The document provides information about tools that will be showcased at the 1st EBN Tools Exchange Forum in Berlin from November 28-29, 2011. It summarizes 6 tools: 1) The Pandora Risk Management Tool which helps prevent undisclosed risks from threatening companies. 2) The StartupWheel which is a visual toolbox for start-up decision making and planning. 3) The IBCS incubator management software which helps manage innovation/business centers. 4) The Innovation Zone which aims to improve collaboration through open information access. 5) Innocall which is an internet-based tool for managing business centers and incoming calls. 6) The Benchmarking Tool which allows

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The European BIC Network
Quality eMag
Q-light: “Spending Quality Time on Quality Issues”
In this issue
 IT, it’s time to talk about
IT| Innovation & Tools
tools! Right Tools, Right
Now!
 IQ, some comments on
the country observato- it would be more interesting
Right Tools, Right Now!
ries!
if we could talk about tools T o o l s
We have been asked by
 QI, greeting two new BICs! before, giving us a chance Exchange
many members and non-
to provide our members Forum in Berlin in
 IT, meet some of the tools members to create a tool-
with a more reasoned an- the WISTA MANAGEMENT
that will be showcased at box, a reference for all the
swer to the famished re- premises, the 28th and
the 1st EBN Tools Ex- Business and Innovation
quest for tools. 29th of November not only
change Forum! Centers networked by EBN.
to find tools but also to ex-
 QS, EBN’s Quality ser- Excellent, says the wise Looking, assessing, under-
hibit tools, and to let us
vices, where to find them! man, then do it! Of course, standing and putting to a
know if you are looking for
as everything, things are test the added value of
We hope you enjoy the something specific.
easily said, brain-stormed, tools developed by BICs
reading! Comments wel- and outsiders for all inter- Indeed, if you have created
imagined, programmed, but
come! ested Innovation-Based interesting tools, please
not easily done! Indeed to
fill a toolbox with useful and Incubators. contact us, show us what
relevant tools that can be you have and let’s talk.
Giordano & Chiara We have then created an
utilized by the staff mem- occasion dedicated to tools, Follow the links below for
bers of our BIC community to exchange tools among more info:
to better support the inno- BICs, to give a chance to
vative entrepreneurs of * The program of the 1st
talk to tool developers and
today and tomorrow has EBN Tools Exchange Fo-
see whether useful instru-
proved to be a gigantic rum.
ments can help you do your
task, which needed to be job better. The toolbox will * The Infopack, to conven-
Editors: Giordano Dichter and Chiara
Davalli .
tackled from a different follow. iently find the location,
angle. A reversed angle to hotels, etc.
Responsible for the publication: Philippe
Vanrie, EBN CEO. be precise. We just thought So yes, we invite you all to
participate in the 1st EBN * The registration form.
Tools Exchange Forum
for Innovation Based Incubators and BICs
Berlin, 28 - 29 November 2011
WISTA-MANAGEMENT GMBH
Rudower Chaussee 17
D-12489 Berlin

