Incubation Centre of Creative Industrial Sectors Opened at University of Debrece22 February 2010
The Incubation Centre of Creative Industrial Sectors set up with the help of EU funding amounting to nearly 400 million HUF at the University of Debrecen and handed over on 19 February 2010 provides assistance for micro and small enterprises operating in the field of creative info-communication for less than three years or in the process of renewing their R+D+I activities as a part of the Silicon Field concept.
Beyond offices equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the centre adapted to the university campus equally offers a range of special developmental instruments – high value hardware and software – for enterprises relocating to these offices.
The renewal of the university’s former English teacher’s training institute has been completed and special info-communication equipment has also been installed, which is how the Incubation Centre of Creative Industrial Sectors at the University of Debrecen could be opened on 19 February. This Incubation Centre was set up as a key component of the Silicon Field project within the framework of the New Hungary Development Plan by investing EU funding amounting to 378 million HUF and contributing own funds exceeding this amount. The 1,197-square-metre area available in the centre provides the opportunity for young enterprises operating in the field of creative info-communication, ideally for less than three years, to develop by providing infrastructures and services to support these enterprises. In addition, enterprises renewing R+D+I activities or operating for more than three years may also lease offices, as well as equipment provided at the centre.
The building’s infrastructure meets the special needs of IT companies, offering the opportunity to lease high value hardware and software; in addition a broadband fibre optic cable network is accessible both inside and outside the building. This modern centre equally accessible for disabled persons, among others, also provides the opportunity for tenants to organise video conferences. The project managed by the Debrecen Info-park Non-profit Public Benefit Company Ltd. closely ties in with the Silicon Field Regional IT Cluster hosted by the University of Debrecen, which cluster has been established to develop the IT sector in the North Great Plain region and set up a cooperation network integrating companies and institutions operating in this sector. The establishment and development of this cluster and incubation centre, as well as the implementation of further strategic objectives of the Silicon Field concept may help the North Great Plain region evolve into the IT knowledge base of the eastern part of the Carpathian Basin.
"The IT Faculty of the University of Debrecen, as well as successfully operating companies that have already gained experiences on the market provide ongoing professional assistance for enterprises moving into the Incubation Centre of Creative Industrial Sectors, which is how ongoing technological transfer is promoted. Moreover, this centre also helps potential applicants find funding opportunities; mediates orders for companies and also actively engages in searching for international partners," highlighted Mr István Tóth, project manager, with regard to the opportunities available for enterprises moving into the centre.
UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN
The University of Debrecen founded 472 years ago and operating continuously ever since is the oldest higher institution in the country operating without interruption in the same city. With its 32,000 students and 1,500 lecturers and tutors, this is one of the biggest universities in the country offering the widest selection of education and research opportunities through its 15 faculties and 24 doctoral schools.
The way in which two-thirds of lecturers and tutors at the university are academics, out of which 26 are professors and permanent or associated members of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences indicates the quality of education and especially the standard of research work.
This exceptional intellectual hub and its huge educational and R+D capacities have an increasingly significant impact on the development of the region’s economy and society, as well as its cultural rise. The university is putting more and more energy into catering to the demands of a knowledge-based economy and society as effectively as possible and assuming the role of a regional knowledge centre.