09.28.18
Imec partnered with Scale-Ups.eu, a dynamic global ecosystem aimed at boosting scale-ups’ growth for a new program to help international scale-ups break into the European market, also with the support of Flanders Investment & Trade.
U.S. and Asian scale-ups often struggle to enter the European market because they do not have access to a local network, lack market knowledge, or are unfamiliar with EU business culture and legal requirements. Imec.scale-ups addresses these common pitfalls with an intensive 8-week program including mentoring, coaching, workshops, networking opportunities, practical support, etc. The aim of the program is to help foreign scale-ups find their way in the local ecosystem, e.g. by offering specialized workshops on EU business culture, tax and legal requirements, privacy regulations, local funding opportunities, etc.
“The program builds on our expertise with imec.istart, our start-up business accelerator, and by collaborating Scale-Ups.eu with the support of FIT we can offer a program that is really tailored to the needs of scale-ups interested in expanding into Europe,” said Sven De Cleyn, imec.istart program manager. “One of the hardest aspects of internationalizing your company is building your network abroad. By participating in this program, the scale-ups become part of imec’s ecosystem and get easy access to a wide network of potential partners, investors, or clients. We also have valuable in-house tech expertise in a variety of fields, from chip miniaturization, security technologies, artificial intelligence, to blockchain algorithms. If there is a match between the scale-up’s needs and imec’s technological expertise, we can also help them to further enhance their competitive edge.”
“By combining the technical expertise of imec and the knowledge we’ve amassed… we are building that is now 45 scale-ups strong after 9 months of establishment,” added Jurgen Ingels, founder of scale-ups.eu. “[T]his partnership is a tangible example of the collaboration we need to orchestrate to put Europe on the map as a scale-up epicenter. Welcoming international scale-ups to Europe will not only make it easy for these companies to scale, but it also enriches the European scale-up network.”
Though the program is located in Flanders, its scope is much broader with Flanders as an initial test market and gateway to the rest of Europe.
“Flanders is a small region, but it has strategic advantages that make it an excellent home base to break into the European market. Attracting international tech scale-ups – the main objective of this program – is important as it enriches our region with new ideas, technologies, mentality, and talent,” Flanders Investment & Trade CEO Claire Tillekaerts said. “FIT plays a crucial role in attracting and assisting these foreign investors. Thanks to our strong local network in the 5 Flemish provinces and in 100 offices across 70 main economic centers worldwide FIT can actively support this program by sharing knowledge and contacts.”
Imec.scale-ups welcomes ambitious tech scale-ups from across the world who have already gained sufficient traction in their home market and are ready to tackle the European market. The first cohort of the program will be launched in the spring of 2019.
U.S. and Asian scale-ups often struggle to enter the European market because they do not have access to a local network, lack market knowledge, or are unfamiliar with EU business culture and legal requirements. Imec.scale-ups addresses these common pitfalls with an intensive 8-week program including mentoring, coaching, workshops, networking opportunities, practical support, etc. The aim of the program is to help foreign scale-ups find their way in the local ecosystem, e.g. by offering specialized workshops on EU business culture, tax and legal requirements, privacy regulations, local funding opportunities, etc.
“The program builds on our expertise with imec.istart, our start-up business accelerator, and by collaborating Scale-Ups.eu with the support of FIT we can offer a program that is really tailored to the needs of scale-ups interested in expanding into Europe,” said Sven De Cleyn, imec.istart program manager. “One of the hardest aspects of internationalizing your company is building your network abroad. By participating in this program, the scale-ups become part of imec’s ecosystem and get easy access to a wide network of potential partners, investors, or clients. We also have valuable in-house tech expertise in a variety of fields, from chip miniaturization, security technologies, artificial intelligence, to blockchain algorithms. If there is a match between the scale-up’s needs and imec’s technological expertise, we can also help them to further enhance their competitive edge.”
“By combining the technical expertise of imec and the knowledge we’ve amassed… we are building that is now 45 scale-ups strong after 9 months of establishment,” added Jurgen Ingels, founder of scale-ups.eu. “[T]his partnership is a tangible example of the collaboration we need to orchestrate to put Europe on the map as a scale-up epicenter. Welcoming international scale-ups to Europe will not only make it easy for these companies to scale, but it also enriches the European scale-up network.”
Though the program is located in Flanders, its scope is much broader with Flanders as an initial test market and gateway to the rest of Europe.
“Flanders is a small region, but it has strategic advantages that make it an excellent home base to break into the European market. Attracting international tech scale-ups – the main objective of this program – is important as it enriches our region with new ideas, technologies, mentality, and talent,” Flanders Investment & Trade CEO Claire Tillekaerts said. “FIT plays a crucial role in attracting and assisting these foreign investors. Thanks to our strong local network in the 5 Flemish provinces and in 100 offices across 70 main economic centers worldwide FIT can actively support this program by sharing knowledge and contacts.”
Imec.scale-ups welcomes ambitious tech scale-ups from across the world who have already gained sufficient traction in their home market and are ready to tackle the European market. The first cohort of the program will be launched in the spring of 2019.
