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

2. MFG – Enabling Innovation with ICT and Media © MFG Baden-Württemberg | 2 MFG Baden-Württemberg 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 Public Innovation Agency for ICT, Creative Industries and Knowledge based Services

3. MFG - Enabling Innovation with ICT and Media © MFG Baden-Württemberg | 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. MFG - Enabling Innovation with ICT and Media © MFG Baden-Württemberg | 4 Voucher A all sectors preparatory: Research /Studies, e.g. technology and market research feasibility studies materials studies design studies Funding max 2.500 € funding quota 80% Eligible: research and technology services Voucher B all sectors implementation- orientated, e.g. market or production maturity, design engineering service engineering prototype construction product testing for quality assurance. max. 5.000 €, funding quota 50% Eligible: research and technology services Combinable with Voucher A Voucher B Hightech 4 key areas: ICT, Green IT, smart products Sustainable mobility Green Tech: Renewable energies Life Sciences, Health Early stage Support for Hightech-startups max. 20.000 €. Max. funding quota 50% Eligible costs: research and technology services and material costs (for own prototype construction) early stages Voucher C Creative Industries (including Software/Games) Commercialisation / Marketing of new products Micro companies of the CI (< 9 employ., turnover < 2 mio. €) Eligible costs: external costs, service providers

5. MFG - Enabling Innovation with ICT and Media © MFG Baden-Württemberg | 5 Scholarships for Students and Researchers Projects with an high innovation potential Training- and Coaching Programmes Rising Awareness: Initiate Entpreneurial Thinking Commercialisation of Technologies via Matching with market experts in early stages Business Coaching, Business Plan Challenge Support the access to international markets Accompanying consultancy services by MFG Baden-Württemberg Student and Research Entrepreneurship Business Idea Generation IncubationAcceleration Internationalisation

6. MFG – Enabling Innovation with ICT and Media What happens after the Voucher? 29.10.2008 © MFG Baden-Württemberg | 6 Matchmaking event for early innovation phases, connecting researchers, start-ups and investors The CyberOne Award is one of the most important business plan competitions for the high-tech sector in Baden-Württemberg Exi founding vouchers offer support for founders: a first check-up and later intensive coaching for hightech start-ups The Innovation Prize of Baden-Württemberg was given to the 5 most successful start-ups having received the innovation voucher – the winner receives 10.000 Euro

7. MFG – Enabling Innovation with ICT and Media Examples of SMEs having received the Voucher NOTION SYSTEMSPICCURE Printer for hightech surfaces such as solar cells Innovation Voucher B Hightech Winner of the CyberOne Award 2013 → Prototype built Foto correction/ high definition pictures Innovation Voucher B Hightech Winner of the innovation prize 2013 → Product and software development © MFG Baden-Württemberg | 7

8. MFG – Enabling Innovation with ICT and Media Examples of SMEs having received the Voucher IPO.PLANWEIGHT WORKS Robot ipo.eye creates 3D models in realtime Voucher A for feasibility study Voucher B Hightech for prototype → 2nd place Innovation Price 2013 Rapid mold making within seconds Innovation Voucher A for market, material and technology research Innovation Voucher B Hightech for building mold machine → Selected for Heidelberg Innovation Forum → Finalist CyberOne Award © MFG Baden-Württemberg | 8

9. MFG - Enabling Innovation with ICT and Media © MFG Baden-Württemberg | 9 Follow-up  Coaching Programmes  Business Plan Competitions – Open Innovation Awards  Pitching events and matchmaking, access to equity financing  Access to loans and grants  IPR consulting  Find first clients and customers

10. MFG - Enabling Innovation with ICT and Media © MFG Baden-Württemberg | 10 Evaluation by Centre for European Economic Research  2.525 applications for innovation vouchers - 1.900 granted (2008 to December 2012); Approval rate: 85 %  Most of the applicants are micro companies: 62 % SMEs up to 10 employees  The vouchers help supporting cooperation:  70 % have no previous experience in cooperating with an R&D institution  30 % of all corporate again with an R&D institution within a year  The SMEs favor local service providers: 78 % of the service providers are from BW

11. MFG - Enabling Innovation with ICT and Media © MFG Baden-Württemberg | 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. MFG - Enabling Innovation with ICT and Media © MFG Baden-Württemberg | 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. MFG - Enabling Innovation with ICT and Media © MFG Baden-Württemberg | 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 Voss Unit ICT and Knowledge Networks, European Projects voss@mfg.de