EBN Congress will focus on a few key frontiers, the major places of innovation and entrepreneurship that we see from our members and from the market. Interestingly, many of our activities and projects cross multiple frontiers, adding an extra dimension to the challenges faced by today’s entrepreneurs and innovators.
Digital Frontiers
Digital is everywhere. No business model, no new technology, no person is unaffected by the impact of digital. The smart phone, smart home, smart car, smart office and smart city are all places where digital technologies are changing the way we live. Finding new opportunities that solve real-world problems, rather than simply demonstrate clever technology is a challenge for all digital entrepreneurs.
EBN Projects: ACE, WeHubs, Watify
Digital and Creative Frontiers
Combining digital with the creative and cultural industries is an exciting area today. Taking people with very different backgrounds (creative vs technology) and merging them in a business environment is both exciting and challenging. But EBN members and their clients are doing just this with (mainly) young entrepreneurs with the creativity and passion to see projects succeed.
EBN Projects: ACE Creative, CreateFI
SOCIETAL FRONTIERS
Society is under constant renewal and the challenges faced by an ageing European population, youth unemployment, global migration, the economic crisis forcing lower public spending and economic growth by global competitors is challenging the status quo. But such change is creating new opportunities for social innovation, building triple-bottom-line businesses that have a positive impact on society and deliver real value to customers.
EBN Project: Transition, WeHubs
Key Technology Frontiers
But not everything is digital. There are many non-digital key technology frontiers that are offering up opportunities to innovators and entrepreneurs: nanotechnology, robotics, biotechnology, solar, personal genomics, battery life and energy storage, 3D-printing, personalised medicine, etc
EBN Projects: TBC
Bio-Economy Frontiers
The way we behave in our environment will affect our daily life. Innovation and technology are moving towards a more sustainable way of producing. Furthermore innovation is as affecting the bio-economy on how to better protect the way we produce food. A very important theme linked to Italy and the Expo2015.
EBN projects: CommBeBiz, Trafoon, SmartAgriFood
OPEN INNOVATION FRONTIERS
Open Innovation creates opportunities for small business to influence and power large business. Most innovation happens in small, nimble companies where the innovation is the key and the bureaucracy is minimal. But small companies often do not have the resources to take the innovation as far as is can go. Large companies do. Creating linkages between small and large companies, who speak very different languages, is a challenge, but one, when overcome, leads to great success.
EBN Projects: OpenPass4Growth
GREEN ECONOMY FRONTIERS
The way we behave in our environment will affect our daily life. Innovation and technology are moving towards a more sustainable way of producing. Furthermore innovation is as affecting the bio-economy on how to better protect the way we produce food. A very important theme linked to Italy and the Expo2015.
EBN projects: Turas, Enhance, Etrera
Finance Frontiers
Access to innovative finance is always at the top of the agenda for entrepreneurs. Crowdfunding (grants, loans and equity), smart money from business angels, new public funds (European Fund for Strategic Investment) are all changing the game of financing innovation.
EBN Projects: InvestHorizon, FI-PPP
International Frontiers
Entrepreneurship doesn’t stop at the geographical border. That’s why in EBN we will show you how to ‘go international’. Listening to what other countries are doing to help entrepreneurs to reach out, hearing what other entrepreneurs and EU|BICs beyond Europe are looking for, will provide new tools to the participants.
EBN Projects: ACE, Transition, InnoIndigo, Malysia, Connect
Entrepreneurs and Innovator Support Frontiers
Supporting the new frontierspeople is crucial to future economic success. EU|BICs have for over 30 years been providing such support across Europe and beyond. With the recent realisation that entrepreneurs and innovators are the future, many new initiatives have emerged to challenge the traditional models of support. How do EU|BICs react? How do they assess the true impact of these new initiatives? And how do they incorporate the new best practices to ensure their start-ups and SMEs get the best support possible?