Focus

In the areas outlined below, BTDS has the resources and experience to transform client concepts into results.
A significant proportion of our activities has been on behalf of multilateral and bilateral agencies.

Design and Operation of Incubator Programs

BTDS has collaborated with the China TORCH program since it's inception. Our involvement has helped transform innovation centers in Beijing, Suzhou, Chongqing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Chengdu, Tianjin and Xi'an into international business incubators, for facilitating entry of overseas ventures into the Chinese market.

The major concern in Egypt - as in many countries - is creating good jobs for new entrants to the work force and others seeking fresh opportunities after enterprise restructuring. For the Social Fund for Development, BTDS provided business plans, operational services and manuals for incubators in Mansura, Tala, and Luxor as well as a national master plan.

The pilot incubators established with our support at Solo, Serpong and Surabaya in Indonesia have triggered facilities in Bogor, Bandung and Malang. We then prepared a master plan for 20 incubators linked to universities outside Java.

In Uzbekistan, technology incubators in Tashkent and Samarkand are helping to revive the entrepreneurial spirit, involve women and reinforce government policies supportive of the private sector. Further, BTDS has catalyzed the development of the national incubator program, comprising 23 incubators.

Project Noah of South African Breweries, South Africa, is an innovative program to develop alternative livelihoods for historically disadvantaged people. A key component is the business incubator on which BTDS has provided strategic inputs. Incubators for empowerment have also been assisted in Kimberley and the Natal Technikon, Durban.

In the United States, BTDS under the aegis of Kingsbury International Ltd., has participated in the planning of a business incubator on the site of an Air Force base in Indiana. Incubators have also been initiated in Albania, Syria, Korea, Thailand, Morocco, India, Poland, Uruguay, and Mauritius.

Management Capabilities

BTDS has implemented a major program to enhance the management of the innovation-incubation-enterprise system at Technology Park Malaysia, near Kuala Lumpur. This included workshops, expert missions and hands-on experience abroad.

Workshops for incubator managers have been run in Romania under a European Union program, in Egypt, Mexico and Indonesia, for international managers in Shanghai, China and Glasgow, Scotland, and for task managers at the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation.

An incubator managers training institute is being prepared together with the Centre for Strategy and Evaluation services, London, UK, and the Athena Incubator, Nicosia, Cyprus, as well as a comprehensive lecture course on incubation covering nine major cities in Japan.

We have assisted in the preparation of a program for technological entrepreneurship development in Arab states, and a similar program in Mexico.

Business Planning

Starting with reconnaissance missions and entrepreneurship surveys, BTDS has completed business plans to start business incubator and technology parks in Mexico, Turkey and Palestine.

We served as retainer consultant to Fundaçion Biominas, Brazil, on the establishment of their biotechnology incubator. In Colombia, assistance was provided to Corporaçion Innovar in promoting innovation. The Panama Technology Business Accelerator was planned with support from the Inter-American Development Bank. For Russia, plans were prepared for the Baltic International Technopark and for incubators in Krasnodar.

In South Africa, BTDS worked on the USAID supported Equity Access System (EASY) Initiative to identify previously disadvantaged small ventures, help develop them to the bankable stage and mobilize appropriate financing. Also on the EastCoast Biotechnology Regional Innovation Center, Natal.

Program Evaluations

BTDS undertook an evaluation of the USAID business incubator program in the Ukraine, and assisted in formulating a modified strategy. Evaluations have been undertaken on support private sector development in Sri Lanka and small enterprise promotion in Bhutan, the UNDP technical cooperation progam in Jordan, and the women's microcredit program in Tianjin, China.

Together with BTDS affiliate, Centre for Strategy and Evaluation Services, UK, we have undertaken a benchmarking exercise on European incubators for the European Union.

BTDS analyzed the "Essentials of Lessons Learned" from evaluations of UNDP technical assistance for Small Enterprise Development and Entrepreneurship Promotion.

Applied Policy Research

BTDS has formulated a strategic plan for UNIDO, on Development of Business Incubation Systems World-wide. For UNDP, UNIDO and Organization of American States, a comprehensive assessment was pre-pared on Business Incubators in Economic Development based on analyses in Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland and Turkey.

With UNDP, BTDS organized a workshop in China on small enterprise support mechanisms in transitional economies, together with a guidebook entitled Support-ing the Start and Growth of New Enterprises. For UNESCO, a Manual on Planning and Operating Technology Business Incubators. For UNIDO a Long-term Business Incubation Strategy. For UNESCWA plans for venture creation in Arab states. For UNESCAP strategy for technology incubators in Asia.

For the Committee of Donor Agencies for Small Enterprise Development, Rio, BTDS prepared a case study on the effectiveness, impact and sustainability of Technology Business Incubators in Brazil.

Competitiveness Strategies

In Mexico, BTDS carried out analyses on promoting technology-based industrial development. Studies were prepared on establishing an innovation center to serve as a bridge between U-Tech Jamaica and social needs. Advice was provided to the government of Brazil on its Projet Inventiva, designed to facilitate the commercialization of innovations.

In India, a major technical assistance program has been formulated for applying technology to human development and industrial competitiveness. In Bangladesh and Pakistan, work focused on endogenous capabilities for rural communities.

Financing Technology

For FAPEMIG in Brazil, a program was established to manage a fund derived from state levies, in order to finance scientific research, product development and upgrading laboratories.

In Turkey, BTDS participated in setting up the World Bank supported Technology Development Foundation, whose mandate is to provide matching research grants and undertake strategic studies.

A venture capital facility is being linked to a technology incubator in southwest Australia.