Interreg IVB Application/TESLA

Líonra is a member of a Transnational Consortium which has submitted an application for funding under the Interreg IVB programme in respect of a project entitled – “Transnational Ecosystem - Laboratory & Actions; acronym for the project is ‘TESLA’.

Rationale for Project
The project is focused on the NWE area where there is policy emphasis at national and regional levels on supporting the development of High Potential Knowledge Intensive Enterprises (HPKIEs) as a means of expanding knowledge-based enterprises leading to high value employment and sustainable regional economic development. HPKIEs are being targeted for support by regional development and enterprise support agencies as well as by technology transfer, incubation and commercialisation services provided by HEIs.

HPKIEs tend to have the following characteristics:

• Operate in sectors with high growth and employment creation potential
• Are technology-based
• Aim to achieve internationalisation early in their development
• Possess high levels of entrepreneurial capability

The TESLA transnational cooperation project aims to create an ecosystem in which best practices in accelerating the progression of potential HPKI enterprises will be transferred between partner regions and the lessons will be disseminated throughout the NWE area and the EU.

Composition of Transnational Consortium

• Border, Midland and West Regional Assembly, Ireland (LEAD PARTNER)
• Líonra, Ireland
• Cork Institute of Technology, Ireland
• University of Bangor, Wales, UK
• European BIC Network (EBN), Brussels, Belgium
• University of Tilburg, Netherlands
• INI – Novation GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
• Laval Mayenne Technopole, Pays de la Loire, France

Responsibility Allocation within the consortium:

• Project Co-ordination and Financial Management & Communications: BMW
• WP. Driving Innovation: EBN
• WP. Internationalisation: CIT
• WP. Skills & Capabilities: University of Bangor
• WP. Entrepreneurial Finance & Procurement: University of Tilburg
• WP. Best Practice & Case Studies: University of Tilburg
• WP. Evaluation & Monitoring: Líonra

Final Conference will be held in the BMW Region