March 14, 2008

Birmingham company to help Pan-European Businesses Achieve More

UKBI, the Aston Science Park based international network of business incubation environments, local and regional government and other key stakeholders, has joined forces with some of Europe’s leading SME development organisations to drive forward the success of innovative companies.

The European Commission has funded a bold new network, called ACHIEVE MORE, which will bring together 50 business incubators of early stage companies, 15 clusters in the ICT area, and several venture funds, from across the EU. The aim of the €1.8m project is to help nurture and accelerate the success of small and highly innovative companies by giving them tools, coaching and other help within incubators, giving them contact with other players in the industry in clusters, and helping them to find funding for start-up entrepreneurial ventures, often hard to get in Europe.

The project is funded from the European Commission’s INNOVA programme, which will provide €1.4m of the budget. The project’s aim is not only to support the fast growth of this sector but also to make policy recommendations to the European Commission over the project’s three year lifespan from February 2008 to January 2011.

Peter Harman, Deputy Chief Executive of UKBI said, “UKBI, based in the heart of the UK, are thrilled to be bringing our expertise and global network to this European-wide project. Our internationally-renowned good practice model, the Business Incubation Development Framework, details how innovators and entrepreneurs should be supported and their businesses grown and we look forward to helping European innovative firms become world beaters.”

Photo Caption: Peter Harman, Deputy Chief Executive from UKBI based at Faraday Wharf on Aston Science Park.