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IQ| Innovation & Quality
“The
Some comments on the observatories
challenge for
entrepreneurs
The observatories are on-line customer. As for fundraising directors what could we expect
on the EBN website as already we know that an investor from the BIC communities of is now to
announced in the last issue of doesn´t really care of all the their respective countries! reach the market and fit the
our eMag. EBN’s quality team details of technology, he wants
produces the observatories of to see the marketability and
"The Belgian BIC community — product/service to the needs
says Jean-Claude — is in the
countries where there are a the upside potential of the of customers” -
process of increasing the qual-
minimum of 5 BICs, hence, we products. There is a gap be- Franz Glatz
ity level of services by identify-
can now point out the specifici- tween entrepreneurs and in-
ing and disseminating the best
ties of the BIC communities of vestors and German BICs are
practices within its network as
Belgium, France, Germany, bridging the gap better and
well as organizing access to
Italy, Spain, Portugal and the better".
mutual resources such as
UK. And some BIC directors
Crossing the Channel, the databases, communication
have kindly accepted to reply
2011 UK BIC Observatory campaigns,…"
to some of our questions, pro-
shows remarkable perform-
viding us with some comments Geoff Riley does point out
ances when assessing the
about the data. some of the difficulties the
work undertaken by the UK
BICs in the UK are facing. "In
“The
Jean-Claude Ettinger, director BICs for existing SMEs. It ap-
of Solvay Entrepreneurs high- pears that they are experienc-
the UK business support Focus is
arena — states Geoff —all re-
lights the need for cooperation ing a shift of the attention from
gions of the UK are working on
now on
with funding partners which entrepreneurs to other older
has been pursued in Belgium. and more consolidated compa-
their own individual problems higher value jobs being
with little national focus. All
Specifically, according to Jean- nies. When asked to confirm
new business start-up support
created in higher value
Claude, “the remarkable result the statement, Geoff Riley,
director of the Staffordshire
is to be delivered on-line by businesses” -
in terms of fund raising of the Business Link and no face to
Belgian BICs is due to an in- and Black County BIC, replies
face support is to be provided.
Geoff Riley
creased collaboration with the "There has been a shift away
Obviously this does not fit with
Walloon business angel net- from (but not completely) en-
the ethos of the BICs and
work (Be Angel) and their trepreneurs and start-up busi-
strenuous effort is being put
counterparts over the French nesses in favour of more ma-
into identifying funding to re-
border through a network ture businesses due, in part, to
source the assistance to entre-
jointly created and managed the realisation that wealth
preneurs".
by Walloon BICs (WABAN)”. creation comes mainly from
identifiable high value/ high We like to conclude this small
Two features appear to be the growth businesses andthese article with the same optimism
main characteristics of the are seen as the way out of the expressed by Franz when he
German BICs: (a) the level of present depressed market states that "The EBN commu-
technological innovation (b) situation. Even more important nity can expect a deeper col- “The
the success in raising capital than ever is the BICs role as a laboration of the German BICs Belgian BIC
for the entrepreneurs, espe- detector of new products or between each other. There will
cially venture capital. community is in the process
processes that can progress to be the first German BIC meet-
"Germany — says Gategarching this stage" . We have also noti- ing in autumn this year. And of increasing the quality level
BIC director in Munich — is ced that UK BICs have a lower EBN can hopefully expect of services by identifying and
famous for its engineers and value for money when conside- more members".
developers. That is why the ring the cost per job created.
disseminating best practices ”
level of technological innova- "The focus is now on higher - Jean-Claude
tion is high. Engineers develop value jobs being created in
the best products and they do
Ettinger
higher value businesses and
this well. The challenge for therefore it results in a higher
entrepreneurs is now to reach cost per job".
the market and fit the prod-
uct/service to the needs of Of course we couldn’t miss the
occasion to ask the three BIC

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QI| Please, meet 2 new EC-BICs!
“If Innovation Two innovation-based incu- “Innovation Zone Portal” as of Greenwich in the UK. To
Center Medway bators have been proved an interesting tool aimed at say it with Mr. Olivier To-
is not a BIC, compliant with the BIC opening inflows of new in- mat, the designed evalua-
then no one is!” Quality Mark Criteria and novation ideas achieved by tor of the BIC, “If they are
Olivier Tomat, evaluator of have therefore been mobilizing and orchestrat- not a BIC, then no one is!”.
ICM. granted the use of the EC- ing the intellectual capital
Indeed welcome to the new
BIC trademark in Septem- of all employees and part-
BICs. If you need to contact
ber. ners. The tool will be pre-
them you can find them in
sented in Berlin on 28-29
So we welcome them as EBN’s membership direc-
November.
full members of EBN! tory on EBN’s homepage.
“It is my strong The first of the two new
belief that Flying from the Slovak Re-
BICs is Novitech, located in
Novitech is one of the best choices public to the UK to greet
Košice, in the Slovak Re-
as a BIC member in Slovakia!” the other new BIC: the Inno-
public. We would like to
vation Center Medway lo-
Jan Jacob Hilberdink, highlight the excellent
cated within the University
evaluator of Novitech.
Another reason why to join us in Berlin at the Tools Exchange Forum:
"Digital Analytics Tools for Start ups and Incubators" Led by Nicolas Malo, a digital ana-
lytics expert with 15+ years of experience in digital marketing, this workshop will guide
you into the practical steps and indispensable tools that you need to
measure and optimize your digital strategy. No technical knowledge
is required to attend and enjoy!” -
“As the world is becoming more and more digital with the explosion of
social media, online videos and mobile Internet, no company can any
longer afford to be careless with the measurement of their digital
strategy, or at least their digital presence. How can this apply to start
ups and incubators? Where should we start? What could be the
expected ROI?”
Nicolas Malo, on web analytics, Come talk to him in Berlin 28 — 29 November.
Do you want your website diagnosed by Nicolas Malo?
We are looking for 3 BICs who accept to unveil their data at the workshop!
Apply by sending us an email within 11 November to silvia.depasquale@ebn.eu

