Tag: Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial capability is not confined to business; it is just as important for non-profits, for health, education and even for public services. Hence, we need to form and educate entrepreneurs, and we must cultivate a deep and systematic understanding of the discipline of entrepreneurship, says Dr Richard Straub.

European schools must teach students to become more entrepreneurial and develop a positive attitude towards risk-taking, EU Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said in an exclusive interview with EurActiv.

The European Commission lacks models for calculating efficiency in the use of research funds and predicting how much employment they will create – casting doubt over its forecast of 3.7 million new jobs, a US expert told lawmakers.

European students want businessmen to get more heavily involved in university education rather than reserving their voluntary teaching for high schools.

Most business leaders believe that Europe's young people lack the so-called 'soft skills' that are considered essential by many employers. Closer links between business and schools are seen as a way to bridge this skills gap.

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is a European Union pilot programme that pays new entrepreneurs to learn from experienced businesspeople in other member states. The European Commission wants to make it permanent, with a lot more financial fire-power, to boost cross-border trade.

When Kolbrún Eydís Ottósdóttir's employer left Iceland in 2006, she teamed up with colleagues to start her own health technology business. Despite the economic meltdown, their company continues to thrive and has seen export growth thanks to Iceland's improved competitiveness.

Around 80% of start-ups at a business incubator in the south of Ireland are thriving five years after launch – a success rate far greater than is typical for new ventures. Josette O'Mullane, coordinator of the Genesis Enterprise Programme - shortlisted for the European Enterprise Awards - says the on-campus business centre provides new companies with a safety net while they find their feet.

Instilling an entrepreneurial spirit in young people has become a popular idea in EU policy circles, but some businesspeople say initiative is something that comes from within and cannot be taught.

Investors are opening their wallets again but their tolerance of risk has been dampened by the crisis, says Jean-Bernard Guérrée, CEO of the World Investment Conference.

Italian plastic surgeon Luca Poli, who benefited from the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme, said the three months the spent shadowing a businesswoman in Spain were key to the success of his new clinic in Milan.

The "green economy" will be at the heart of the EU's new industrial policy, according to Antonio Tajani, who has been nominated to the position of European commissioner for industry and entrepreneurship. Tajani will prioritise tourism, innovation and access to finance for SMEs in a bid to kick-start growth.

As the European Commission pushes for greater gender balance in its own ranks, the EurActiv network takes a look at how women across Europe fare in the business world.

Securing funds to produce and promote new products are essential to the survival of new businesses, says Helen Wooldridge, founder of Cuddledry Limited, who believes having her own business makes it easier to juggle work and family life.

Family businesses account for three quarters of European enterprises, but big-box superstores are crowding out small producers and companies. Meanwhile, businesses are failing because the next generation will not take up the reins. EurActiv's network examines the challenges faced by SMEs that keep it in the family.

Christian Mandl, co-founder of SkyEurope Airlines which went bust this month, has launched a stinging attack on the hedge fund that took control of the airline after he sold his stake in 2007.

The best thing governments can do to support entrepreneurship is to step aside and become "invisible", Xavier Damman, CEO and founder of Internet company Tweetag, told EurActiv in an interview.

Newly unemployed people in need of loans to start their own businesses will be able to avail of up to €25,000 in the form of loans and credit guarantees from the European Union. The scheme, especially targeted at young people, will make €100 million available over a four-year period.

The new EU member states have been far more successful in integrating entrepreneurship and business teaching into their national education, Caroline Jenner, CEO of JA-YE (Junior Achievement-Young Enterprise) Europe told EurActiv in an interview.

The new EU member states have been far more successful in integrating entrepreneurship and business teaching into their national education, Caroline Jenner, CEO of the JA-YE (Junior Achievement-Young Enterprise) Europe told EurActiv in an interview.

It is a good thing that European political leaders striving to create new jobs "have also been trying to encourage start-up companies," argue members of the Science-Business Innovation Board (SBIB) in a January paper.

Well ahead of the game, the Czech education minister has already revealed his country's priorities for its upcoming EU presidency. Stimulating closer partnerships between educational institutions and the business world and teaching Europeans to embrace a more entrepreneurial spirit sit at the top of the list.

In an interview with EurActiv, Jonathan Zuck, president of the Association for Competitive Technology (ACT), says Europe must address levels of red tape that are still "far too high", tax policies that are "far too aggressive", labour laws which are "too inflexible for SMEs and businesses that need to be agile", and an intellectual property regime which "fails to promote investment" if it wants to promote entrepreneurship and innovation across the continent.

While efforts to make it easier for Europeans to set up their own company are starting to pay off, a majority of EU citizens continue to hold back for fear of going bust. The Commission is now proposing taking action to reduce the stigma attached to business failure and encourage non-fraudulent bankrupts to make a fresh start.