Global Forum on Business Incubation :

Creating the Conditions for Innovation

October 14-19, 2004, New Delhi, India

The Information for Development Program (infoDev), in cooperation with the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India, is organizing a Global Forum on Business Incubation in New Delhi from October 14-19^th, 2004. This Global Forum, focused on “Creating the Conditions for Innovation”, consists of two related parts, which together support the launch of a global incubator network:

• a Conference (October 14-16^th) on the opportunities and challenges of promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, and new business creation in developing countries, particularly in ways that harness the creative power of information and communication technologies (ICT) both for traditional and new products and services;
• a planning and networking Workshop (October 18-19^th) for business incubators, incubator associations, and others involved in promoting business incubation and innovation, particularly in developing countries.

The Conference will focus on the broader environment in which incubators function and the sustainability challenges of attracting private sector support for successfully incubated businesses. Placing incubators within the broader “innovation chain” and the broader context of private sector development and finance, the conference will explore the key gaps – in access to venture capital and other forms of finance, in policy and regulatory environments, in institutional capacity – that sometimes prevent developing country innovators from “taking ideas to market”, and explore ways to bridge those gaps.

The Workshop will focus on how incubators, both those supported by infoDev and others, can build their capacity, share knowledge and strategies, and mobilize public and private sector support to address these challenges through a global incubator network.

This Global Forum builds upon infoDev’s Incubator Initiative, which supports ICT-enabled business incubation in developing countries, and provides the platform for expanding infoDev’s Initiative into a global incubator network. The Incubator Initiative is a key component of infoDev’s broader focus on “Scaling up Private Sector-led ICT innovation and services in developing countries.” Developing countries face considerable challenges in promoting and sustaining innovation and new business creation, and in attracting broader private investment (local and international) to grow ICT-enabled businesses in all sectors of their economies. Through this Forum, the launch of a global incubator network and its “Scaling Up” program, infoDev seeks to help developing countries, and the international donor community, better understand and address these challenges.

Agenda

Thursday, 14^th October

Inaugural Session

15:00 -16:00

• Y K Modi, President, Federation of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

§ Mohsen Khalil, Director, Global Information and Communication Technologies Department, World Bank Group

§ Kapil Sibal, Hon’ble Minister of State for Science and Technology and Ocean Development, Government of India

§ V.S. Ramamurthy, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India

19:00-20.00 Reception

20:00-22:00 Dinner

Friday, 15^th October

Day 1, The Broader Context

9:00-10:30 Session 1: The Global Knowledge Economy: Opportunities and challenges for developing countries.

Description: What is the knowledge economy? How is it relevant to developing countries? How should developing countries approach the opportunities and challenges presented by the knowledge economy within the larger context of reforming the structure, and increasing the flexibility and diversity, of their economies? How can developing countries maximize the reach and beneficial effects of the knowledge economy across their economies and societies by creating the proper policies, regulations, incentives and investments that support innovation – both public and private?

Chair: Mohsen Khalil, Director, Global Information and Communication Technologies Department,

World Bank Group

Discussants:

· Phiroz Vandrevala, Executive Vice President, TATA Consultancy Services (India)

· Raj Asava, Senior Vice President, Satyam Computers Services (USA)

· Saurabh Srivastava, Chairman Emeritus, NASSCOM (India) and Chairman, Indian Venture Capital Association

· Vineet Nayar, President, HCL Comnet (India)

· Klaus Plate, CEO, Heidelberg Technology Park (Germany)

10:30-11:00 Break

11:00-12:30 Session 2: The Role of Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Creating new businesses, products and services in developing countries

Description: Why are entrepreneurship and innovation increasingly important in a global knowledge economy? What do we know about entrepreneurship and the stages of innovation in market economies? Do they vary from country to country or by type of economy?What are the primary challenges facing entrepreneurship and greater innovation in developing countries? How can the private and public sector address these challenges and support innovation and business creation in developing countries?

Chair: Marshall Goodman, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, San Jose State University (USA)

Discussants:

· Norman Kaderlan, President, Technology Innovation Group (USA)

· R.K. Lagu, Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai (India)

· Madhu Mehta, Chief Architect, Nirma Labs (India)

· Mateu Hernández Maluquer, Executive Director, Barcelona Activa (Spain)

· Brij Khorana, Chief Operating Officer, Rose-Hulman Ventures (USA)

12:30-14:30 Lunch

14:30-16:00 Session 3: The Enabling Environment for ICT-led Innovation: Policies, regulations, institutions, capacities

Description: What are the key elements of an innovation enabling environment? What are the principal impediments to private sector-led innovation in ICT access, applications and services in developing countries? When local innovation occurs, what are the impediments to starting and scaling up a business? What regulatory, policy and capacity constraints stifle innovation and business creation in developing countries? What is the role of the private and public sector in supporting innovation and creating a healthy business environment?

