuring that participants can continue to network and support each other. Detailed Comparative needs analysis report is online at: www.ecbiz.eu
Leading partner: The Universidad de Granada General Foundation Spain www.fundacionugrempresa.es
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Kick-off meeting: Vaasa 12-13 September, 2016 Colleagues representing the I-BIS partner organisations met together for the second time and had a successful 2 days work meeting together to plan our work over the course of the project. Carolyn Usher presented a draft of the I-BIS progress report covering the first 8 months of 2016. John Rigby, the external evaluator of the project gave a presentation of his background and involvement in the project. The main challenge of evaluating I-BIS is to pick the right indicators to measure progress. Carmen Osuna gave a PowerPoint presentation of the results of the needs analysis. Inova presented the needs analysis for women and emphasized the importance of confidence building in all modules and recommended a minimum of 20% female participation in the pilot. The full English materials should be ready by the end of December. The translations and cultural adaptations will be done by the partners before the end of January.
Representatives of the I-BIS project at the meeting in the Vaasa: Discussing about E-learning Hub
On Day 2, Dr John Kawalek of UoS gave a workshop on developing a business, using the European Centre for Business Growth as an example. The participants were encouraged to evaluate its current state, envisage its future state and develop a process of how to get the current state to a new future state. This workshop followed the method to be used in IBIS training and led to discussions of how the research and existing training materials can be developed and used for our new target group in I-BIS.
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Exploring Finland Start-ups in Finland: A blooming business?
Finland is known for its high level of innovation and educational system. These are, among other elements, supporting the development an increasingly vivid ecosystem for startups. For instance the Slush event brings start-ups and investors together. Indeed, education is one of the platforms to develop start-up activity and start-up activity is part of the national innovation policies. In spring and summer 2016 surveys and focus groups were conducted in IBIS project in order to find out information about the state-of-art in start-up training and the training needs. The surveys and the focus groups conducted in Finland revealed that the most used services and training by the start-ups were networking, project management, mentoring, coaching and the usual
supporting practices, e.g. legal and financial services. Networking with peers and experts, and sharing experiences among peers were highly appreciated. These were also among the preferred training methods as learning from customers as well, workshops and learning-by-doing. The subjects would prefer to keep training flexible and adaptable to the needs and schedules of the entrepreneurs. Among the areas and topics that were wished to be added to start-up training were for instance team forming, self and time management issues, cooperation with universities and other organizations, marketing and branding related issues, consumer orientation and understanding markets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including international markets and the business logic of the sector, project management, multidisciplinary, critical thinking, persistence and even design oriented approaches. Soft skills in start-up activity were highly appreciated in Finland. The view to the Finnish start-up landscape seems promising and tells that the high level of innovation is familiar also to start-up activity.
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Success story: Kyrö Distillery Company Sauna is an essential part of Finnish culture, and Finns like to discuss and share their ideas while having a sauna. That´s where the story of an all-rye distillery began in 2012, when five guys started to wonder why there isn’t a rye distillery in Finland and that there should be one.1, 2 Only two years later, in 2014, Kyrö Distillery Company was established. It specializes in rye-based alcoholic drinks. The craft distillery is located in rural Isokyrö, Western Finland, and operates from a historical building that used to be a famous cheese factory in Finland. Kyrö Distillery has already successfully entered both Finnish and international markets with its high-quality and stylishly branded products.3 Currently, the company has 11 permanent employees and 5 part-timers4. Kyrö Distillery has received several remarkable awards. For instance, one of its star products, Napue, won the title of The World’s Best Gin for Gin & Tonic (IWSC 2015)1, and Kyrö Distillery was nominated as the Startup of the Year 2016 in Finland4. Besides being a commercial success story the Kyrö brand has been awarded in many international design competitions such as Cannes Lions, Art Directors’ Club Europe and The
Dieline. Kyrö Distillery Company’s identity was also selected as the best visual identity in Finland in 2015.3
The CEO Miika Lipiäinen reveals their key to success in a recently published article4: – Find a thing that you passionately believe in. After that, listen to every potential customer, and ask their opinions. At the end of the day it´s all about gaining the balance between your own passion and market needs. Sources: 1 http://www.kyrodistillery.com/ 2 http://www.werklig.com/works/kyro-distillerycompany/ 3 http://www.exportfinland.fi/web/eng/ services/stories/kyro-distillery- company 4 http://uusyrityskeskus.fi/fi/tiedotteet/ 2016/06/kyro-distilleryn-tislaamoyrittajat-vuodenuusyrittajiksi-kunniamaininta
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Upcoming events: I-BIS programme The I-BIS training programme will take place over a 6 month period in Sheffield, Lithuania, Spain, and Finland. 1 module will be delivered per month. I-BIS programme modules are: > > > > > > > >
Diagnosis and Business Fit Audit Resource and Capability Analysis Intervention Methods and Leadership for Business Developing and reporting an information dashboard Financial Planning and re-structuring Project Catalyst Operationalisation Support for Female Start-Up Entrepreneurs Doing Business in the UK, Spain, Finland and Lithuania.
During the programme participants will also have access to an online Learning Hub where they will have access to learning materials and networks of other start-ups and incubator services across Europe. Thanks to funding from the European Commission, places on the I-BIS programme will be fully funded. Places are limited. Starting dates: January 2017
To apply contact:
The University of Sheffield, UK Phone: +44 (0)7548 238533 c.usher@sheffield.ac.uk www.shef.ac.uk
Inova Consultancy ltd., UK Phone: +44 (0)114 279 office@inovaconsult.com www.inovaconsult.com
Fundaciรณn General Universidad de Granada Empresa, ES Phone: +34 958 241000 mcosuna@fundacionugrempresa.es www.fundacionugrempresa.es
Kaunas Science and Technology Park, LT Phone: +37037333040 vaiva.kelmelyte@kaunomtp.lt www.kaunomtp.lt
Vaasan Ammattikorkeakoulu, FI Phone: +358 40 1632940 Tanja.Oraviita@muova.fi www.vamk.fi.
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year May the coming year bring you new perspectives, exciting and vibrant personal and professional experiences, and endless luck!
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The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.