Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, aids for start-ups

Today at Campania Innovazione’s seat, the call for “Start up” has been presented, sponsored by the Ministries of Education, University and Research (MIUR) and of Economic Development, destined to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises of Calabria, Campania, Puglia and Sicily, for an overall amount of 30 million Euros.

The works were attended by Fulvio Martusciello, President Caldoro’s councillor for Productive Activities and Economic Development.

“The call – said Fabrizio Cobis, Managing Authority of NOP Research & Competitiveness 2007-2013 of MIUR – is especially destined to firms that have been established for less than six years, willing to propose projects for industrial research and experimental development within the following three lines of intervention: Big data (Cloud computing; Data integration; Cyber security; Big Data Analytics);  Creative cultural industry (Digital Cultural Heritage; Making and Design; Spazi della Cultura 2.0); Social Innovation Cluster. A fourth line of intervention is reserved to Universities for realising “Contamination Labs”, i.e. places where students of different disciplines promoting the culture of entrepreneurship, innovation and doing, can cooperate”.

The deadline for submitting projects is 10 May 2013. Campania Innovazione has activated an information and help service for the start-ups that wish to apply for the call, through Rete Campania In.Hub, instituted by the Regional Budjet 2012.

Regione Campania has assigned Campania the task of coordinating the rising regional network of incubators, with a schedule of activities supporting the birth of new enterprises, of which is also part the programme Creative Factory, an integrated action to support new business, product and social innovation ideas. Up to now, after the closing of the public notice for the selection of the projects, Campania Innovazione is working on the launch and support of 12 ideas about to be started, 9 of which are product or service ideas, and 3 are programmes for business start ups.

Among the others, joined the meeting Stefano Torda, Head of Education, Research and employment Department of Regione, Edoardo Imperiale, General Director of Campania Innovazione; Mario Sorrentino, full professor of Business Planning and Business Creation, Seconda Università di Napoli; Bruno Uccello, president of Consorzio Area Tech Coroglio-Polo Tecnologico Campania Innovazione.

During the meeting the news has been spread about the signing of the agreement between Campania Innovazione and Sviluppo Campania, with which the latter is part of Rete Campania In.Hub. Giuseppe Zollo, president of Campania Innovazione, and Alessandro Gargani, only administrator of Sviluppo Campania were attending.

The two companies, actively engaged in support actions for business creation, will start cooperation for the definition of interventions able to foster the creation of new high-technology enterprises in the territory.

In particular, Campania Innovazione and Sviluppo Campania will cooperate in the activities related to incubator services, that is, the set of all the support actions available to business start-ups, in order to realise highly innovative new projects. The services consist in an integrated system based on business check-ups, promotion, networking, patent assistance, internationalisation, assistance for the access to local, regional, national and EU ordinary and favourable loans, assistance for the access to innovative finance channels.

It is fundamental – Martusciello said – going on with the commitment in spreading and endorsing all the opportunities that, at central and regional levels, are destined to young people and potential entrepreneurs, such as the call presented today. We have to care about the new generations of entrepreneurs, and in particular about contributors of innovative ideas.

“We have destined 75 million Euros of the PAC (Action and Cohesion Plan) to support actions for innovative start-ups. Furthermore, it is in the Regione’s intentions to create the Regional Network of Incubators, whose constitution is included in the amendments in the next Regional Budget”, Martusciello concluded.