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EBN Congress 2019

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EBN Congress 2019 and how EBN Members, investors and startups venture forward for innovation

How to make your business grow going international, looking into examples of successful venture models, discovering social innovation prototype, all within the innovation and the incubation ecosystems – around those topics were the discussions over three days in the city of Rome that hosted the EBN Congress 2019 – Venturing forward for innovation, where EU|BIC’s support to startups has gained a key role for the future of innovation.

Javier Echarri, CEO of EBN

Daniele Leodori, Vice President of Regione Lazio

The major annual EBN event, gathering experts from all over the world, was co-organised by EBN and EBN Member LazioInnova, with the support of Regione  Lazio.

Around 400 participants came to this innovative  site end of October to discover how venturing  forward for innovation, to learn who are currently  and will be soon the most disruptive startups and  entrepreneurs that will impact the innovation  ecosystem, and to discuss about the best ways  incubators, accelerators, business support  organisations, investors, corporates and business  angels can support innovative startups.

Key topics of this year congress  were internationalisation, investment   and incubation models.

The first day was meant around qualified workshops about sustainable tourism and fashion-tech where entrepreneurs and startups active in those sectors learnt how to reach out to investors. It was as well the opportunity for those entrepreneurs to meet with investors and incubators. Thanks to the support of CAST and DeFINE projects. SmartEEs companies specialised in flexible electronics could benefit the input from experts on how to go to market, as part of their acceleration programme.

EBN is as well strengthening links with other networks, occasions like the EBN Congress offers the best arena to meet with friends and discuss future cooperation.

The first day was the occasion of the welcome cocktail. Welcomed by EBN CEO, Javier Echarri, and EBN President, David Uhlír, delegates had the chance to witness the cooperation and good relation of EBN and Regione Lazio and LazioInnova. Daniele Leodori, vice-president of Regione Lazio and Andrea Ciampalini, General Director of LazioInnova highlighted the commitment of the region when it comes to supporting entrepreneurship.

The objective of the whole congress was the cooperation among EU|BICs, incubators, startups and investors, helping each other to grow and to land in the international market. The common thread of all discourses was inevitably sustainable technology, access to finances and international opportunities.

Sessions were characterised by good examples of successful experiences, stories and views by experts of innovation.

On Thursday, Amir Eldad, managing Director and entrepreneurial ecosystem builder of A2E Partners, opened debates with the key challenges facing accelerators and incubators today.

He gave the floor to some experts from different fields, who made us discover how innovative ecosystems and incubation tools convince funds and investors to join and contribute to their community of entrepreneurs.

On Friday, Emma Joy Obanye, Entrepreneur in Residence of Capital Enterprise, held the session about both challenges and leverages to create a tech startup, to access investment and to do business.

One of the main priorities of EBN is to support EU|BICs on the internationalisation of entrepreneurs and startups, there was a session with the main tips to support this, where the initiatives supported by Eureka and Baker Tilly were highlighted, showcasing success stories by Meta Group and best practice of Innersense. This was followed by the pitching organised under the frame of European Entrepreneurial Regions (EER) financially supported by the European Commission. Twelve companies from those regions had the opportunity to pitch in front of EU|BIC experts, investors, and go back home with tips on how to better present their services and products.

Networking is a key moment at the congress, so that the participants to the congress could have the opportunity to visit the exhibition area, startups, sponsors and exhibitors.

The exhibition area showcased startups from fashion-tech and sustainable tourism, as well as flexible electronics, and meet the startups from European Entrepreneurial Regions (EER) initiative financed by the European Commission. Furthermore, EU|BICs and delegates, in general, could learn about the funding opportunities to support startups go international like InnoWwide (and the future call for funding), ENRICH and its three centres in Brazil, China and USA, and the opportunities offered by our EBN Member in India Global Business in Road.

Those three days were full of inspiring debates, new connections and promising future for business support organisations, entrepreneurs and startups.

Did you miss this year congress, or do you want a good souvenir? Have a look at the pictures, and follow the Moments on Twitter

Stay tuned, we are preparing 2020 Congress! It will be in Brussels.

In the meanwhile, be informed about future events where you could meet EBN members and experts in innovation and incubation!

EBN Congress in the media:

Milano Finanza, 25 October 2019

La Repubblica, 26 October 2019

BIG THANKS to our sponsors!

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