CEPOR
News
January 25, 2012.
Regional Development Policy
Vinkovci, January 26-27, 2012
Development Agency of Vukovar-Srijem County Hrast d.o.o. organises a two-day training on the topic Regional Development Policy.
This is the second out of three trainings that are organised within the implementation of the crossborder programme ''Joint Effort for Innovative Environment'' financed from EU pre-accession fund and implemented by the Independent Office for Development (NBR) from Gradačac (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and the Development Agency of Vukovar-Srijem County HRAST d.o.o. from Vinkovci. The training, which will be held by Mirela Alpeza, is intended for representatives of entrepreneurial support institutions and institutions of local self-government that are in charge of creation of enabling business environment and supports to small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in innovative activities.
Within the training, results of CEPOR's 2011 Report on the state of small and medium-sized enterprises in Croatia will be presented.
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January 22, 2012.
GEM Conference 2012
San Francisco, January 17 – 21 2012
Slavica Singer and Nataša Šarlija, members of the Croatian GEM team, participated at the annual GEM conference and meeting in San Francisco. GEM 2011 Global report was launched at the conference.
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December 12, 2011.
II International Conference Economy of Integrations (ICEI): Challenges and Perspectives of Integration in Countries of South-Eastern Europe
Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, December 8-9, 2011
Organised by the Faculty of Economics, University in Tuzla, with co-organisers Faculty of Economics in Osijek, Faculty of Economics and Business in Maribor, and Belgrade Banking Academy, the conference aimed to problematize complex theoretical and practical knowledge on the specific effects of introducing and expanding economic integrations in countries of South-Eastern Europe. The expected results of the conference are specific suggestions for improving methods of communication between decision makers (governments, ministries and state agencies), researchers (universities, research institutes, development centres) and managers and owners of companies that are involved in integration processes. CEPOR's research team Julia Perić and Mirela Alpeza presented the paper titled: "Policy Preconditions for Develoment of Social Entrepreneurship: Case Croatia".
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November 6, 2011.
International conference: NYU-Stern Conference on Social Entrepreneurship
New York University, Stern School of Business, November 2-4, 2011
Members of CEPOR's research team – Slavica Singer, Julia Perić and Anamarija Delić, participated in the NYU-Stern Conference on Social Entrepreneurship in New York with the paper entitled: "Social Entrepreneurship in Croatia: Do Regional Disparities Influence Young People's Perception of Social Entrepreneurship as a Potential Career Path?".
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September 19, 2011.
V International Conference on Entrepreneurship "Innovativeness + Entrepreneurship = Competitiveness"
Osijek, September 15-16, 2011.
Organised by the Business Incubator BIOS d.o.o. and Centre for Entrepreneurship Osijek, 5. International Conference on Entrepreneurship entitled „Innovativeness + Entrepreneurship = Competitiveness“ was held on September 15 and 16, 2011 (programme).
Lecturers from Croatia, Finland, Poland, Belgium, Slovenia nad Hungary participated in the conference, and the lectures were focused on the issues of sources of business financing, business associations as a means of achieving competitiveness, innovative business concepts, collaboration of units of local government and self-government with universities and entrepreneurs, and presenting policy aspects of business of small and medium-sized entrepreneurship in Croatia and EU. Slavica Singer participated in the panel on the topic of public policies and activities for supporting entrepreneurship.
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July 18, 2011
Triple Helix IX International Conference: Silicon Valley: Global Model or Unique Anomaly, Stanford, 11 – 14 July 2011
Slavica Singer participated at the Triple Helix IX International Conference entitled Silicon Valley: Global Model or Unique Anomaly, which was held on 11-14 July 2011 at Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. Slavica Singer was one of five panelists at the workshop entitled "The Entrepreneurial University: (R)evolutionary transformation or heresy?" at which she advocated the thesis that revolutionary change is required if university wants to survive, because of the dramatic change in the approach to knowledge which is brought by new technologies. Besides, professor Singer lead one session on the subject of Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship: "Traditional" and New Science-Industry Interface Organizations, at which one of keynote addresses was given by Henry Etzkowitz.
