This issue of the European BIC Network's quality eMag discusses innovation and quality at Trentino Sviluppo, an Italian business and innovation center (BIC). It provides details on Trentino Sviluppo's history, services, facilities, and programs to support technology transfer and startup companies. It also introduces the EBN's new Soft Landing initiative to help BIC client companies establish international sales presences. Finally, it reminds readers about the upcoming EC-BIC questionnaire and welcomes new full members to the EBN.

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The European BIC Network
Quality eMag
Q-light: “Spending Quality Time on Quality Issues”
In this issue: IQ — Franz Glatz, Managing Director of Gate-Garchinger Technologie-und Grunderzentrum GmbH (the EC-BIC of
Munich, Germany), meets Stefano Robol and Luca Capra of Trentino Sviluppo (the EC-BIC in Rovereto, Italy). Some info on
Trentino Sviluppo, and take a look at the video that has been produced during the visit. QS — Soft Landing, an EBN pilot ini-
tiative. QI — the soon to open 2011 survey and some membership development information.
As usual we hope you will enjoy the reading and we do welcome all of your inputs.
Giordano and Chiara
IQ| Innovation & Quality — BIC²
Trentino Sviluppo an Italian Best In Class BIC
By Franz Glatz, MD Gate-Garchinger
After visiting UK, Spain, Portugal and The Netherland it’s time to
open a window on Italy: Franz Glatz, managing Director of Gate-
Garchinger Technologie-und Gründerzentrum GmbH (Germany)
has recently been to Trentino Sviluppo (Rovereto) spending there
an entire day with Stefano Robol, Managing Director, Luca Capra,
Head of the Enterprise and Development Department, and the BIC
staff. He came up with a report and a video presenting this strong
Stefano Robol Luca Capra Franz Glatz
BIC reality in Northern Italy.
Trentino Sviluppo was founded in 1991 as an agency of the autonomous Province of Trento to foster the sustain-
able development of the region providing real estate, capital and support to small companies. This “one stop
shop” combines all actions and services of the Province to support the enhancement of innovation in the region.
Trentino Sviluppo is today a merger of different entities of the province of Trento. It all commenced with the
setting up of a technology park to provide manufacturing space and services to business and to research cen-
tres. Subsequently a company to manage a real estate fund and a company operating in the field of business
innovation in partnership with a local research institute were merged. In 2003 the province reorganized the
group and founded the development agency, renamed “Trentino Sviluppo” in 2007.
The development of the business system in Trentino is the core business of Trentino Sviluppo, which pursues two
basic objectives, the promotion of a more advanced “business and innovation culture” and the provision of direct
support to new entrepreneurs and existing companies. Trentino Sviluppo is also engaged in attracting invest-
ment to the area. Hence, it works to promote its industry beyond the borders of the province.
Click here to see the video of Trentino Sviluppo produced during the BIC BIC Mission
on the EBN YouTube Channel

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Foundation year: 1991
BIC status since: 1999
Legal status: Company
Funded by: Income from renting, services, consulting and investments.
Stakeholders: 100 % public organizations (99.96 % Province of Trento, 0,04 % University)
Target Market: Trento-based companies which would like to develop their competitiveness, start-ups, companies which are
planning to invest in the Province of Trento, companies specialized in „green technology“ production
BIC catchment area: Province of Trento
HHRR: 42 team members
Incubation space: 73.829 m2 (within 6 incubators located in Trento, Rovereto, Pieve di Bono, Pergine Mezzolombardo and
Borgo)
Useful Tools & Programs
Technology Transfer: Trentino Sviluppo encourages the transfer of technology from the research sector by
supporting companies to identify potential partners.
D2T Award: The D2T StartCup Business and Innovation Award is a competition restricted to young
people aged from 15 to 35; its am is to encourage young people to go into business by
assisting them in progressing from the idea stage to a business plan.
Spin off support: Trentino Sviluppo has the possibility to use equity participation as a way of fostering the
growth of innovative business activities at the start up stage.
The “Blue Eagles Team”: The 15 “Blue Eagles” are professional managers of proven experience and expertise who
conduct in-depth audits on companies to help them become more competitive through
innovation.
And..
The Multitiered Pipeline

