ASIAN ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS INCUBATORS

Asia Update for BIIA Members

My most recent trip to Asia was to speak at the APEC International Forum on Economy Globalisation and Incubation, held in Xi’an China  and then to undertake training for the 8^th International Training Workshop in Shanghai, organised by the Shanghai International Business Incubator. A few things may be of interest

1. International Incubator Training Workshop in Shanghai.

This is an annual event  and was attended by 22 participants from 12 countries, including Finland, USA, Nigeria, South Africa, France. The training introduces participants to Chinese culture and history as well as incubation in China and internationally. I think it cost USD$600 inclusive of hotel and all meals. If you are interested in China and making links there it may be worthwhile. By the way Chinese incubators can be massive and are perhaps best considered as an amalgam of technology incubators and technology parks, with the ever present and confounding ‘Chinese characteristics’.  For instance the Xi’an incubator has 60,000m² of space and in Shanghai the incubators I was in are all in large quality high rise buildings.

2. China France Co-operation

A very interesting project is underway linking the Shanghai International Business Incubator (a grouping of 6 massive incubators) and the Montpellier Agglomeration, the leading Tech Park and Incubator in France. Companies from each side are supported to enter each other’s economy. So far a few companies from each country are participating; in our terms the companies are at a graduation or post graduation stage. It is real and not the usual rhetoric and involves funds to help the companies. This may be something we could do via BIIA, perhaps working with a small number of interested incubators as a pilot, but only if we could get funding from Austrade or some other government body. If people are interested please let me know or your nearest board member and then we should study what is going on and learn lessons from France/China.

3. Asian Association of Business Incubators (AABI) awards

Two awards are made each year. One is the Dr Horiba Entrepreneur of the Year Award, won last year by Sanguine Electronics from the Shanghai International Business Incubator; a company was started in 1998 by a university graduate, employees 67 people with offices in Shanghai, Tokyo, France and Canada and which participated in the co-operation with France. The award is sponsored by an aging very successful entrepreneur in Japan. It would be great to have a nomination from Australia. The other is the Incubator of the Year Award. Again it would be good to have an Australian entrant. Without an entry we lose face as a country.

The process is based upon BIIA promoting the awards in Australia, receiving applications selecting the best in each category and forwarding only one for judging by AABI. The AABI deadline for both is 8 December. This does not give much time but then it is a pretty simple application form and I doubt there would be much competition. I have attached the application forms for both.

As always if you or your companies want contacts in Asia feel free to give ma a call or drop me an email.

Julian Webb

BIIA Deputy Chair

julian.webb@creedaprojects.com.au

02-62421905