2005 - The 50th enterprise makes its entry – Start Cup Torino Piemonte is launched

The year 2005 was full of important developments and achievements, not least being the entry of the fiftieth start-up into the incubation programme. The year marked the debut of the Start Cup Torino Piemonte, the competition uniting the Politecnico di Torino and the University of Torino in the common goal of promoting business acumen in the academic world, so as to encourage the creation of innovative enterprises.

January- Politecnico & University Join Forces to Launch the Start Cup Torino Piemonte With 80,000 undergraduate students, 1,700 Ph.D. students, 1,800 lecturers and over 1,000 researchers between them, the two universities together represent the lion's share of the public research sector. These numbers also represent the foundations for the Start Cup Torino Piemonte, the innovative business plan competition jointly promoted in its inaugural year by the Politecnico di Torino and the University of Torino, the result of the fusion of I3P's Galileo Ferraris Competition and the Che idea l’Impresa competition of the university. The new competition represents an all-important new partnership between the two academic institutions, which have joined forces and their expertise in promoting the development of new enterprises borne of the fruit of academic research.

The press conference announcing the Start Cup Torino Piemonte was held in the Aula Magna of the University of Torino. The conference was held by the rector of the University of Torino Prof. Pelizzetti, the deputy rector of the Politecnico di Torino Prof. Pandolfi, director of the university incubator Prof. Silengo, and Prof. Pozzolo, chairman of I3P.

January– Bellotti of Confindustria visits I3P
Francesco Bellotti, chairman of the technical committee for SME credit facilities, met with representatives of the tenant enterprises.

The ET-NET Project Gets Underway ET-NET is a European project developed in partnership with the French Telecommunication Schools, and the universities of Barcelona, Durham, Compiègne, Cracow, and Budapest. The goal of the project is to raise awareness, train and support engineers and university researchers in the creation of innovative, hi-tech enterprises. International Network and Projects

7/7 - 50 Enterprises in 5 Years In 2005, I3P celebrated the entry of the 50th enterprise to join the incubation programme. The announcement was made in a press conference at the Incubator by I3P chairman Vincenzo Pozzolo. Attending the event were representatives of all I3P consortium members: Giovanni Del Tin, rector of the Politecnico di Torino; Giuseppina De Santis, secretary for industry of the Province of Torino; Tom Dealessandri, secretary for employment of the City of Turin; Guido Bolatto, secretary-general of the Chamber of Commerce of Torino; Roberto Guazzetti, general manager of Finpiemonte SpA; and Claudio Giuliano, CFO of Torino Wireless. The guest of honour was Mercedes Bresso, president of the Piedmont Region, which was been an important and steadfast promoter of the incubation project since its very beginning.

28/7 Aperitivo con Lapo Elkann
Mr Elkann, Brand Promotion Manager for Fiat Auto, met with representatives of the tenant enterprises and some graduate enterprises of I3P. Internationalisation, especially in Europe, and refreshing business and industry with young entrepreneurial talent were just some of the business tips offered by the young Fiat executive during the informal event held at I3P. These informal events with distinguished business names have become a consolidated tradition at I3P, with other pre-eminent guests including the president of the Chamber of Commerce ,Alessandro Barberis, and Francesco Bellotti of the employers' federation Confindustria. The events are an important occasion for young entrepreneurs to network and establish contacts that could potentially lead to fruitful partnerships in the future.

UniCredit Awards I3P and Lachesi
“Thanks to its constant and reiterated commitment to promoting local economic growth, the consortium has successfully managed to create a technological district of excellence in Piedmont, able to stimulate business aspirations and raise the competitiveness of the local territory.” This was the motivation underlying UniCredit's awarding I3P the Ok Italia Award for small business growth, in Bologna on 6 July. UniCredit selects companies of excellence for the Award through surveys of the territory conducted through its 2,500-branch strong network. In 2005, twenty small businesses were presented the award, chosen from the tourism, agriculture, and start-up categories. One of I3P's tenant enterprises, Lachesi, was also presented with the Award as “thanks to its high levels of innovation in the field of acoustics and fluid dynamics, the company is today a leader in applied plant innovation, boasting the international patent for the LOPCS system, innovative mobile wireless technology.

The MIP Service Opens at I3P In 2005, I3P became an official MIP – Starting an Own Business – service provider. As such, I3P provides consultancy services for new start-ups along with support and tutoring activities under the MIP Service of the Province of Turin. The MIP service also offers new enterprises a grant of €5,164.57 64,57 to help cover start-up costs for the business. I3P specifically offers services for technologically innovative business ideas.

