Fostering REsearch-based Entrepreneurship and the development of spin-off companies in Central America – FREE Network Erasmus Project

Project Title

Fostering REsearch-based Entrepreneurship and the development of spin-off companies in Central America – FREE Network

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Capacity Building in higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics:

Project Summary

The Free Network project is a Joint Action to be implemented in Central America. Its general objective is improving business opportunities for research-based entrepreneurs, promoting spin-off services in Higher Education Institutions and strengthening the innovation ecosystem in Central America. The FREE Consortium identified a lack of institutional regulations supporting the creation and development of spin-off, and the absence in most of the Central America universities of specific units with qualified and skilled staff. As consequence there is a very limited capacity to exploit the research results coming from academic/research staff and students. In this context FREE proposes facilitating the creation and development of spin-off companies. The project specific objective is the creation and modernisation of spin-off support services within 12 CA Higher Education Institutions through institutional and capacity building and the use of a regional network and platform.The FREE Network activities, implemented by 12 CA HEIS and 3 EU HEIs, will include: – in-depth needs analysis on research-based entrepreneurship in PC will provide a good insight of the situation of the CA HEIs in terms of spin-off regulations and units supporting research-based entrepreneurs;- capacity building for Innovation Support Offices (ISO) staff;- creation/adaptation of ISOs with appropriate institutional legislation, qualified HR and relevant infrastructure for providing spin-off support services;- creation of a regional platform for transferring good practices and exploiting synergies at regional level; – an ambitious disseminating and exploitation strategy of the project outputs;

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 980035 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTE & Country: ES

Project Partners

• UNIVERSIDAD LATINOAMERICANA DE CIENCIAS Y TECNOLOGIA (ULACIT)
• UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA DE HONDURAS
• UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLOGICA DE HONDURAS
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI GENOVA
• UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLOGICA DE EL SALVADOR
• UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA DE NICARAGUA, LEON
• UNIVERSIDAD AMERICANA ASOCIACION