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ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Links for internationalization

RedEmprendia supports apprenticeships and exchanges of entrepreneurs in Ibero-American countries

DANIEL BUENORedEmprendia consists of 24 universities in seven Ibero-American countries and supports training and the internationalization of startup businesses in the academic world. Founded in Spain with financial sponsorship from Banco Santander, this network awards exchange grants in other countries to new entrepreneurs. “We support spinoffs [companies founded in academia] that have a business plan based on a research project performed at a university, or technology startups that were founded or supported by university entrepreneurship programs” says Senén Barro, president of RedEmprendia, who came to Brazil to launch the book entitled La transferencia de I+D – La innovación y el emprendimiento en las universidades (The transfer of I+D – Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Universities) (see note on page 11). “Our relationship is directly with technology transfer offices or innovation agencies. The educational institutions determine if there are entrepreneurs who are suitable for our programs. Once we approve, they transfer the grants,” Senén explains. The member countries of the network include Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Chile. The member universities in Brazil are the University of São Paulo (USP), the University of Campinas (Unicamp) and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).

The grants in the BoosterWE program at RedEmprendia are for entrepreneurs who have yet to set up the company but have a business plan. The grant, from 3,000 to 4,000 euros, pays for travel and a stay for a period of two to three months in companies in another Ibero-American country in the grantee’s industry and field of interest. “We select the host company, where grantees are able to learn about administration and business and develop their technology.” One of the Brazilian participants was Thierry Marcondes, a mechanical engineer who has an undergraduate degree from Unicamp and spent three months at Continental Automotive in Mexico in 2013. He developed a system to analyze ethanol and gasoline that identifies adulterated fuels. “It was a very good experience and I learned about other ecosystems and cultures. I also had contacts with people who in the future may be strategy and technology partners,” Marcondes says.

“Since 2012 there have been 50 grants per year for BoosterWE,” according to Senén, who is a physicist and was president of the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain from 2002 to 2010. Landing, which is another RedEmprendia program, offers support for spinoffs, startups and entrepreneurs who have been working for over a year and are seeking international mobility or partners for local activities. “In this case, the entrepreneur who is selected is always connected to the university and receives a grant and support from an incubator or technology park in another country that is part of the network, and the stay ranges from a week to several months. There is no set number of grants for Landing; we support entrepreneurs that have good business plans.” The network has more than one million euros per year to invest in its activities. Every other year, it holds an event known as Spin in a different country, and Spain will be the host in 2016. The event is open to all entrepreneurs who are associated with universities and are seeking to show their ideas and find venture capital. Visit the website for more information.

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