Know How exchange in Frankfurt’s Social Innovation Centre

El pasado 15 de Febrero, en el marco del proyecto FIBIA y de la mano de la Red Europea de BICs EBN (European Business and Innovation Centre Network) Laura Calderón de BIC Euronova visitó el centro Social Impact Lab Frankfurt (Alemania), para evaluar su modelo de funcionamiento y conocer sus mejores prácticas en inclusividad e innovación social. Asimismo la misión tuvo como objetivo el intercambio de Know how y aportar consejos y sugerencias desde la experiencia de los BICs – Centro Europeos de Empresas e Innovación.

23/02/2018 BIC Euronova

Last 15th February, Laura Calderón, from BIC Euronova, visited the Social Impact Lab Frankfurt (Germany) in order to evaluate its operating model and to get to know its best inclusiveness and social innovation practices. All this in the framework of the FIBIA project provided by BICs’ European network EBN (European Business and Innovation Centre Network). Likewise, the mission aimed at the Know How exchange and also provide advice and suggestions from BICs’ experience (European Business and Innovation Centres).

At the beginning of the day, personalized interviews were conducted with the Social Impact Lab Frankfurt team and with some entrepreneurs. But, not without first enjoying a tour of the centre’s facilities, where around fifty entrepreneurs work in their coworking space. By this way, they promote synergies between themselves. Around the fifty percent of those entrepreneurs are encouraged by two specific programmes developed by the organisation.

On the one hand, the AndersGründer project, sponsored by KfW Stiftung which is directly focused on the business innovations oriented to find solutions to the social problems. On the other hand, the high-value ChancenNutzer project, sponsored by JPMOrgan Chase Foundation which is aimed at accompanying unemployed young people with a migrant background in their road towards self-employment, by promoting the entrepreneurship.

The beneficiaries of both projects receive counselling and they are also given personal guidance through coaching sessions, just as tips and assistance regarding the search of funding. Besides, they benefit from workshops and seminars about different subjects, depending on their necessities (financing, marketing, sales, management skills, etc.). All of that in a frame of coworking space where the beneficiaries may develop their business idea, encouraged by the establishment and totally free for the first eight months.

Additionally, Social Impact Lab Frankfurt carries out nowadays another project, which is six months in length, geared toward support and advice to refugees and immigrants who want to return to their home country.

After the Know How Exchange, the de Social Impact Lab Frankfurt team, which operates under the umbrella of the Social Impact net (it has eight establishments in Germany), was open to receive advice referred to the chances that they have about expanding their activity beyond its national borders, and to commit, in the near future, to the internalization of their services as well as of the startups, and to the entrepreneurs that they encourage. Finally, such team showed a lot of interest about the ideas related to the possibilities of collaborating with another international innovation networks.