Current projects (Selection):

For further questions, please contact:
Jan Willem Richelmann (richelmann@experplan.eu) or
Waltraud Gehrig (gehrig@experplan.eu)

Incubator & Strategic Alliance Programme for the ICT-Industry, Maldives 

EXPERPLAN is supporting the government of the Maldives to implement a Technology Business Incubator to facilitate entrepreneurship development (start-ups) in the ICT sector. An implementing concept and operational guidelines will be compiled. The future IT-Business Incubator will provide state of the art infrastructure and a comprehensive service package will be offered to its clients. In addition, measures will be elaborated to support young IT companies to better internationalise their products and services. Another task is to develop a strategy and suggest measures to attract foreign IT companies to the Maldives. Contracting authority is the National Centre for Information Technology, which belongs to the Ministry for transport and communication. The project is financed by the national budget.

Strengthening the business incubation system in Thailand and its anchor function in the Mekong Region and the Philippines

It is a joint Thai-German project of the Thai National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) and the German Capacity Building International (InWEnt). The project is supported with a financial grant from the infoDev Incubator Initiative (World Bank). Goal is to strengthen the business incubation system in Thailand through capacity building and networking activities; and then in a next step: to strengthen the anchor function of Thailand in the Mekong Region and the Philippines by fostering collaboration, especially with other business incubators. EXPERPLAN is commissioned as project consultant, providing technical assistance, and currently supporting a status assessment of the Thai business incubators.

Fact finding mission within the ‘Thai-German Programme for Enterprise Competitiveness’ (T-G PEC) 

EXPERPLAN was commissioned to conduct a fact finding under the T-G PEC to identify potential projects related to promoting innovation as a cross-cutting issue in the subsectors targeted by the programme: palm oil, fresh fruits and vegetables, shrimps, tapioca, saa paper (covering the up- and downstream industries, the whole value-chain of a sub-sector). The T-G PEC is financially supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ). Lead executing agency is the Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency (TICA). EXPERPLAN was assigned by InWEnt and GTZ.

Based on the RIS-Methodology the South-East Region of Romania is currently developing a regional innovation strategy. Duration of this 3-staged development process is 32 months and completion expected to be in January 2008. Stage 0 – Definition stage, Stage 1 – Analysis stage, including an analysis of the regional innovation system, Stage 2 – Strategy stage, at which the regional innovation strategy is derived and first pilot projects are realised. Coordinator of this project is the Regional Development Agency of the South-East Region (ADRSE). The European Union cofinances the project. EXPERPLAN is contracted as international process consultant to provide technical assistance in the development and implementation of the strategy.

Completed projects (Selection):

TACIS – IBPP Russia: ‘Institution Building Partnership Programme (IBPP)’ – Innovation and strategies for use of intellectual property

The Russian Federation has developed a Science and Innovation Strategy until 2010. Within the framework of cooperation between EU and TACIS countries, this project was cofinanced by the EU (2005/2006) and supported by two German Federal Ministries for Economy and Labour (BMWA) and Research & Development (BMBF). EXPERPLAN is contracted to execute analyses in the fields of technology business incubators, innovation support infrastructures, support to technology-based SMEs and business start-ups. Recommendations for the Science and Innovation Strategy were elaborated based on so-called status -, competency –, needs analyses and evaluations.

Support to the implementation of the Bulgarian National Innovation Strategy – Establisment of TTOs 

EXPERPLAN is assigned to support the establishment of Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) at Public Research Organisations (PROs) in Bulgaria. The works encompass: (1) Needs Assessment Study of existing PROs to identify their potential for technology transfer and their capacity to respond to the business demand for R&D and to determine models for technology transfer for Bulgaria; (2) TTOs concept; (3) Tender documentation for a Grant Scheme; (4) Participation in the evaluation process of the proposals; (5) Operational manual for the TTOs; (6) Seminars for awareness raising on technology transfer. This project provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Economy and Energy (MoEE) and was financed under PHARE.

3 Pilot Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) are currently supported in their set-up. (This is the parallel project to the Thai project were 4 pilot TBIs teams had been supported, s. below). EXPERPLAN runs a capacity building programme where the TBI teams are accompanied with training and coaching in all 4 phases of the set-up of their TBIs: Phase 1 ‘Awareness Raising’, Phase 2 ‘Development of a TBI’: How to do a feasibility study, Phase 3: ‘Business Planning for a TBI’, Phase 4 ‘ Implementation’: How to manage a TBI and How to support new business founders. EXPERPLAN is contracted by the two cooperation partners, German Capacity Building International (InWEnt) and the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). The project was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

EXPERPLAN was contracted as international consultant for this project funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The project is due to be completed in 2006. It encompasses an in-depth assessment of the ICT sector at Mauritius and Rodriguez. A review of administrative procedures for starting up a business in the ICT sector, legislative constraints and incentives was made and, opportunities for clustering in Mauritius were investigated. The potential for further business incubators was analysed. Based on these works, an established ICT business incubator has received its first Business Strategic Plan and a Capacity Building Programme has been tailored to the needs of the centre management and the start-ups. Under strong involvement of stakeholders from the ICT sector and the business community, and by liaising with national counterparts the project was realised to see how the business incubator can contribute to the national ICT vision and ambition.

Technology management and innovation in South-East Asia/ Thailand with support to 4 pilot TBIs

In a 4-phased approach 4 pilot TBIs were supported in the set-up of their Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) with a capacity building programme developed and run by EXPERPLAN. The project started in July 2004 and was completed in March 2006; it was realised on behalf of the German Capacity Building International (InWEnt) in close cooperation with the Thai National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The 4 TBIs are meanwhile operating and successfully support first technology-based business start-ups. In a follow-up project, led by NSTDA in cooperation with InWEnt, the two partners are currently continuing their cooperation.