With its Technology.Business.Innovation.SustainableGrowth (TecBIS) Business Accelerator, the Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN) provides advanced services to technology-based and innovative businesses, promoting technology transfer and internationalisation. The construction of the Business Accelerator was supported with almost EUR 7 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Helping high-growth companies take off: EU-funded TecBIS boosts high-tech companies in central Portugal
- 08 April 2014
After the remarkable success achieved by IPN’s applied research labs and incubator since 1995, this new challenge of creating TecBIS - IPN Business Accelerator, the first Portuguese infrastructure entirely devoted to promote internationalisation and technology development of tech based firms in their growing stage, is a natural way to keep pursuing our mission and a strategic project that, we believe, will give a great contribution to build a more effective innovation ecosystem in the Coimbra region.
Based on IPN’s expertise in business support and technology transfer, and on a close cooperation with academic and scientific institutions such as the University of Coimbra, TecBIS aims to support around 20 high-tech, high-growth businesses by 2016. In addition to the 12 new jobs within IPN’s support team, the companies located in TecBIS are expected to create over 200 new jobs by 2020. The project also has a beneficial effect on the wider region, retaining and attracting around 400 qualified positions to IPN and the University of Coimbra’s business campus in the same period.
Expertise in innovation and internationalisation
TecBIS comprises two new buildings with 4 500 m² of office space, which provide the necessary infrastructure, high standard facilities and logistics. In addition, high added-value services, including access to a network of partners and advice from expert consultants, help businesses define their innovation and growth strategy and obtain funding from public and private sources.
The project builds on the success of IPN’s business incubator, which has provided support to start-ups and spin-offs since 1996, winning the world award for “Best Science-Based Incubator” promoted by The Technopolicy Network. With six laboratories in fields such as information technology, automation and systems, wear, testing and materials and geotech, IPN has participated in more than 200 research and development projects since its foundation in 1991.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “TecBIS” is EUR 8 196 315 with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) contributing EUR 6 966 868 through the “Centro” Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period.