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Jun 13, 2011
Participation in the First International Conference “Entrepreneur’s Skills”, Vienna, 9th – 10th June 2011
The First International Entrepreneurs’ Skills Conference offered the opportunity to experience how the Austria Federal Economic Chamber and institutions from Germany, France and the Benelux and many other countries implement the ambitious plans of the European Commission to promote business skills and entrepreneurial spirit. The promotion of entrepreneurial thinking is connected with the development of a broad spectrum of interrelated skills, abilities and attitudes. The Entrepreneurs’ Skills Certificate® is an example of the way in which young people are stimulated to act entrepreneurially and encouraged to implement creative ideas. As a voluntary certificate it represents an additional qualification for school students and thus provides an advantage when looking for a job. The Entrepreneurs’ Skills Certificate®, recognised by the European Commission as an example of best practice is the result of an initiative by Austrian Federal Economic Chamber President Dr. Christoph Leitl and has already been successfully applied in a number of European states. The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber plays a major role in the field of training as well as further training and collaborates closely with the school system. It provides a link between school and business, puts young people in touch with future employers, enables apprenticeship training, offers teaching and learning materials as well as programmes to promote business knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit. Slavica Singer participated as a panellist in this conference with the topic: School and business: Symbiosis or contradiction?
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Jun 6, 2011
Kick-off meeting INTERINO project - Cross-border Integration of Knowledge, Competencies and Innovation, Varaždin, 3rd June 2011
Within the framework of the IPA Operational Programme Slovenia - Croatia 2007 - 2013, managed by Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for local self-government and regional policy, the cross-border cooperation project INTERINO - Cross-border integration of knowledge, skills and innovation, was approved.
CEPOR will have a role as a partner in the project together with Institute for Entrepreneurship Research (IRP), Technology park Ljubljana, Pomurski technology park, Istrian Development Agency (IDA), Regional Development Agency Međimurje (REDEA) and Technology park Varaždin. University Development Center and Incubator of Primorska (UIP) is the leading partner. The project is directed at encouraging an entrepreneurial culture, the emergence of new enterprises in border regions and knowledge transfer from academia into business. The implementation of the project will last 24 months, during which regional competitions for the best business plan will be conducted in the areas of project partners. I school (innovative school) will be organized and the best examples of good practice in encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship in cross-border Slovenian-Croatian area will be applied. The initial, kick-off meeting was held in Varaždin on June 3rd 2011.
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Jun 2, 2011
“Advocacy and Policy” and “SME Policy Framework”, Zagreb, May 31st - June 1st, 2011
Two workshops: “Advocacy and Policy” and “SME Policy Framework”, organized in CEPOR, on May 31st and June 1st 2011, were focused on SMEs as a policy issue and discussed their relation to other areas such as competitiveness, labour market, fiscal policies and regional development in Croatia, as well as linkages and synergies with EU agenda and initiatives. Based on the review of the challenges and opportunities, the workshops identified potential policy actions, including research and advocacy activities to improve the policy climate in SMEs in Croatia. Workshops were run by Mr Piotr Korynski, economic development consultant with over 20 years of experience in working with businesses, investors, governments and philanthropists to help grow small businesses in emerging markets and with direct programme experience in more than 20 countries, from India to Panama. The workshops were attended by members of CEPOR’s research team, representatives of Institute of Economics Zagreb, Faculty of Economics in Osijek, Faculty of Law Zagreb and Regional Development Agency REDEA from Čakovec (Međimurje County). In addition to the presentations, the guide for the policy review process and strategic plans for micro, small and medium enterprise development: Effective Policies for Small Business (pdf) prepared by Professor Allan Gibb was distributed.
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May 30, 2011
Participation in the 9th Conference: "Challenges of Europe: Growth and Competitiveness - Reversing the Trends", Bol, May 26th – 28th 2011
The focus of the 9th International Conference "Challenges of Europe: Growth and Competitiveness - Reversing the Trends", organized by the Faculty of Economics in Split was on European economy and its role and importance within the global community. At this conference, CEPOR research team presented two papers: "The role of think tanks in shaping SME business environment in Croatia - the case of CEPOR" (pdf), co-authored by Anamarija Delić, Slavica Singer and Mirela Alpeza, which describes the potential role which policy centres could and should have in creating a regulatory framework that is stimulating for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurship. Also, Sunčica Oberman Peterka presented the paper entitled: "Entrepreneurial university as the most important leverage in achieving knowledge-based society" (pdf).
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April 22, 2011
Participation in the 31st International Conference on Entrepreneurship and Innovation: “Driving Forces of Creating Global Ventures”, Maribor, April 20th – 21st 2011
31st PODIM Conference gathered interested parties from different countries - experts and researchers of innovation and entrepreneurship, opinion-makers, advisors of entrepreneurship and technology transfer, consultants from business incubators, technology parks and development agencies, investors, successful entrepreneurs, development managers from large companies, start-up and future entrepreneurs, students and young researchers. The focus of the conference was to discuss numerous issues faced by global and growing companies which are targeting global market, and whose growth is driven by international competition. Discussed at the conference were important issues that contribute to better understanding of entrepreneurship, innovation, innovative society and issues on how to unlock the creative potential of individuals, companies and regions.
