A successful kickoff for the BIC of CERN Technologies Program

Launched this summer by PARK INNOVAARE, CERN, the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), the Business Incubation Centre (BIC) of CERN Technologies is off to a good start. With over thirty interested founders, startups and SMEs from eleven countries, the program is of interest for a large variety of technologies and applications.

The Business Incubation Centre (BIC) of CERN Technologies at PARK INNOVAARE is one of ten such incubators in Europe. It supports start-ups, spin-offs, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in implementing innovative accelerator-based technologies and in transforming them from technical concepts into groundbreaking products or services. The incubatees benefit from extensive technological support from CERN and PSI experts, business coaching, and – last but not least – starting capital of CHF 50,000.

Last week, Phase I of the competition was completed. Thirty-two applicants presented a short overview of their idea/project. The proposals came from eleven different countries and covered a wide range of technology fields: drug discovery and non-invasive treatments, security scanning, imaging technologies, non-destructive testing, sensor technologies, and even optimized agriculture. "We couldn't be happier with the outcome of Phase I of the program. The variety of ideas and applications is inspiring", says Dr. Francesco Colonna, the responsible program expert from PARK INNOVAARE.

Supported by an assigned technology expert, the best applicants have now been invited to prepare a business plan. Based on this business plan and a two-day workshop, including a pitch session, an independent selection committee will choose the project that will take part in a two-year incubation program at PARK INNOVAARE. The BIC of CERN Technologies foresees up to three incubatees per year. The incubatees for 2018 will be presented on November 12 at the StartUpForum Aargau, a well-established innovation congress in Brugg-Windisch. This initiative not only opens up new opportunities for young companies but also fosters an entrepreneurial spirit and technological progress.

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