Intelligent Cross-Border Accelerator for Innovative ICT-enabled start-ups
| Acronym | iCBA |
| Website | https://icba-project.eu/ |
| Priority axis | Development and Support of Local Economy |
| Specific Objective | Create employment opportunities for educated graduates by exploiting comparative advantages of the cross-border area, preferably with the use of innovative tools and practices |
| Call | 1st Call for Project Proposals |
| Start date | February 11, 2019 |
| Lead Partner | Alexander Innovation Zone S.A. |
| Partners |
Management and Administration Authority TECHNOPOLIS THESSALONIKIS SA University of Information Science and Technology “St. Paul the Apostle” South East European Research Center National Centre for Development of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Learning Skopje Balkan Unlimited Foundation |
| Budget | 695.000,50 € |
The Program’s cross-border area has a significant knowledge capital but limited capability to attract investments because of difficulty to approach and tempt investors by providing them with the required information about their potential product.
The iCBA project intends to provide some contribution to improvements on that field by setting up an intelligent Cross-Border Accelerator for ICT-enabled start-ups, covering the entire CB area.
Potential scientists and entrepreneurs involved in the accelerator process will go through a stage-gate process of training and mentoring, starting with general ICT-enabled business development trainings, continuing with dedicated webinars conducted by some of the area’s top experts, and culminating in a process of intense, personalised, one-on-one mentoring for the 25-30 most promising business ideas developed either in mature start-ups or in cooperation with high level experts. The process will result in 15-20 investment-ready ideas with high potential, which will be presented to a number of investors, and can lead to new start-ups and new jobs throughout the CB area before and after the end of the project.
The iCBA project joint effort will result in a valuable exchange of experience and know-how between organisations and stakeholders from Greece and Republic of North Macedonia, as well as between start-upers themselves as a strong emphasis is placed on joint events, binational meetings and binational networking and cooperation events bringing entrepreneurs, stakeholders and authorities from the two countries closer, and aiding in the medium-to-long-term goal of the Republic of North Macedonia’s accession to the EU and integration in the common market.
The consortium consists of institutions with excellent capacity and experience in similar types of actions, as well as in promoting and supporting innovative entrepreneurship in the CB area and beyond. This experience is reflected by several international initiatives.