Sines Tecnopolo is the BIC Alentejo, certified by EBN (European Business & Innovation Centre Network), the largest European entrepreneurship and innovation network.
The BIC’s are presently recognized by the European Commission trough a quality certification system that enables them to use the “EU BIC” insignia, that is accompanied by periodical audits, in which the BICs, in order to insure the accreditation, have to fulfill their mission in terms of entrepreneurship and innovation, to be sustainable in a short, medium and long term, to be non-profit organizations, to maintain the specialized skills needed to the fulfillment their mission and their results must prove the reason that lead to their creation.
The BIC’s mission is to aid in the effective application of public policies for SME’s, preferably trough supporting the development of the regional economy, by:
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Supporting the creation of new and innovative businesses;
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Supporting innovation processes and initiatives in existing companies, contributing for the development of the local enterprises and the regional economic environment.
The concept BIC was launched by the European Union in 1984 (DG XVI), being EBN – European BIC Network – the entity in charge of the management of the EU BIC logo and for the coordination of the existing BIC of the 27 countries of the European Union, with the goal of creating synergies and cooperation between the BIC, reinforcing the support tools available for innovative projects, turning to the current largest Entrepreneurship and Innovation network in Europe.
EBN: THE LARGEST EUROPEAN NETWORK OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION
EBN (European Business & Innovation Centers Network) was created in 1984, as a result of a joint initiative between the European Commission, the leaders of the European industry and the pioneer BIC projects.
EBN leads the largest pan-European network of entrepreneurship and innovation, composed by more than 200 BIC’s and similar organizations like incubators, entrepreneurship and innovation promotion agents, based all around Europe and other parts of the world.
The high number of BIC’s, as well as the synergies and benchmarking that this network provides, have allowed this institutions to use the best known international methodologies that have the merit of reducing in great measure the failure rate of new business projects.
The national association of Business Innovation Centers of Portugal, with the name BICS – Portuguese Association of Business Innovation Centers, is a non-profitable institution that represents all the portuguese BIC, both on a national and international level.
This institution was created with the purpose of enabling, supporting and improving the activity of all its’ members, through a joint structure of shared resources, methodologies, activities and experiences, that allow the coordinated accomplishment of cooperative actions, bringing together all the European Business Centers based in Portugal and recognized by EBN.
The institution has as its main purpose the enabling of synergies between all the portuguese BIC, certified by EBN, and ensure the role of the BIC’s has important instruments of national and regional development, regarding entrepreneurship, innovation and supporting the creation and modernization of SME’s.
