EntrepreneurialActivityReport2015

2

Entrepreneurial Activity Report 2015 ............................................................................... 1

Business consultancy ........................................................................................................... 3

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs – activities 2015 ....................................................... 4 Promotional activities in 2015: .................................................................................................... 4

Target group ................................................................................................................................ 4 Execution ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Actions .......................................................................................................................................... 5 Recruitment meetings ................................................................................................................ 6 Information meetings ................................................................................................................. 6 LTU drop-in "Starting a business" ............................................................................................ 6 Career Day in Lulea and Pitea .................................................................................................. 6 Various seminars and meetings ............................................................................................... 6 Young Entrepreneurship (Ung företagsamhet) ..................................................................... 7

Promotion and dissemination of information ................................................................ 7

Positive effects ...................................................................................................................... 8

Other entrepreneurship activities ................................................................................... 10

3

BusinessconsultancyOurcompany’scoreactivityhasadualbasis:ononesideofferingexpertiseconnectedtostrategies,fundsandprogrammesoftheEUand,ontheother,offeringbusinessconsultancytocompaniesinterestedtogrow.Ourbeliefisthatsustainabledevelopmentforthegoodofpeopleandregionscanbereachedonlyincollaborative,co-productiveprocesses.Theconsultancyservicesweofferarethefollowing:

- consultingandsupportforcompanyinternationalisationprocesses;- supportforinternationalgrowthstrategies;- supporttostartupsandinnovativeSMEs;- supporttonetworkingandnewintercompanybusiness;- technologyscouting,foreigngrowthandmarketdevelopment.

4

ErasmusforYoungEntrepreneurs–activities2015

EuropeanMindsproudlyhelpedtobuild8successfulrelationshipswithinthe7thcycleoftheprogrammein2015.Theprogrammewillcontinueforall2016andmanypromotionalactivitiesareforeseenforspring2016.

Inordertobettersupportyoungentrepreneursintheirintentiontostartuptheirownbusinesstheaftercaresideoftheconsultingserviceshasalsobeendevelopedandorganisedin2015,inadditiontothecoachingactivitiesofferedtoentrepreneursbeforeparticipatingintheprogramme.

ThroughthecooperationwiththeChamberofCommerceinNorrbottenasetofactivitieshavebeenorganizedandimplemented,asfollows:

- supportinfindingpartnersandfundingopportunities;- marketdevelopmentstrategiesandnetworking;- talentandtechnologyscoutinginsupportingintercompanybusinesses.

Promotionalactivitiesin2015:

TargetgroupTheprojecthasbeendirectedatindividuals/companiesofallagesandsectors.Thenewentrepreneurshavebeeninbusinessformorethanthreeyears.Hostentrepreneurshavebeeninbusinessforatleastthreeyears.Theprojecthasalsoaddressedpeopleplanningtostartabusiness,suchasyoungentrepreneurs,universitystudentsandjobseekers.Theprojecthassoughtanequalparticipationfrombothnewentrepreneursandhostcompanies.Listedbelowareexamplesofentrepreneurswhohaveparticipatedandwhohavemettherequirementsforparticipation.NewentrepreneurAndreasAlmqvistAndreasAlmqvist,travelledtoAmsterdam,Holland,anddidhisexchangeforfivemonthswiththecompanyFinalKid.ThecompanyandthecontractorCharlyFriedrichsworkswithmusicandvideoproductionandhadalottolearnAndreas.Theinternationalnetworkofcontactsthathegotbecauseofhisparticipationintheprojectwasveryimportantforhim.KajsaBlacksmithsKajsawenttoLondonandstayedfor2monthsinthecompanyArcolaEnergy,whichamongotherthingsworkswitheducationalmodelsandworkshopsforotherentrepreneurs.Kajsawasverypleasedwiththiscompanyandtheaddedvaluetherelationgenerated.HostCompany:Luleaphotographers,AndreasHarnemoLuleaphotographers,AndreasHarnemo,receivedacontractorKacperSarama.KacperisfromPolandwhereherunshisbusinessasaphotographer.Theexchangelastedforthreemonthsand

5

wereverysuccessfulandappreciatedbyboththenewcontractorandthehostcompany.KeroLeather,TomasKeroKeroLeatherreceivedLucaDeSenafromItaly.Lucasdreamwastostartafactorywherehewouldproduceclothesandfootwearfromreindeerhide.ItalyisanimportantmarketforKeroKeroLeatherandThomaswasgratefulforthevaluablecontactsthathegotthroughtheexchanges.Theexchangewentonforthreemonths.

ExecutionDuringtheproject,aseriesofactivitiesandeventshavetakenplaceinordertodistributeinformationandrecruitnewentrepreneursandhostcompaniestoparticipateintheproject.Belowisaselectionoftheactivitiesthattookplaceduringtheprojectperiod.

ActionsInternalmeetingsIntotal,duringtheperiodtherehavebeenaseriesofinternalmeetingsbetweenpeoplewhohavebeeninvolvedintheproject.Theaimhasbeentojointlyplan,toorganizeboththeoperationalaspectsoftheprojectaswellastheeconomicstructureandtoupdateeachotherintheon-goingwork

6

RecruitmentmeetingsAvarietyofindividualinformationandrecruitmentmeetingshavebeenheld.Thepurposeofthesemeetingswastoinformthemoftheapplicationprocessandareviewofhowabusinessplanshouldbedesigned.