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QS| Quality Services
The new EBN Soft Landing Initiative - starting the pilot phase
EBN Soft Landing is...
A cost-effective initiative for BIC client companies to establish an
overseas sales presence, boost international business development, or
grasp global partnership opportunities. The objective is to take away
some of the practical difficulties of being able to operate abroad by
collaborating with other EBN Members.
EBN Soft Landing is…
A reciprocal service for EBN Members and their client companies that
are interested in doing business in other countries, via the EBN net-
work and other global partners (such as the National Business Incuba-
tion Association, the US network). A new initiative which will also try
to bridge with exiting initiatives taken by individual members and
national networks (EOS, GGN, YEI, BasePoint, etc.).
EBN Soft Landing is…
An opportunity to targeting SMEs involved in research and develop-
ment and high growth technology, who may be interested in collabo-
rative research and development projects, outsourcing, setting up a
light and flexible office abroad or undertaking a joint venture.
EBN Soft Landing is a club backed by the EBN Brand and by the EBN help-desk in Brussels!
A network of Soft Landing hubs that are ‘certified’ as being credible and trustworthy providers of short term
business support to companies visiting from abroad.
The “sending” or outbound BIC/incubator is confident to send a client company to the “receiving” or inbound
BIC/incubator as a reciprocal charter or service level agreement has been signed/agreed and performance is
monitored by EBN.
A quality club –with the same level of “4 star” service worldwide with hopefully no unexpected surprises!
The visiting company will rate online the services delivered at a location, so a peer review system is quickly set
up and with EBN as moderator.
Your Client Companies benefit…..
• Access to offices, located inside BICs, incubators, entrepreneurship centers, university science parks -
open to the EBN Soft Landing Network companies who are either considering or are at the early stages
of undertaking international business.
• Exploring new international markets and having the potential to facilitate international collaborations
across the globe (activating privileged EBN partnerships in the U.S, Brazil, Russia, China… and more).
• Capitalizing on the market potential of rising economies in developing countries.
• Having an office address and access to business support team in several new countries
• As well as desk space in a dedicated office – complete with IT services - companies involved in the
scheme to will also be able to take advantage of a number of business support services.
• Each company will have access to a dedicated business support team to advise them or call in exper-
tise on all legal, financial, cultural and practical issues of doing business in a particular country.
Want to be part of it?
CLICK HERE and express your interest by filling a
very simple on-line form

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QI| Quality Info
The old year is over (almost!) the new one is just about to start… Happy New Year to all… It is now time for new year’s
resolutions! We ask our BICs to adopt one for us (as these are times when we all feel positive attitudes!). We ask you not to
miss the deadline of 31 march 2011 for the EC-BIC questionnaire (data 2010). Yes we know, we know… it seems like yesterday
that… but many things have been accomplished by our community in 2010 and many things we want to report and disseminate
worldwide!
You know what we did with the data 2009 this year? Here is a non-exahustive summary:
• We ensured higher and higher quality standards through the implementation of the evaluation program 2010.
• We promoted distinguished members throuogh the “quest for the best” initiative. If you want to participate in it, you just
need to call us and we will see what we can do for you.
• We engaged in serious full membership development, welcoming new members reaching your standards (see below who
we are welcoming in EBN as full member in the last quarter of 2010).
• We elaborated the observatories (Network, Country, Regions). They are still online (just click here to see them).
• We prepared customized benchmarking reports at your own request. You can always have one, just contact us!
• We had material to prepare best-practices which coupled with our observatories make extraordinary promotional tools.
We will open the system on the 17th of January 2011, and please be so patient as to go through the guidance notes to discover
the improvements we made in the questionnaire, in the attempt to ease your job and to collect the most relevant information
we need to promote our community at best. Indeed we tried to simplify some sections and we also added some questions.
The European BIC Network is happy to announce that the following organizations have recently ac-
quired full membership status and therefore are compliant with the EC-BIC Criteria
Editors: Giordano Dichter and Chiara Davalli
Responsible for the publication: Philippe Vanrie, EBN CEO www.ebn.eu