The document provides statistics on Business Innovation Centers (BICs) in Italy and compares them to BICs across the European BIC Network in 2010. Some key figures: There were 20 Italian BICs participating in the survey out of a total of 148 potential participants across the network. Italian BICs organized 390 events promoting entrepreneurship that were attended by over 16,800 people and provided 167 training events for new and existing SMEs attended by over 3,200 people. The majority of both Italian and network BICs receive public funding and focus on supporting local SMEs and innovation.

1. Country Observatory 2011
(Data 2010)
Italy
European BIC Network

2. Introduction
The following graphs and tables reports the key facts and figures in 2010 of the Italian community of Business Innovation
Centers,
Centers benchmarking them with those of the whole EBN network
network.
The survey has been undertaken thanks to the yearly implementation of EBN’s Quality system which is primarily aimed at
ensuring the compliance of the BICs, EBN Full Members, to the BIC Quality Mark Criteria.
The Statistical characteristics of the survey
 Total number of potential participants 148
 Total number of potential participants in Italy 20
 Percentage of BICs participating in the survey 86,5%
 Percentage of Italian BICs participating in the survey 90,0%
 Method: on-line self-evaluation questionnaire plus subsequent validation by EBN Quality Team
 Source: EBN Quality System http://quality.ebn.be
Responsible for the publication: Mr. Philippe Vanrie, EBN CEO
Address: Avenue de Tervueren 168, B – 1150, Brussels
Tel: +32-2-7728900
Fax: +32-2-7729574
+32 2 7729574
E-mail: ebn@ebn.eu
Website: http://www.ebn.eu; http://quality.ebn.be
Date of publication: 31 May 2011
This report has been prepared by the EBN Quality team, led by Mr. Giordano Dichter and assisted by Ms. Chiara Davalli and Mr. Pierluigi Antonelli

3. Italian Bics
BIC Incubatori FVG S p a
S.p.a. Euroimpresa Legnano
Web site : www.bic.fvg.it Web site : www.euroimpresa.it
BIC Lazio SpA Innova BIC
Web site : www.biclazio.it Web site : www.innovabic.it
BIC Liguria La Fucina Societa Consortile A.r.l.
Web site : www.sviluppoitalialiguria.it Web site : www.biclafucina.it
BIC PROMOFIRENZE Puglia Sviluppo S.p.A.
Web site : www.promofirenze.com Web site : www.sviluppoitaliapuglia.it
BIC Sardegna S.p.A. Sportello Donna-Incubatore d'Impresa
Web site : www.bicsardegna.it Web site : www.sportellodonna.org
Sviluppo Italia Basilicata SpA Web site :
CEII Trentino
www.sviluppoitaliabasilicata.it
Web site : www.ceii.it
Campania Innovazione Sviluppo Italia Sicilia
Web site : www.cittadellascienza.it Web site : www.sviluppoitaliasicilia.it
CODEX s.c. Sviluppo Italia Umbria
Web site : www.codex.it Web site : www.sviluppoitaliaumbria.it
pp
Tecnopolis Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico
Euro-Bic Abruzzo e Molise Scrl
Web site : www.tno.it
Web site : www.eurobic.it
Eurobic Toscana Sud S.p.A. Trentino Sviluppo S.p.A.
Web it
W b site : www.bictoscanasud.it
bi t d it Web site : www agenziasviluppo tn it
www.agenziasviluppo.tn.it

4. Nature and Legal Status of BICs
Italy 72,22% 27,78%
BIC as new entity
BIC hosted in existing
organization
Network 63,28% 36,72%
BICs in hosting
BICs as new entities
organizations
Legal Identity
Italy (%) Network (%) Italy (%) Network (%)
Equity based (with shareholders) 69 36,84 40 21,28
Foundation 0 7,89 0 2,13
Association 8 29,82 0 23,40
Cooperative 0 2,63 20 4,26
Public body under special law 8 9,65 66,67 34,04
Other
Oh 15 13,16
13 16 40 14,89
14 89
100 100 100 100

5. BICs’ Ownership
Ownership: Public / Private Breakdown
Italy Network
Public Private Public Private
Total Number of Shareholders 83 14 659 1119
Weight over the network 80,29% 19,71% 67,50% 32,50%
Voting rights (%) Voting rights (%)
Public shareholders Italy Network Private h
P i t shareholders
h ld Italy
It l Network
N t k
National/federal government 4,85 3,20
Private financed R&D structures 0,00 1,42
State (s) in federal organized states 0,00 1,22
Chambers of Commerce 0,22 1,65
Regional G
R i l Government
t 40,21
40 21 18,85
18 85
Employers associations 1,12 1,72
Local Government 1,79 14,15
Trade Unions 0,06 0,53
Municipalities 8,47 7,66
Economic development not for profit
3,54 2,62
Specific governmental agencies 4,31
4 31 3,35
3 35 entities
100% publicly financed R&D Enterprises 1,73 11,27
8,24 5,32
structures
Private owned capital funds 4,68 4,10
Public owned companies 3,94 2,40
Banks 2,67 4,11
Chambers of commerce (if public)
Ch b f bli ) 2,88
2 88 4,48
4 48
Public owned capital funds 5,55 1,07 Private people 5,56 4,24
Others 0,05 2,27 Others 0,13 0,84