InformationmeetingsAlargepartofthemarketingprocessconsistsofprovidinginformationonErasmusforYoungEntrepreneursatvariousmeetings.Thefollowingareexamplesofsuchmeetings:

LTUdrop-in"Startingabusiness"EveryThursdaytheCareerunitoftheUniversityinLuleåorganisesadrop-inopportunityforthosestudentswhoareplanningorwhohaverecentlystartedabusiness.TheparticipatingorganisationsintheseeventshasbeentheUniversityBusinessDevelopment,VentureCup,theregionalsupportstructureforsocialeconomyandcooperativesandNorrbottenChamberofCommerce.ThisplatformhasbeenverygoodfortheprojectandNorrbottenChamberofCommercehastriedtobethereasoftenaspossibletogettheopportunitytomeetstudentswhowanttostartbusinesses,andthusprovideinformationontheErasmusforYoungEntrepreneurs.

CareerDayinLuleaandPiteaEachyeartheCareerCenterorganizesacareerdayinthecitiesofLuleåandPiteå.NorrbottenChamberofCommercehasparticipatedduringthesedaystoinformabouttheErasmusforYoungEntrepreneurs.

VariousseminarsandmeetingsTheChamberofCommercehasattendedandorganisedlunchseminars,talkedandinformedabouttheprojectonentrepreneurialbreakfastsaroundtheregionaswellaspresentedtheprojectatseminarsorganisedbytheChamberatitsownpremises.

7

EntrepreneurWeekandLabourDayLTUAverygoodrecruitmentopportunityhasbeentotakepartintheEntrepreneurWeekandLabourDay(LARV)organisedonceayear.Duringthesedays,NorrbottenChamberofCommercehaditsownstand,informedabouttheprogrammeandnetworkedwithstudentsandothercompanies

YoungEntrepreneurship(Ungföretagsamhet)Thenationalandregionalinvestment“Ungföretagsamhet”isanimportantregionalplayerinthefieldofsupporttoentrepreneurs.NorrbottenChamberofCommercehapartticipatedinvariouskick-offactivitiesarrangedaroundtheregion,aswellasintheannualfairorganizedatdifferentplacesinNorrbotten.

PromotionanddisseminationofinformationThemarketinghasbeencarriedoutbytheNorrbottenChamberofCommercenetwork,butalsothroughotherstrategicactors'networks.ThesteeringgrouphasbeenabletoassistindisseminatinginformationonthebenefitsfortheentrepreneursFurthermoreErasmusforyoungentrepreneurshasbeenmarketedthroughsocialmediawherewesuppliedaFacebook-page.Postershavebeendistributedinplaceswherewemappedthetargetaudienceis,andinformationanddisseminationinschools,entrepreneurialbreakfastsandvariousplatformshasbeenrealised.

8

PositiveeffectsAlthoughweseemanychallengeswiththeproject,wehavealsomappedthemanypositiveeffects.Theentrepreneurswhoparticipated,bothhostingcompaniesandnewentrepreneurs,havebeenverypleasedandgratefulforthenetworksandexpertiseexchangetocontributeto.StatementsbynewentrepreneurswhotravelledtoanotherEUcountryhasbeenthataftertheexchangefeelsstrengthenedtohaveparticipatedandtakenthecouragetotravelhimselftoanothercountrytoworkforsomeonewhoisexperiencedinthefield.Thecontactnetworkscreatedhavealsobeenveryimportantformany.VeronicaRuthenberg,GeektownCommunicationsBureau,saidthisafterJelenaGalkinasstayinLulea.

"WhatwedidwhenwenotifiedustotheErasmusprogramwasthatwecouldgettolearnfromandteachoneanothercreatorinaEuropeancountry.Theexchangealsogaveusmuchmorethewehadnotanticipated.Amonthlater,wehavelearnedtoknowapersonfromacountryandacitywe

9

nevervisited-butwenowhaveastandinginvitation.JelenastaygaveusaninsightnotonlyintohowEstoniansseethedesignbutalsoaculturalexchangewehavefoundoutsimilaritiesanddifferences."

Facebookisanimportantmeansofcommunication.Someexamples:

10

Otherentrepreneurshipactivities

From2015untiltodayasetofnewlongtermcontractshavebeensignedwithstakeholdersinSwedeninthefieldofbusinessinnovation,entreprenurshippromotionandsupportandstrategiesforinternationalisation.Thesecontractsinclude:

- Consultancyservices(businesssupport,projectmanagement)totheRegionofVästerbottenforabiginvestmentininternationalisationofSME:sasameansforinvestmentandgrowthintheregion(“InvestinVästerbotten”)

- Businesssupport,servicesandsupporttonewentrepreneursinthecreativeindustries.AmainfocusisthegamingindustrywhereaclusterofcitiesinthenorthofSwedenhasbeensetup,newbusinessescreated,networkingactivitiesbeencarriedoutetc.,allthisinthescopeofabiginvestmentintheregionsasafollowuptotheestablishementofserverhallsbyFacebookandothersintheregion.Theinvestmentcomprisesbusinesssupporttothevalueof1,2millionEuroforEuropeanMindsfortheperiod2015-2018

- Promotionofentrepreneurshipandsupporttonewentrepreneursaspartofamajorinvestmentbyajointpartnershipof8ruralmunicipalitiesinSweden.TheservicesincludetransnationalexchangesandplannedbenchmarkingactivitieswithothersuccessfulregionsinEurope,suchasWallonia,Belgium

- Severalcontractsforevaluationservices(bothon-goingevaluationandimpactevaluation)ofERDFprojectsfocusingonentreprenurship,businessdevelopmentandinternationalisationofSME:s

11

2016-12-31

Copyright:EuropeanMindsSwedenAB