The "Accommodation for Companies and Professionals" programme, which will facilitate the internationalization of companies created in universities belonging to the Ibero-American University Network for Incubation of Companies (RedEmprendia), stands out amongst the initiatives that this network wishes to launch in 2011. Fifteen of the most prestigious universities in the Ibero-American setting –including the University of Barcelona by means of the Barcelona Science Park-, together with the Santander Bank and the Universia network, are participating in this network.

”

The Network wishes to conduct this activity in order to achieve the objectives presented in “2015 Horizon”, a document approved by the Board of Directors and the General Assembly of the RedEmprendia, which has been presented at a meeting that took place in Cadiz within the context of the celebration of the 10th General Assembly of Shareholders Universia, presided by Emilio Botín, president of Universia and the Santander Bank, at the Royal Theater of the Courts (San Fernando) of the University of Cadiz

With this document, in which the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) has collaborated, the Network aims to consolidate the leadership of its nodes in the entrepreneurial mission of universities and become an international reference point in knowledge transfer and technological development, and especially in the creation of university spin-off companies.

The “Accommodation for Companies and Professionals” programme aims to facilitate the exchange of models, experiences and better practices between technicians and academics of the network’s universities, and promote the opening of other markets to the companies hosted in incubators and parks that are members of the RedEmprendia. To this end, programme participants, which will be companies and experts in entrepreneurship, will be able to benefit over a period of time –which will vary depending on each case’s circumstances- from the Network’s services and facilities in another country (present incubators, parks, etc.). In 2011, between 6 and 12 companies and experts will be able to benefit from this initiative.

The book “Launching successful entrepreneur endeavors from universities: a series of tools and good practices”, which spans some of the most relevant initiatives in the field of entrepreneurship conducted by the universities that comprise this network and which may be of special interest to other academic institutions and public and private organizations committed to innovation and entrepreneurship, was also presented at this meeting. RedEmprendia was founded in late 2006 per initiative of the University of Barcelona-Barcelona Science Park and the University of Santiago de Compostela with the support of the Santander Bank, and is dedicated to the study and promotion of university research valuation, beginning with the generation of an idea and continuing to the development of incubated companies, including all phases of the university entrepreneurship process.