6. BICs & territory
Acknowledgement by the public sector Main catchment areas
100% publicly financed R&D 22%
structures 30% Italy (%) Network (%)
11%
Specific governmental agencies
47% City 0 4,69
61%
p
Municipalities
76%
Region / province 100 84,38
94%
Local Government
91%
State (federal organised
94% 0 3,91
Regional Government countries)
77%
0%
State (s) in federal organized states
79%
Nation
N ti 0 3,91
3 91
11%
National/federal government
35%
Other 0 3,13
33%
Other
33%
Total 100 100
Italy Network

7. Alliances & Cooperation
Strategic Alliances Cooperation
11%
Private
Large Companies
consultants/public
34%
BSO in business
development
83%
Universities/other R&D Cooperation with Cooperation with
Institutions the EEN Network business schools
88%
50%
Chambers of Commerce and
RDA/LDAs Database of
61% Involvment in
research and
clusters
technology centers
h l
6% Private
No cooperation agreements consultants/public
8% BSO in intellectual
i i t ll t l
property
Italy Network Network Italy

8. BICs’ Team
Italy Network
Total N. of BICs’ Staff
421 1865
Breakdown by role External experts (day/year)
50%
Italy (%) Network (%)
y( ) ( )
5
Management 9,86 9,18
33%
Network
Italy
Administration 9,74 14,61
%
22%
17%
17%
17%
16%
Entrepreneurs guidance 24,11 27,41
11%
7%
9%
Project management 17,34
17 34 14,04
14 04
< 50 50 - 99 100 - 199 200 - 299 > 300
Incubator management 8,43 11,72 Size of BICs
28%
28%
3%
3%
22%
%
Communication & events 10,21
10 21 8,27
8 27
21%
%
23
23
20%
Network
Training 4,80 4,53 Italy
14%
1%
1%
Other 15,52
15 52 10,23
10 23
11
11
Total 100 100
3-6 7-9 10 - 14 15 - 25 > 25

9. Key qualifications & Services
Areas of expertise Additional services
39%
Promotion of SMEs or regions 72%
41% Financial engineering
68%
Advanced use of ITC for SMEs 33%
Specialized technology
development 49% 72%
support for enterprise
creation 73%
33%
Human resources development
35% 72%
Specific training know-how
know how
73%
Policy making advice / Project 89%
design and management 45%
Structural cooperation with 72%
other EC Networks 62%
94% Italy
Access to funding
79% Network
International B2B or 61%
Legal advice to enterprise 44% investment experience 62%
creation 57%
Set-up / implementation 89%
International cooperation / 94% (inter)national projects 75%
SME internationalization 68%
R&D / University spin-off / 0%
83% No services offered
High-tech SME creation & 95%
84%
support
17% 78%
Other Other
24% 77%

10. Key Sectors
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Sector's weight Network Sector's weight Italy

11. Financial Assessment
BICs’ Income (%)
( ) BICs’ Expenditures ( )
p (%)
Private sponsorship 1,4
1,8 Financial costs (from loans 10,2
etc.) 1,2
Other private income 7,4
74
5,9
0,7
Cost of incubator building(s)
Income from client- 4 11,8
SMEs/Entrepreneurs 6,3
Income from housing + incubator
I f h i i b t 21,6
2 6 Overheads (furniture, travel,
h d (f l 12,1
12 1
services 22,2 energy, IT facilities etc.) 17
Other public income 18,2
4,8 14,2
Subsidies to entrepreneurs
Income from EU Programmes 1,1
11
10,4
(Framework Programme, Interreg,… 5,7
Public Income through National & Consultants and external 0
22,9
Regional programmes 14 experts 12,8
Other public subsidies 0,1
4,9 20,6
Payroll
46,6
EU structural Funds (e.g. ERDF, ESF) 6,7
7,5
41,9
41 9
6,8 Other costs
From national, regional, local bodies 9,1
27,2
Italy Network Italy Network

12. Innovation & IP
52,78%
nnovation
n
(% of entrepreneurial projects)
)
40,65%
38,37%
34,94%
cus on In
Network
20,98%
Italy
12,28%
o
Foc
Technological innovation Non Technological Innovation Other
roperty
495
Intellectual Pr
Network
227
Italy
16 4
Patents request Patents granted

