Workshop B – ICT Innovation Vouchers: The Case of Baden-Württemberg

1. Workshop B – ICT Innovation Vouchers: The Case of Baden-Württemberg Digital Innovation for Regional Growth Thessaloniki, Greece 29th April 2014 Corinna VossUnit ICT and Knowledge Networks, MFG Innovation Agency

2. MFG Baden-Württemberg Public Innovation Agency for ICT, Creative Industries and Knowledge based Services Objectives: • Driving forward innovation and enhancing the competitiveness of Baden-Württemberg • Strengthening Baden-Württemberg as a business location for IT media and creative industries • Supporting entrepreneurship especially among SMEs and connect them with application oriented research and public funding programs • Promoting of regional national and international cooperations

3. Innovation Vouchers in Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg was the first state in Germany to award innovation vouchers to small and medium-sized enterprises The scheme was launched in 2008 central aim: support the design engineering, development and implementation of new products, services or processes or a substantial qualitative improvement of existing products, services or production processes -> mainly R&D cooperation vouchers eligible for SMEs (< 100 empl., < 20 Mio € turnover) open to all sectors, specific provisions for ICT provided: Voucher B Hightech Voucher C

4. Voucher A Voucher B Voucher B Hightech Voucher C • all sectors • preparatory: • Research /Studies, e.g. • technologyandmarketresearch • feasibilitystudies • materialsstudies • design studies • Fundingmax 2.500 € fundingquota 80% • Eligible: researchandtechnologyservices • all sectors • implementation-orientated, e.g. • marketorproductionmaturity, • design engineering • serviceengineering • prototype construction • producttestingforqualityassurance. • max. 5.000 €, fundingquota 50% • Eligible: researchandtechnologyservices • Combinablewith Voucher A • 4 keyareas: • ICT, Green IT, smart products • Sustainablemobility • Green Tech: Renewableenergies • Life Sciences, Health • Early stage Support for Hightech-startups • max. 20.000 €. Max. fundingquota 50% • Eligiblecosts: researchandtechnologyservicesand material costs (forown prototype construction) earlystages Creative Industries (including Software/Games) Commercialisation / Marketing ofnewproducts Microcompaniesofthe CI (< 9 employ., turnover< 2 mio. €) Eligiblecosts: externalcosts, serviceproviders

5. Accompanying consultancy services by MFG Baden-Württemberg Student and Research Entrepreneurship Business Idea Generation Internationalisation Incubation Acceleration Business Coaching, Business Plan Challenge Commercialisation of Technologies via Matching with market experts in early stages Support the access to international markets Training- and Coaching Programmes Rising Awareness: Initiate Entpreneurial Thinking ScholarshipsforStudentsand Researchers Projects with an high innovation potential Innovation voucher H2020 Projects

6. What happens after the Voucher? Matchmakingeventforearlyinnovationphases, connectingresearchers, start-upsandinvestors The CyberOne Award is one of the most important business plan competitions for the high-tech sector in Baden-Württemberg Exifoundingvouchersoffersupportforfounders: a firstcheck-upandlater intensive coachingforhightechstart-ups The Innovation Prizeof Baden-Württemberg was giventothe 5 mostsuccessfulstart-upshavingreceivedtheinnovationvoucher– thewinnerreceives 10.000 Euro

7. Examples of SMEs having received the Voucher

8. Examples of SMEs having received the Voucher

9. Follow-up • Coaching Programmes • Business Plan Competitions– Open Innovation Awards • Pitchingeventsandmatchmaking, accesstoequityfinancing • Access toloansandgrants • IPR consulting • Find firstclientsandcustomers

10. Evaluation by Centre for European Economic Research • 2.525 applicationsforinnovationvouchers - 1.900 granted(2008 toDecember2012); Approval rate: 85 % • Most oftheapplicantsaremicrocompanies: 62 % SMEs upto 10 employees • The vouchershelpsupportingcooperation: • 70 % havenopreviousexperience in cooperatingwith an R&D institution • 30 % of all corporateagainwith an R&D institutionwithin a year • The SMEs favorlocalserviceproviders: 78 % oftheserviceprovidersarefrom BW

11. Evaluation by Centre for European Economic Research • The vouchers are mostly used for product diversification (49 %) or optimization of products (31 %) – only 8 % develop total new products. • More than 50 % of projects are in the market after one year • Experience shows: Companies who get accompanying consultancy are more successful

12. Lessons Learned • Vouchers per theme/sector or free ?  do not restrict to a technical topic • Size: High-Tech innovation where infrastructure is needed requires bigger vouchers • Vouchers are a good concept. Embedding vouchers into an overall innovation process is a key success factor

13. Conclusion • Innovation Vouchers at the European level are a good idea, but some conditions need to be taken into account: • Innovation vouchers need to be embedded in a global context • The vouchers have to be connected to other complementary initiatives and programmes • A continuous and integrated approach taking into account the European and the regional level needs to be developed • Participants in EU research projects at the early stage of entrepreneurship could be integrated

14. Thank You Corinna VossUnit ICT and Knowledge Networks, European Projects voss@mfg.de