Chair: Mostafa Terrab, Program Manager, infoDev

Discussants:

· Pradip Baijal, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority

of India (India)

· Mary S. Spaeth, Manager, East Sweden Development

Agency (Sweden)

· Kishor Chaukar, Managing Director, Tata Industries (India)

· S. N. Zindal, Director General, Software Technology Parks of India (India)

· Raivo Tamkivi, Tallinn Technical University Innovation Center, and International Association of Science Parks (Estonia)

16:00-16:30 Break

16:30-18:00 Session 4: Achieving Sustainable Growth: Financing and scaling up incubators and new businesses in developing countries

Description: How do incubators achieve sustainable growth? How do entrepreneurs in developing countries approach raising capital and what are their main sources of financing? How do investors evaluate businesses and measure risk/reward of prospective deals in developing countries? What exit strategies exist and how do they relate to scalability? How do we address gaps in the capital markets to fund innovation and business creation in developing countries?

Chair: Julian Webb, Founder & CEO, CREEDA (Australia)

Discussants:

· Mark Davies, Founder & Chairman, Busy Internet (Ghana)

· Rahul Patwardhan, President & CEO, IndiaCo (India)

· Stanton Dodson, Founder & Managing Partner, Duke Equity Partners (USA)

· Paul Asel, Senior Investment Officer, IFC (USA)

· V.P. Garchitorena, Ayala Foundation (Philippines)

19:00 – 20:00 Cultural evening with MRIGYA (An Indian Crossover Music Band)

Venue : Nandiya Lawns, Hotel Maurya Sheraton,

Diplomatic Enclave, SP Marg, New Delhi

20:00-22:00 Dinner

Saturday, 16^th October

Day 2, The Role of Incubation

9:00-10:30 Session 5: Incubators, Innovation and ICT: Lessons from global experience

Description: What role do incubators play in private sector development in both developed and developing countries? Is public sector financing of business incubation justified? What impact has business incubation had on improving the business environment, including both policy/regulatory and entrepreneurial culture? Is business incubation essential to creating a vibrant private sector or are alternative mechanisms of support for innovation and business creation equally effective and/or complimentary?

Chair: Heinz Fiedler, President, Spice Group (Germany), and Julian Webb, Founder & CEO, CREEDA (Australia).

Discussants:

· Peter Harman, Vice-President, UK Business Incubation (UK)

· Sanjay Anandaram, Founding Partner, JumpStartUp (India)

· Rolf Friedrichsdorf, Vice President, German Association of Business Incubators (Germany)

· H.K. Mittal and Anita Gupta, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India (India)

· Feng Ling Ma, Director, Tianjin Incubation Center (China)

10:30-11:00 Break

11:00-12:30 Session 6: Special opportunities and challenges facing incubators in developing countries -- Presentations by selected incubators

Description: What are the unique challenges facing business incubators in developing countries? How do/can business incubators convert these challenges into opportunities? Do business incubators have an impact on the social and economic environment in which they operate? What services do business incubators provide that are essential to innovation and business creation which are not provided by other actors in the economy?

Chair: Vivek Chaudhry, Program Administrator, World Bank

Speakers:

· Mr Jose Eduardo Fiates (iDISC), President, ANPROTEC, (Brazil)

· Ms Estelle Akofio-Sowah, Managing Director, Busy Internet (Ghana)

· Mr Ezzatollah Roustazadeh, International Advisor, Isfahan Science & Technology Town (Iran)

· Mr R.M.P. Jawahar, STEP, NIT Trichy and Raghvendra Prasad, PSG-STEP, Coimbatore (India)

· Mr Ricardo Endara, General Manager, ATEP (Panama)

· Mr Tatiana Shpuling, PR Manager, SODBI (Kazakhstan)

12:30-14:00 Lunch

14:00-15:30 Session 7: Regional Breakout Sessions -- Special opportunities and challenges facing incubators in developing countries

Description: This regional breakout session is designed to build upon on the opportunities and challenges noted by the presenters in Session 6. In addition to the questions above, the following questions should also be addressed: Are there unique opportunities and challenges facing incubators not only at the local and national level but at the regional level as well, and if so, what are the regional specificities? Do business incubators have an impact on the social and economic environment at the regional level? How do regional policies, such as trade agreements, affect business incubators?