13. Services to new entrepreneurs & Incubation
Identification of ideal target /
entrepreneur
Training for entrepreneurs Template for risk analysis
Entrepreneurial skill
Assessment of training needs
asessment tool
Provision of business plan Network
Provision of incubation space
template Italy
Help in finding financial Helping to define the business
support model
Availability of database of Helping to write the business
financial tools plan
Support financial planning and
simulation
Physical Incubation activities Italy Network
Average square meters available for incubation activities of owned incubators (square
15483,50 7549,41
meters)
Average incubator space occupancy rate (%) 76,33% 78,11%
Average incubation time (years) 3,58 3,08

14. Services to existing SMEs
g
32% 32%
23%
22%
21%
20%
17% 17% 17%
4%
Designing and
D i i d Innovation di
I ti diagnostic
ti Internationalization
I t ti li ti Commercialization
C i li ti Access to finance
A t fi
implementing innovative
projects
Network Italy

15. Training & Events
2010 Italy Network
Number Average Median Number Average Median
Number of events
organised in 2010 to 390 21,66 14 3.925 30,66 15,5
promote entrepreneurship
Number of training events
in 2010 for either new
167 9,27 4 2003 50,85 14
entrepreneurs or existing
SMEs
Number of people that
attended events to promote 16849 936,05 348 168.284 1.314.72 548.50
entrepreneurship
Number of people that
N b f l th t
3216 178,66 50 36.120 774.20 195.5
attended training events
72% 70%
pic
67% 65%61%
Training by top
56% 53%
36% 39%
33%
23% Network
Italy
y
g
6%
(% of BICs)
Business Marketing Management Investment IP Rights Other
planning Readiness

16. Access to funding
Network Italy
N. of companies assisted in fund raising 2.968 719
Estimated capital raised € 316.782.992,13 € 22.778.517,94
N. of companies assisted 2968 344
Estimated capital raised 2140425,6234507114,844
Italy 4%3%
1% 92%
urces
akdown by
Seed capital
ding sou
Business Angels
Venture capital
Other
Brea
fund
Network 35% 15% 26% 24%

17. KPIs,
KPIs Key Performance Indicators
Italy Network
Number Average Median Number Average Median
Number of tenants in incubators 374 20,78 7,5 3.937 31,71 23,50
Total employment by tenants 1887 104,83 23 24.505 181,44 95,50
Total numbers of contacts for enterprise creation 10445 580,27 74 69.307 318,95 88,50
Number of feasibility studies created during the year 2454 136,33 14,5 12.461 97,89 36,00
Number of enterprise creation projects during the
2165 120,27 12,5 7.125 51,73 18,00
year
Number of business plans produced during the year 2273 126,27 14,5 6.989 73,50 19,50
Number of start-ups created during the year 1803 100,16 10,5 6.358 43,50 14,00
Number of jobs created in SMEs (client companies
240 13,33 2,5 6.165 45,03 15,00
of BICs)
Number of jobs created in Start-ups in the year 2962 164,55 31 12.668 85,01 33,50
Enterprise Survival Rate (within the incubation
N.A. 96,83% 100% N.A. 91,07% 95,00%
period)
Enterprise Survival Rate (3 years following
N.A. 95,78% 99,50% N.A. 89,04% 91,90%
graduation)
Existing SMEs supported during the year 1960 108,88 32,5 11.000 90,41 50

18. Value for Money
Network Italy
Cost per job created with support of a BIC € 12.068,79 € 13.986,91
Public financial contribution per j
p job created € 8.338,79
, € 10.475,89
,
Average number of start-ups per 100K€ of BIC income 2,80 4,03
Average number of jobs created per 100K€ of BIC income 8,29 7,15
Average number of business plans created per 100K€ of BIC income 3,08 5,08
Average number of companies assisted per 100K€ of BIC income 5,10
5 10 4,01
4 01
Average number of start-ups per FTE member of BIC staff 3,15 4,28
Average number of jobs created per FTE member of BIC staff 9,34 7,61
Average number of business plans created per FTE member of BIC staff 3,46 5,50
Average number of companies assisted per FTE member of BIC staff 5,74 4,27
* Full time equivalent

19. Contacts
EBN’s Quality Team:
 Giordano Dichter
Quality and Membership Manager
 +32 (0) 2 761 1083
 gdi@ebn.be
 Chiara Davalli
Quality and Membership Officer
 +32 (0) 2 761 1094
 cda@ebn.be
The Italian BICs
 Mr. Pietro De Martino
 + 39 0106563470
 pdemartino@bicliguria.org