INCIPIT Campania:: "A Government Funded Incubator Experience Across Two Southern Italy Universities" by Diego Perifano, Senior Business Consultant on behalf of Prof. Franco Garofalo, University of Naples

1. INCIPIT Campania:
ICT for Automation Enterprises
Development Program (2007-2011)
A Government Funded Incubator
Experience Across Two Southern
Italy Universities
Diego Perifano, Senior Business Consultant
on behalf of Prof. Franco Garofalo,
University of Naples

2. Program Objectives
The “INCIPIT CAMPANIA” program aims to foster in the
Campania region:
• the dawn of enterprises whose value proposition is based
on ICT innovative technologies
• university researchers to further develop their scientific or
technological achievements in the field of the ICT and
automation to become entrepreneurial ideas
• Program funded by the Italian Ministry for Economic
Development
• Worth 2,9 Mio €

3. The INCIPIT Consortium
The INCIPIT Consortium has been established in 2007
from 8 partners
In Latin the word “INCIPIT” means "it begins“
In our meaning it stands for starting a new entrepreneurial
idea

4. The partners of the INCIPIT Consortium
• University of Naples Federico II
Department of Information Technology
• University of Sannio
Department of Engeenering
• Alintec
• Redifin S.p.A.
• AIFI Ricerca e Formazione Srl
• Stoà Scpa
• API Naples
• Technova Consorzio Politecnico
per l’innovazione Scarl

5. INCIPIT is a partner of the Campania Innovation
Network
• An open
network of
relations
and services

6. The Enterprise Incubators
and the Go-to-market Chain
Pure Research
Basic Research Public funding
Applied Research
Patenting
Enterprise Incubators,
Prototyping Venture Capital funding and
Public funding
Market Trial
Go-To-Market
Venture Capital
Services and goods
production

7. INCIPIT Organizational Model
INCIPIT allows entrepreneurs
• to join a network of innovative, cutting-edge enterprises
sharing experiences and opportunities
• to ask business advisory services issued
– from the University partners for supporting
Enterprise
the technological development Network
– from the entrepreneurial partners
for addressing the managerial Incubators
Business
Advisory
Services
topics
– from financials partners for supporting
the fund raising activities
• to get support for taking up patent and Venture
Capital
Patent
protect their business ideas
• to get introduced for elevator pitch with Venture Capitals
• to apply for being incubated in a safe environment

8. INCIPIT: the deal flow
113 groups
contacted from
universitiy and
research labs
60+
questionnaires
30+ groups
Non university assisted to
applicant starting-up

9. The INCIPIT outcomes in a nutshell…
Preferred Incubator
Applicant
Ages
34 groups

10. Applicant Background…

11. Practices/ sectors …

12. Competences of the start-up team…

13. Managerial skills are crucial!

14. Lesson learned: for the program
Trust: the researcher has to be convinced that both persons
and the network he is in contact with have the only goal to
push his business idea on the market
Reputation: all the actors the researcher get in touch with
have to have his own confidence, and a solid reputation
connected to visible results
Competences: the program has to attract the best
competencies available on the research and advisory market
Transparency: the program has to be continuously
monitored and controlled in order to avoid to blow resources
and, in turn, to lose distinctive competencies

15. Lesson learned: for the entrepreneurs
Market: all the entrepreneurial initiatives have to have a
sound products/ services portfolio, clearly distinctive in their
reference market
Innovation: the business idea has to bring in sufficient
originality to catch-the-eye of possible investors: this is one of
the key success factor for raising funds from venture capitals
Feasibility: both technical and economic feasibility have to
be carefully taken into account. Sometimes university
researchers needs to get proactive mentoring on the topic
Management: it’s crucial that the coordination of the
business initiative in the start-up phase is in the hands of a
person (a team) with a solid experience and adequate
management skills

16. Thank you for your attention!