Within the framework of MedSpring project, MHESR (Egypt), DLR (Germany), CIHEAM-IAMB (Italy), ANIMA Investment Network (France) and MCST (Malta) organized the first MedSpring Brokerage event on Research and Innovation from the 12th to 13th February 2013 in Cairo, Egypt.
As shown in the agenda, For two days, 15 Mediterranean young entrepreneurs and researchers gathered together to present their innovative ideas and had the opportunity to find away to concretize them by attracting financial, technical and networking support. More than 50 people participated in the event, among them both idea-carriers and interested investors. On average, each idea-carrier had the opportunity to engage in fruitful discussion with at least 10 potential collaborators and partners for investment or technical and scientific support.
The brokerage event opened with a presentation of the main coaching actors participating in the event: the European Investment Bank, the Central Bank of Egypt, Anima Investment Network, Nile Capital, Flat6Labs, and many others. The opening session was followed by a section in which all the idea-carries made a brief but appealing presentation of their projects. Some of the projects are still in their inception phase, others have a more consolidated structure.
The following step was a coaching section, in which all the idea-carriers received advises and comments on their project's plan by a group of international experts. Idea-carriers were asked to implement comments and advises and to present their project in front of an audience of interested stakeholders, for the matchmaking meeting, in which they had the opportunity to meet face-to-face their potential partners and discuss on opportunities for cooperation partnership, investment and fund raising.
From “solar cookers” and “hybrid wave-wind energy” to “food platform” and a “machine for raising water”, MedSpring project brings together the private sector with researchers and investment institutions to give sustainable projects the chance to start and grow. The second day, during a session opened to wide public, some experts (from DLR, ZENIT and EIB) held speeches on funding opportunities for SMEs under H2020 programme, self-assessment tools for SMEs and approaches to foster Research, Development and Innovation in the frame of European Investment Bank opportunities.
12 February
- 08.30 - 09.00 - Registration of participants (MHESR)
- 09.00 - 11.30 - Ice breaking pitches of the ideas of projects, start-ups and carriers (ANIMA)
- 11.30 - 13.00 - Elevator pitching coaching session for idea carriers (Innovety, TIEC) (Closed session, target: all idea-carriers)
- 13.00 - 14.00 - Networking Lunch
- 14.00 - 16.30 - Presentation of the projects ideas ( ideas carriers / proposers ) and the list of idea carriers. Target: all participants
- 16.30 - 18.30 - Bi-multilateral meetings between registered participants and ideas carriers Discussing opportunities for partnership, investments, fund raising
13 February
- 08.30 - 09.00 - Registration of participants (MHESR)
- 09.00 - 11.00 - Innovation road-map for SMEs and young entrepreneurs: Entrepreneurship, Technology Transfer, Innovation and management/audit - Oliver Rohde for DLR and Bernhard Iking for ZENIT (Open session, target: all interested participants)
- 11.00 - 12.30 - Fostering the cooperation in research and innovation: funding opportunities In EIB and CMI - Dr. Jacques Van Der Meer - EIB (Open session, target: all interested participants)
- 12.30 - 13.00 - Plenary discussion and suggestions for next steps
- 13.30 - Closure
Find also the news related to this event that appeared in the EC news website and more information at: http://agora.medspring.eu/en/
Tales from the MedSpring brokerage event | Instant reportage