Moderators: Regional Incubator Representatives

15:30-16:00 Break

16:00-17:30 Session 8: Report back to Plenary: Special opportunities and challenges facing incubators in developing countries

Description: Presentation of regional breakout findings and discussions. How do the challenges facing business incubators differ regionally? What are the common challenges facing incubators globally? How can business incubators work together to address these challenges nationally, regionally and globally? How can business incubators work with their private and public sector partners to address these challenges nationally, regionally and globally?

Chair: Kerry McNamara, Knowledge Coordinator, infoDev

Rapporteurs: Regional Incubator Representatives

17:30-19:00 Opportunities for informal networking

19:30-21:30 Dinner

Monday, 18^th October

Workshop on Business Incubation

[The Workshop will focus on how incubators, both those supported by infoDev and others, can build their capacity, share knowledge and strategies, and mobilize public and private sector support to address these challenges through a global incubator network]

Day 1

9:00-10:00 infoDev’s Incubator Initiative – Promoting a Global Network on Business Incubation

Description: This plenary session will provide background on infoDev’s Incubator Initiative: its origins, mission, structure, and activities thus far. It will explain how the Initiative complements the efforts of many other organizations to improve the conditions for business incubation in developing countries and improve networking, knowledge sharing and peer mentoring among business incubators. It will detail how infoDev’s status as a multi-donor consortium housed at the World Bank makes it particularly well-suited to strengthen the connections between financial support, policy advocacy, global networking, and capacity building in support of business incubation.

10:00-10:30 Break

10:30-12:30 Regional Breakout Groups: Working Together to Build a Global Network: How Can infoDev Help?

Description: Building on the first session, these breakout sessions, by region, will permit participants to “put themselves in infoDev’s shoes” and discuss what they think should be the priorities for infoDev’s Incubator Initiative. How can the Initiative help address their most pressing needs? How in particular can infoDev leverage its unique character as a multi-donor consortium to help improve the conditions for business incubation in developing countries?

12:30-14:00 Lunch by regional groups

14:00-15:30 Regional Breakout Groups: A Global Network of Incubators: The Role of Network Members

Description: Based on the priorities and strategies for infoDev’s engagement with its partners noted during the first regional breakout, how would each institution support and contribute to the development and expansion of the incubator initiative to ensure that these priorities are addressed? What specific actions would each incubator take to support the network? How would the incubators at a regional level support the network? How could infoDev and incubators ensure that the network is sustainable?

15:30-16:00 Break

16:00-18:00 Report back to Plenary: The priorities for the Regional and Global Networks

Description: Regional representatives will present the findings and discussions from the breakout. In particular, each representative will note the priorities for the initiative and strategies for infoDev’s engagement with its partners to support the initiative, as well as the specific actions each incubator would take in support of the initiative and to ensure that the priorities are addressed and that the network is sustainable.

19:00 – 20:00 Cultural evening with Padmashree Leela Samson

(acclaimed Bharatanatyam Danseuse)

Venue : Durbar Hall, Hotel Taj Palace,

Diplomatic Enclave, SP Marg, New Delhi

20:00-22:00 Dinner

Tuesday, 19^th October

Workshop on Business Incubation

Day 2

9:00-10:30 infoDev Management – Lessons from Day 1 of the Workshop

Description: How will infoDev address the priorities identified by the incubators? How can infoDev mobilize donor and partner support for these priorities? How will infoDev facilitate support provided by the incubators and help ensure the sustainability of the network?

10:30-12:30 Regional Breakout Groups: Going forward – Regional modalities

Description: How will regional networks address these challenges regionally, as well as support knowledge sharing of best practices and lessons learned globally? Each regional group will be asked to consider practical measures for addressing four key priorities: (i) Outreach (develop marketing strategies to develop new business and inform potential investors); (ii) Financing (identify and pursue new financial resources); (iii) Influencing the broader business environment in which business incubators operate (policy and regulatory impediments) by building partnerships with other incubators, NGOs and related organizations; and (iv) Utilizing ICT (how can business incubators harness ICTs to improve operational efficiency and address other challenges noted above such as outreach). In addition, each group will be asked to identify two other priority challenges and propose practical measures for addressing them both regionally and globally through the network.

Moderators: Regional Incubator Representatives

12:30-14:00 Lunch

14:30-16:00 Report back to Plenary: Going forward – Regional modalities

Description: Regional representatives will report on how regional networks will practically address each of the challenges noted above. How will the regional networks support global knowledge sharing? How can the incubator network play a role both regionally and globally?

16.00-16.30 Closing

Speakers:

· Mostafa Terrab, Program Manager, infoDev

· V S Ramamurthy, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India