Some people think that everything has already been invented. But that’s not the case. At the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), they’re always ready to listen to ideas from students and graduates.
"Their vision of entrepreneurship motivates them to 'develop entrepreneurial individuals who, as a result of their attitude and training, are capable of innovating and starting businesses—which means that the focus is not on the idea but on the person,' notes Enrique Topolansky, coordinator of the CIE."
The projects accepted by the Center must be dynamic, with the potential for growth, international expansion, and job creation.
The CIE offers various courses and seminars designed to provide theoretical and practical training for future entrepreneurs.
Topolansky then goes into more detail about the CIE and its purpose:
When was the CIE established?
The CIE emerged as a natural evolution of various initiatives that the School of Engineering had been carrying out for more than 20 years, when it began working to foster a proactive attitude among its students.
This eventually led to what we now know as an entrepreneurial culture. It was recognized that this initiative could be replicated in the university’s other schools.
In 2000, in partnership with the Technological Laboratory of Uruguay (LATU), we achieved a milestone by establishing Ingenio, Uruguay’s first technology-based incubator, with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank.
Since then, a course of action was established that involved adjustments to the university’s curriculum and the creation of specialized units such as Vincular and the Center for Technological Entrepreneurship (CET), which laid the groundwork for the founding of the CIE in 2008.
What were its founding objectives?
The CIE serves several purposes:
- Foster innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset;
- Contribute to the country’s development through the transfer of knowledge and innovations generated at the university;
- Promote a dynamic culture of collaboration for productive purposes;
- Identify the university’s existing resources and capabilities, as well as the demand and opportunities arising in the country;
- Generate joint academia-industry projects;
- Develop support services for innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology transfer.
We aim to nurture entrepreneurial individuals who, thanks to their attitude and training, are capable of innovating and taking initiative—which means that the focus is not on the idea, but on the person.
The projects accepted by the CIE must be dynamic: capable of growth, internationalization, and job creation.
If the proposed project is aimed at creating self-employment, then it is not within the CIE's scope.
Do the projects need to be related to technology in some way?
The vast majority of projects focus on new technologies. However, this is not a limiting factor if we see that the idea has potential.
It is becoming increasingly common to see projects led by entrepreneurs in the fields of communications and business administration that are not necessarily technology-based.
What services does the CIE offer?
We provide entrepreneurship training through courses and mentoring sessions that equip students with the knowledge and skills they need as entrepreneurs, enabling them to introduce innovation processes into organizations—including product innovation, process innovation, idea generation, and opportunity identification.
In addition, we offer a pre-incubation service through annual calls for proposals for innovative ideas.
We also offer support and guidance, as well as regular, personalized interactions with business owners, professionals, and experienced consultants.
How do you guide and work with students or graduates who present their ideas to you?
Once a student or graduate sees that there is a place for them at the CIE, they complete an application, which is reviewed by the pre-incubator, and they are invited to present their idea to the Startup Selection Committee.
Students or graduates who have submitted their applications then attend a workshop to learn the art of presenting projects (known as an “elevator pitch”), with the aim of making a stronger impression on the panel, as has minutes to present their idea to the committee and 15 minutes to defend it.
If the project is accepted, the student is notified and assigned a mentor to work with them for a period ranging from six months to a year, with the goal of turning the idea into a business plan.
If it is not accepted, feedback and support are provided to the group to help them improve the project.
What did this year's Idea Generation Workshop entail?
The workshop is ideal for bringing together students from different departments, allowing them to get to know one another and break out of their comfort zones, challenging the preconceptions shaped by their respective academic backgrounds.
This workshop has the dual objective of recruiting entrepreneurs for the CIE and identifying projects that span multiple departments.
They also organized the First Seminar on Social Entrepreneurship in Uruguay... What is the particular significance of this type of initiative for the country?
Social projects in Uruguay and many other parts of the world are viewed as mere volunteerism—something that needs to be done, but people has tools and methodology to carry them out professionally.
That is why we at the CIE have decided to promote social enterprises with a business philosophy; in other words, the mission of a nongovernmental organization combined with the vision of a business.
We believe that for a social project to be successful, it must be sustainable and create the conditions necessary to solve the problem at hand.
If the project is dependent on the policies of the government in power, it cannot be sustained over time.
That is why we decided to bring this issue to the public’s attention and reflect on it; we discovered that there was an organization, Ashoka, that shared our concerns, and we organized this first seminar to demonstrate that it is possible to be a social entrepreneur while relying on a professional team that addresses social issues using a business philosophy and methodology.
Social entrepreneurs play a central role in the development of society because they identify solutions and implement them to address problems that affect us as a country—problems that, in general, business entrepreneurs do not address.
How did the idea for Camino TICs come about?
Camino TICs was created with the goal of helping to reduce poverty by integrating vulnerable youth into the technical and vocational training program offered by Universidad ORT Uruguay.
We developed a strategy to attract young people, engage them, and provide them with training and a pathway to social and labor market integration.
We are living in a time when it is not enough to teach people how to fish; we must create the conditions that make fishing possible.
With this in mind, we have partnered with the members of the Aguada Rotary Club and the Uruguayan Chamber of Information Technology (Cuti).
Each institution contributed its best. Universidad ORT Uruguay provided the training and project implementation. The Rotarians provided a network of mentors who give the young people the support they need to succeed and serve as their first point of social reference. And Cuti provided employment opportunities.
The project was made possible with the support of the European Union, which provided the initial funding to launch the initiative.
Camino TICs aims to recruit 100 young people over the next three years; in 2010, more than 50 young people applied, and we enrolled 24 of them.
The goal is to ensure the project’s long-term sustainability, which is why we are inviting private companies to contribute funds—in accordance with current legislation governing donations to private universities—that will enable us to continue providing scholarships to young people and promoting their social inclusion.
The initiative currently has support of Cutcsa and Copsa, and other private companies are considering joining.
Five startups incubated by the CIE were finalists in the 2010 Emprendedores en la Mira competition, and one of them took second place. What does this mean for the Center?
Every time an entrepreneur wins a competition, it is a great honor, as it represents the culmination of the daily efforts we make to train, promote, and build networks for entrepreneurs at Universidad ORT Uruguay.
2009 was a successful year, highlighted by the awards presented to PRO Internacional, Kizanaro, Dvelop, Estudio EGG, and Evolutiva.