By Bernadette Andrietti, Vice President Sales & Marketing, Marketing Director, Intel EMEA
In recent months we’ve seen students across the world receiving their exam results and making decisions that will determine their futures. Many will go to University, others will start apprenticeships and a handful will make the brave decision to start their own businesses.
There has been a concerted effort in recent years – particularly since the recession began in 2008 – to support these individuals who take the plunge to make their business idea a reality. In fact, the European Commission launched the Entrepreneurship Action Plan that aims to ‘unleash Europe's entrepreneurial potential, to remove existing obstacles and to revolutionise the culture of entrepreneurship in Europe’*. The aim is to create an environment by 2020 where entrepreneurialism can grow, supporting innovators right from early education all the way to the point where they seek investors in their businesses.
The main reason entrepreneurship has been exalted so highly in recent years is clear: entrepreneurs not only create jobs for themselves and others, but they often play a crucial role in helping economies survive and flourish in an increasingly competitive global market. However, the benefits do not stop at economic rewards. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2013 Global Report, entrepreneurs are among the happiest individuals across the globe when it comes to well-being and satisfaction with their work conditions.
However, in recent years we have seen an even more important and far-reaching benefit of entrepreneurship materialise. Increasingly we are seeing entrepreneurs attempting to solve issues within our society. From smart parking to reducing congestion and healthcare apps that enable remote patient monitoring, today’s entrepreneurs are paving the way to create the smart cities of tomorrow.
This is something we have seen across a number of science, engineering and entrepreneurship initiatives that Intel runs around the globe. Take the Intel Business Challenge, the European finals of which have just taken place in Vilnius. The finalists were challenged to develop innovative products, smart technologies and interactive mobile applications across sectors including healthcare, energy and nanotechnology. The entrants did not disappoint, with the top five winning entries including Neuron Guard, an innovative medical start-up offering a solution for patients with Acute Brain Damage and Karisma Kidz, an online platform to nurture emotional intelligence in young children.
Innovations like these reinforce the importance of entrepreneurialism in today’s world. When businesses, policy makers and educational institutions collaborate, we can offer the ‘perfect storm’ for innovators, scientists and future business leaders who can take a lightbulb moment and turn it into a reality. When this complex mix of ingredients come together, we can create a fertile ground for the entrepreneurialism upon which the future of our economies and societies depend.
* European Commission: Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/entrepreneurship-2020/index_en.htm
