An ecosystem that provides the necessary coaching, networking and other resources for start-ups is key to helping them become successful and to creating an innovation-driven economy, the chief executive officer of France’s largest incubator said on Monday.
Raouti Chehih, chief executive of EuraTechnologies, an economic center dedicated to information and communication technologies in Lille, France, said the ecosystem it has built locally has created 5,000 jobs and emerged as the model of a national campaign.
“We are making a new generation of leaders,” Chehih said, adding that the right strategy helps sustain the industry.
EuraTechnologies is the largest start-up incubator in France, accommodating about 300 companies that are focused on such areas as the Internet of Things (IoT) and digital design, said Chehih, who also heads Adoption and Tech Evangelisation at French IoT giant Sigfox.
The ecosystem comprises a wide array of stakeholders, including start-ups at various stages, laboratories, research centers and funding organizations, he said.
“The goal is to support IT companies from the region and encourage the transfer of technologies,” Chehih said.
EuraTechnologies is also partnering with Stanford University in California so its start-up tenants can study at the university to gain global experience.
Founded in 2009, EuraTechnologies has enjoyed the support of big companies such as Microsoft Corp and Cisco Systems Inc, and those companies in turn coach and mentor start-ups while also selling products or services through them, Chehih said.
The system has proven so successful that it has become the model for a nationwide campaign called “French Tech,” Chehih said.
The Taiwanese government is on the right track as it is aware of the economic benefits created by start-ups, he said.
“What the government should do is identify obstacles that prevent start-ups from thriving, and draft policies to change the situation and provide financing tools, among other things,” he said.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has promoted young start-ups at home and called for international enterprises to use the nation as a base for launching innovative start-ups.
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