- Vaeksthus Business Development Centres create basis for success and growth
- Last month we reported on the recently established partnership between Copenhagen Cleantech Cluster and Denmark's Vaeksthus Business Development Centres. Here you can gain an insight into our new partner and how we can cooperate to advance the development and growth of Danish Cleantech companies.
The Vaeksthus Business Development Centres run Cleantech
Partnership, focusing on the growth of smaller cleantech companies.
The Vaeksthus Business Development Centres operate on two levels.
One level advises already established businesses by identifying
each company's opportunities and challenges, and then prepares a
plan for growth. The other level involves managing governmental or
regional initiative projects, such as promoting the cleantech
companies in the Danish capital region.
"The good idea does not sell itself. You need to know how to
develop it, market it, patent it, and how to run a company
economically. Otherwise you will be overtaken by others," says
Palle Weidlich, project manager at Vaeksthus Greater Copenhagen,
Cleantech Partnership.
"We help entrepreneurs and newly established companies make a good
start, and we provide various tools and not least a network that
provides these companies with a platform for future growth and
success."
In the future CCC will refer smaller cleantech companies to
the Vaeksthus Business Development Centres, which have the right
expertise to strengthen these companies. In addition to these
activities, CCC acts also as a link between the Vaeksthus Business
Development Centres and an international network. In this way the
collaboration contributes to strengthening the Danish cleantech
companies, which in the longer term can ensure Denmark a leading
global position.
Targeted programmes for growth
More specifically, as part of the Vaeksthus Business Development Centres, the Cleantech Partnership works with three programmes depending on which stage the companies are at.
- Cleantech 'Bubbling Up' helps students and entrepreneurs to establish companies, develop prototypes, apply for patents, contact networks and provides a mentor. In addition to these services, companies are advised on how to go about seeking capital.
- Cleantech Booster helps smaller, established companies prepare market analyses and strengthen the company's product targeting. Companies also gain insight into how to make contact with potential customers so they can learn more about how to market and sell their products.
- Cleantech Partnership is for established companies that need help to accelerate their growth. The Vaeksthus Business Development Centres advise on establishing partnerships with larger companies, including presentation methods and "speed dating" with potential partners.
Establishing contacts with the business sector
The Vaeksthus Business Development Centres establish contacts between newly formed companies and the business sector. One example is a company that has developed software that optimises electricity consumption by ensuring that costly energy-consuming processors are used at night, when electricity is cheaper. This software was first met with scepticism, but because the Vaeksthus Business Development Centres facilitated contact with IBM where the software was tested and approved, the company that developed the software now has a solid basis on which to build further success.