Research team from CEPOR presented two papers: "The role of entrepreneurial organizational design in maximizing the contribution of employee environment information harvesting" (pdf), author Mirela Alpeza, and "How to build a base for professional career of students - a case study of Volunteering Program of the Graduate Program in Entrepreneurship" (pdf) whose co-authors are Julia Perić and Sunčica Oberman-Peterka.
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March 28, 2011
Labour Act - Labour relations in practice, Zagreb, April 15th 2011
CEPOR, together with Konto Obad Ltd. organized a seminar with the current topic "Labour Act: Labour relations in practice". The aim of the seminar was to discuss the technical prerequisites for proper application of the Labour Act in practice.
Ms. Iris Govic, judge at the County Court in Zagreb presented the topic on labour relations in practice, and Mr. Ilija Tadic, head of the Department of Labour Law, presented the new regulations on the content and manner of keeping employee records. This current topic has initiated a discussion among the representatives of the profit and the non-profit sector about the problems in applying the new rules and regulations of the Labour Act.
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March 25, 2011
Participation in the 3rd International Conference: “The Future of Family Businesses – New Generations in Family Business”, Zagreb, April 14th 2011
CEPOR was a partner in the organization of the 3rd International Conference “The Future of Family Businesses”, which was organized by the weekly business magazine Lider. The conference promoted the positive role of family businesses, the conditions for their success and sustainability, international exchange of experience and a new network in Southeast Europe which deals with family businesses. Conference was intended for owners and managers of family businesses, lawyers, consultants and representatives of institutions concerned with the performance of this segment of the economy. Because of the importance of family-owned businesses for the national economy, but also because of the current ownership and management transitions happening in many developed countries, the need for recognition of the specificity of family businesses through various programmes and instruments of economic policy was discussed. Slavica Singer and Mirela Alpeza participated in the conference with presentation on the topic: "Should the Government's policy, and how, be concerned with family business ventures?" (pdf) in which the role of government in creating a positive climate for the development of family businesses is discussed.
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April 11, 2011
Triple Helix, Zagreb, April 8th – 9th 2011
Doctoral programme “Entrepreneurship and Innovativeness” of the Faculty in Economics in Osijek, J.J. Strossmayer University in Osijek, in cooperation with the University for Applied Sciences VERN in Zagreb and CEPOR organized the Triple Helix doctoral seminar, held by Professor Henry Etzkowitz, originator of the Triple Helix concept. The Triple Helix concept moved three major elements (university, government, business sector) from isolated to bilateral, even trilateral cooperation toward spiral multilateral dimensions of collaborative relationships among the three institutional spheres which contribute to the increasing innovation capacity of the whole society. In addition to fulfilling their traditional functions, each institutional sphere also “takes the role of the other” producing new synergies. Institutions taking non-traditional roles are viewed as a major potential source of innovation. New modes of interdisciplinary knowledge production, involving Triple Helix partners, inspiring research collaboration and firm-formation projects were discussed, which has special importance in the current international competitive circumstances. The Triple Helix seminar was intended for doctoral students of the doctoral program "Entrepreneurship and Innovation”, and others interested in the topic of innovation, as well as for academics, business leaders, government staff and other specialists involved in the different aspects of innovation management and entrepreneurship. More about the Triple Helix concept can be found at http://www.triplehelixconference.org/the-triple-helix-concept.html
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February 24, 2011
Encouraging contribution of the SME sector to sustainable development of the Sava river basin (SAVA-SME), Zagreb, February 24th 2011
International Sava River Basin Commission prepared the project with the overall objective to strengthen the cooperation among SMEs, consolidate connections of business and professional community connected with water resources management in the Sava river basin, and provide support to the SME sector as the final user of the project results, thus fostering sustainable development of the region within the basin. The main purpose of the project is to improve economic development of the Sava river basin countries (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia) through creation of a regional SME network, thus improving competitiveness, developing entrepreneurship, increasing overall employment and facilitating access to international financial institutions. CEPOR participated in a roundtable held on February 24th 2011, attended by representatives of institutions interested in participating in the project, whose suggestions and comments made a significant contribution to the creation of project documentation.