The Business Skills Course. Round III – Promoted and Organised by LISEM, I3P and COREP. In 2005, the business skills course was coupled to the Start Cup Torino Piemonte, with students matched to competition participants to work, from May to July, on a business plan to start up an enterprise to be incubated in a partner incubator. The course was run free of charge for students, and a final prize of €1,500 was awarded. Preincubation

1-2 December, Convention Centre of the Unione Industriale of Torino
CONFERENCE & AWARD – BEST PRACTICES IN SCIENCE-BASED INCUBATORS
The Role of Government, University and Industry in Science Based Incubation

The Incubator Oscar for 2005: from Torino to Copenhagen
Over 40 incubators from 15 countries from around the world participated in the 2005 Conference and Award for the Best Science-Based Incubator, hosted by the 2004 Award winner, I3P. Promoted by Science Alliance, the Dutch association promoting technological transfer from universities to business, the conference was organised in partnership with PNI Cube – the Italian association of university enterprise incubators and business plan competitions, UKBI – the UK Business Incubation association, and Gate2Growth – the EU programme that brings together and supports Europe's leading incubators. The 2005 Award was presented to the Danish Symbion Incubator Science Park of Copenhagen.
The occasion also saw the winners of the Newcom European Wireless Business Idea Competition receive their prizes.
In conjunction with the international conference, I3P also hosted the Gate2Growth, Highest and ET-Net Meeting, which brought together the three international networks of incubators and areas of excellence committed to promoting the exchange of best practices for the creation of hi-tech businesses.

Morten Jensen of Symbion, the winning Danish incubator of the Best Incubator Award 2005,
receive the award from the 2004 winner, Michele Patrissi of I3P.
Guests from the three international networks at drinks offered by the City of Torino

The 2005 Start Cup Torino Piemonte

108 Business Ideas
44 Business Plans

THE WINNERS
1° prize 15.000 € Electro Power Systems Srl
2° prize 10.000 € Cyanine Technologies
Joint 3° prize 2.500 € TTW
Joint 3° prize 2.500 € SPAIC

Piemontech committed itself to investing €50,000 in the enterprise started up from the first prize-winning business plan.

WINNERS OF SPECIAL PRIZES
Joint Torino Wireless Prize 5.000 € pari merito - Logitag Tech
Joint Torino Wireless Prize 5.000 € pari merito - Minteos
Women & Innovation Prize 3.000 € - Laboratorio Biomateriali
Fondazione CR di Cuneo Prize 5.000 € - Passp@rtout
UN.I.VER. Prize 10.000 € - Angstrom
UN.I.VER. Prize 5.000 € - ProTocuBe
Lisem Prize3.000 € - Garrisonpop

A further grant of €2,000 was given to business plans commended by the Appraisal Committee and that start up and enter the LISEM Incubator

II round - Start-Up of the Year
Pro S3 was awarded as Start Up of the Year presented to the most successful enterprise of the start-ups beginning incubation over the 2001/2002 period. Easybridge, Think Quality, Alto Sistemi and NetStyler Studios have positively concluded the incubation period and can leave I3P.

16 December, Padova Electro Power Systems of the Politecnico di Torino wins the PNI The winner of the inaugural Start Cup Torino Piemonte moved up to even bigger and better things, winning the PNI for 2005 – the National Innovative Award for university students and researchers, selected through local business plan competitions. Second place was won by Dreamlight of the University of Padova, whilst third place went to Smartclot of the University of Udine. Along with prize money of €60,000, €30,000, and €20,000 respectively, winners also receive all the services and support necessary to get their business ideas up and running on the market during the delicate start-up phase. Vincenzo Pozzolo, chairman of I3P of the Politecnico di Torino, received from president Matteo Colaninno the Champions Cup of the Giovani Imprenditori di Confindustria, reserved to the university represented by the first-prize winner. The 2005 National Innovation Award was promoted by PNI Cube – the Italian association of university enterprise incubators, in partnership with Giovani Imprenditori di Confindustria.

The winners
1° prize: Electro Power Systems del Politecnico di Torino
2° prize: Dreamlight - Università di Padova
3° prize: Smartclot - Università di Udine

The Electro Power Systems group with Roberto Saro, secretary-general of Fondazione Cariparo.
Prof. Pozzolo receives from president Matteo Colaninno the Champions Cup of the Giovani Imprenditori di Confindustria.

On occasion of the year-end party, the rector of the Politecnico di Torino, Prof. Francesco Profumo, celebrated the PNI victory with I3P staff and the winning EPS group.

4 ENTERPRISES LEAVE I3P: Easybridge • Think Quality • Net Styler Studios • Alto Sistemi

14 NEW ENTERPRISES JOIN I3P: Lachesi • N-Lab(spin-off of the Politecnico) • Intellisemantic • Nemolab • Emerasoft • L.V.M. • Wireless Lab• A.C.S. • MAVTech • PAPIRO • ACTUA • Tecnodetection • Garrisonpop • Minteos