Pieper Site, Wallonia (Special mentions of Regiostars 2010 - Category : Research, Technological Development and Innovation)

The Pieper is a project of the SPI. It is a«business block» is a business site in the northern part of the Saint-Leonard district of Liege, developed on a former brownfield site. The chief aim of the Pieper site has been to attract companies compatible with the surrounding urban housing zone and to provide these companies with support conditions similar to those found in classic business parks. The project is part of an urban business renovation process started in 1995 by the Liege City Council, which includes the redevelopment of several other brownfield sites, remnants of 18 and 19th century industrial activities.

Power-point Presentation of Pieper site project

Cenaero Recherches (Winner of Regiostars 2009 - Category :   Research, Technological Development and Innovation)

This centre of excellence in aeronautical research has played an important role in Wallonia's economic development. The centre bases its success on a well-developed cooperation between universities and industry, and is a recognised leader in Europe in the field of numerical simulation, in particular for aerospace applications.

http://www.cenaero.be

CeRDT (Finalist of Regiostars 2008 - Category :  Research, Technological Development and Innovation )

Since the early 1990s, the Walloon region has been developing a strategy granting priority to the
stimulation of the innovation potential among SMEs. The CeRDT project is in line with this strategy. The project aims at accelerating the development of innovative initiatives among SMEs located in the Province of Hainaut, a region which is in lack of innovative entrepreneurship and technical innovation.

http://www.cerdt.be

The “Village des Créateurs” shelters potential entrepreneurs( Finalist of the European Enterprise Awards 2010 - category : investment in people)

The “Village des Créateurs” in southern Belgium offers the opportunity to 10 potential
entrepreneurs, often job-seekers, to build up their business project during a 12-week period  in a Business Centre. They receive guidance until the completion of their business plan. Being in a group creates a dynamic environment and gradually helps participants to become autonomous. After 2 years of operation, the success rate among the participants has reached 55%, a good result given the difficult current economic context.

http://www.challengeonline.be

FREE (Winner of the European Enterprise Awards 2006 - category : investment in people)

The Foundation for Research and Training in the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (FREE) is a non-profit association which works with the Walloon region (Belgium) to foster entrepreneurship among school children, students, teachers and the general public. It has developed educational toolkits to stimulate entrepreneurial qualities and contributes to organising mini-companies at schools, awareness-raising events and clubs for "students entrepreneurs".

http://www.freefondation.be   

 

Cré Active Toi (elected good European practice in 2009)

 Cré Active Toi is a 2.5-day training program in creativity for students from secondary and higher education schools. During the theoretical part, students are introduced to the tools of creativity. For the practical part, an entrepreneur comes into the classroom to present a problem he is faced with in his daily management. The students will then apply the creative techniques they have just learnt and recommend the best solutions to the entrepreneur. A preparatory teacher training programme in creativity is also available.

http://www.tousdesas.be/cre-active-toi.php

 

 "Esprit, es-tu là?" Start your business in 3 days (elected good European practice in 2009)

The 2008-09 competition "Esprit, es-tu là? Start your business in 3 days" has 4 stages: 1. Awareness raising - initial: outreach to students - posters: campaign in 44 schools in the region of Mons. 2. Presenting projects: Students have 3 minutes to present their projects. The best ones are selected by experts 3. Coaching the finalists Intensive coaching and personal guidance by professionals to help the finalists to develop their idea and prepare a credible business plan in 3 days 4. Award ceremony and soirée for winners The best projects are selected by a multi-disciplinary panel of experts.

http://www.espritestula.be

 

Réseau Diane: network for women  entrepreneurs (elected good European practice in 2009)

The Réseau Diane was set up to help women who are self-employed or willing to set up a business to overcome the obstacles holding them back. It enables self-employed women to meet each other, share their experience, make business connections, develop their products and services, publicize their activities, etc. The network organises monthly meetings on different topics, visits of firms, seminars, information sessions; it offers guidance to women starting their own business; access to online training and courses specially organised for women; the opportunity to benefit from coaching and advice from a female business leader acting as a mentor.

http://www.reseaudiane.com

 

Energy Team of the Union of Walloon Enterprises (elected good European practice in 2009)

The aim consists in encouraging firms to improve their energy performance. To this end, the Energy Team offers: - to carry out an energy audit for businesses using a standardised audit method. A report is then drawn up by an advisor. - to meet specific requests through a help-desk, or give a written opinion on a specific project. - to organise conferences for businesses (topics include: heating industrial spaces, rational energy use for businesses to reduce consumption, understanding high voltage bills, etc) - to speak at conferences - to support collective energy projects (purchasing groups, wind projects, etc) in industrial estates.

http://www.energie-entreprise.be 

 

Public procurement portal (elected good European practice in 2009)

This project consists in:  the creation of a public procurement portal giving access to all calls for tender issued by the Walloon regional authorities and the French-speaking Community as well as the local authorities  allowing businesses to submit their tenders online  creating an award notice with a publicity threshold of €22 000 exclusive of VAT  simplification measures, like introducing the declaration on honour and opening the procedures to businesses that don't have a reference yet.

http://marchespublics.wallonie.be

 

Cap’Ten (elected good European practice in 2008)

Cap’Ten stimulates entrepreneurship in primary school for children aged 10 to 12 using resources that sharpen their creativity, independence, openness, responsibility and communication skills. Participants pick their own challenge and exploit their personal talents with the support of a kit of project management tools specially suited to their age. A particular objective is to change the mindset in the EU Member States given the low number of people wanting to set up their own business. Moreover, the project offers a real methodology rather than just a ‘book of instructions’. Since  the launching of the project in 2004, more than 30 000 pupils in the French -speaking Community of Belgium have been involved. The scheme was tested in the Flemish Region of Belgium during the 2006/2007 school year.

http://www.ichec-pme.be

 

"Faites le test !" -"Do the test !" (elected good European practice in 2007)

"Faites le test !" - (“Do the test !”) is a web application, which allows any enterprise to know whether it is considered as a SME in accordance with the European definition (Recommendation of May 6th 2003, which entered into force on January 1st 2005). The results indicate whether the enterprise is a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise and whether it is an autonomous, partner or linked enterprise. On this basis, the enterprise can have access to the list of eligible aids in the Walloon Region at any level: local, provincial, regional, national or European.

http://easi.wallonie.be