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IT| Please, meet the first tools!
The Pandora Risk Management Tool,
Developed by BIC Business Development Friesland.
In Greek mythology, Pandora's Box is the box carried by Pandora that contained all
the evils of mankind - greed, vanity, slander, lies, envy, pining - and hope.
After Prometheus' theft of the secret of fire, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to create the
woman Pandora as part of the punishment for mankind. Pandora had been given a
jar and instructed by Zeus to keep it closed, but she had also been given the gift of
curiousity, and ultimately opened it. When she did, all of the evils of mankind escaped from the jar, although Pandora
was quick enough to close it again and keep one value inside, and that was Hope.
As the undisclosed risks of organisations and enterprises might be considered as threatening as the evils of the box of
Pandora, risk management could be the ultimate tool to prevent the risks getting out of the box putting the companies
in hazardous situations .
The StartupWheel
Developed by StartUp Company Inc.
The StartupWheel is a visual toolbox for decision-making and action planning for start-up and growth companies.
It helps entrepreneurs build their businesses through a simple action-oriented process that stays true to the way most
entrepreneurs think and work.
For the business advisor, the absolute flexibility of the toolbox means that it can be fully adapted to existing advisory
tools and client needs, and it can even be used by clients themselves, thereby saving time for the advisor.
360° Perspective Made Simple
Everything about business in one single toolbox.
The StartupWheel was designed around the observation that all businesses – in all industries and life stages – have
four lasting challenges in common: They must create an attractive Business Concept, build a
strong Organization behind it, develop lasting Client Relations, and do so while maintaining profitable Operations.
The IBCS incubator management software
Developed by ra information systems.
ibcs is the perfect software solution for managing your Innovation or Incubation
Centre, Business Centre, Conference Centre, Science Park or any other serviced
office or managed workspace environment. ibcs creates a centralised access
point for the management of all the features related to your incubator (e.g. Enquir-
ies & Prospects, License, Lease & Service Charges, Meetings, Conferences & Events, Ad Hoc Service Provision, Peri-
odic Invoicing’ Forecasting & Sales Analysis, Contacts Management & Document Storage, Facilities Maintenance, Sur-
veys & Questionnaires…)
With over 10 years of multi-centre use, ibcs has been successfully implemented into many businesses . ibcs provides a
modular solution to the management of your workspace by giving you a seamless flow of real-time information.
In using ibcs, you can significantly reduce the number of manual interventions required and increase your productivity,
freeing up your valuable time to focus on your clients

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IT| Please, meet the first tools!
The Innovation Zone
Developed by BIC Novitech, Slovak Republic.
New rules for better collaboration! ... achieved by mobilizing and orchestrating the intellectual capital of all employees
and partners regardless of their formal role in the company......in an open and informal atmosphere.
BENEFITS:
 Improved ecosystem performance
 Open inflow of new innovation ideas.
 Equal opportunity to information access.
 Improved participation of ecosystem members in projects.
... Bottom line: improved performance of an incubator’s ecosystem!
Innocall
Developed by BIC Innotek, Belgium.
Innotek, BIC since 1987, has experience with providing added value solutions to tenants
of business centres. Innotek decided to create a new concept, an internet based tool
called ‘Innocall’, based on all lessons learned. The concept allows managers of Business Centres and Incubators to
professionally handle incoming calls for tenants, do project management, CRM... This tool also offers : Integrated tele-
phone answering system, Project management and follow up, Time sheet management, Meeting room reservations,
CRM (Customer Relationship Management), Contact center software (outbound), and more.
The Benchmarking Tool,
Developed by the European BIC Network .
What is it all about?
Collecting data to return data through a sophisticated analysis of the profile, the perform-
ance and the value for money of an incubator compared to those of BICs selected through
the application of previously defined criteria.
What information can be found in a benchmarking report?
A PowerPoint presentation (raw data are made available upon request in excel format) containing information on the
main characteristics of the benchmarks (country, catchment areas, income and expenditures ecc.) the key expertise,
the utilization of human resources, process indicators (e.g. enquiries, feasibility studies), performance indicators (e.g.
business plans, start-ups, existing SMEs supported, types of support, IP, access to funding) and value for money (e.g.
cost per job created, start-ups created per 100K of BIC expenditures or of BIC staff).

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The EBN Quality Team supports the European BIC commu-
nity to ensure compliance to the EC-BIC quality mark crite-
ria.
Initiated in 2004, powered by a community-based self-
assessment protocol, a routine web application, a com-
bined set of both process & performance indicators, and a
“peer-to-peer” audit system, this initiative has enabled the
EC-BIC brand & label to be highly respected in private and
public circles.
The EC-BIC Through the development of the quality process, the EBN
Quality team has engineered and now delivers:
trademark, a sign of
* Production of benchmarking reports of innovation-
quality and distinction based incubator
among the European * Production of peer reviews of innovation-based incu-
innovation-based incubators. bators
* Design of road-maps and provision of technical as-
sistance to become an EC-BIC
Consult EBN’s website to check terms and conditions to
benefit from these services, or contact us directly.
Interested in showcasing your tool at the 1st EBN Tools Exchange Forum?
You still have time!
Contact us!
Giordano Dichter Chiara Davalli
+32-2-7611083 +32-2-7611094
gdi@ebn cda@ebn
Skype: g.dichter Skype: Ebn.Helpdesk
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