 Conference programme in .pdf |
 Print programme |
Day 1 – Thursday, March 27th 2008 |
| 8.30–9.30 | Registration |
| 9.30–10.00 |
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| 10.00–11.00 |
Terri Whitesel is the President and Founder of Interpret-Her™ a strategic marketing firm focused on the Social Media, Word of Mouth Marketing and the Women’s Market. A pioneer in the early days of the web, she developed the first two centralized interactive media units for a division of J. Walter Thompson Worldwide, where she and her team provided online media and web development strategies for clients as diverse as Dell, American Airlines, Federal Express, Microsoft, Steak N’ Shake and Kellogg. Today, Terri works with companies in industries as diverse as healthcare, retail and financial and insurance services, helping clients understand how to leverage web 2.0 strategies to build their brands and increase their bottom line!
Dušan Bušen has been the director of Automotive Cluster of Slovenia (ACS) since 2003. As a director has an important role at representing the Cluster in national and international environment. He was one of the initiators for developing network of automotive suppliers in South-eastern Europe in 2004. He was awarded to "the best cluster's manager of the year 2006" at the conference Europe INNOVA (Valencia 2006) for the excellence at managing ACS and achieving its sustainable development. In the past years ACS members have achieved a breakthrough on the world market. |
| 11.00–11.30 | Coffee break and Opening of the Arena Exhibition |
| 11.30–13.00 |  "Networking practice of big multinational company"Goran Radman, Chairman Eastern and Central Eastern Europe, Microsoft Corporation
Goran Radman joined Microsoft Corp. in 1996 as general manager of Microsoft Croatia. In his current role as chairman of Microsoft Eastern and Central Eastern Europe, he works with institutional and political communities to build strategic relationships and business within EU and enterprise and public-sector organisations in the region. Besides his role at Microsoft, Goran Radman is an active member of the National Competitiveness Council, a business advisory group to the Croatian Government.  "Networking in small fast-growing global high-tech company" Rok Uršič, Founder and CEO, Instrumentation Technologies Slovenia
Rok Uršič is founder and CEO of Instrumentation Technologies which has developed from a garage company into the global leader on the area of beam stabilisation instrumentation for particle accelerators. In the past 5 years the newest Synchrotron accelerators in process of construction all over the World choose their solutions. Among their buyers are the most prestigious institutions, such as CERN (Switzerland) and Stanford Linear Accelerator (USA). The success of this fast growing company is based on visionary decisions, lived and executed by group of passionate people, delivering state of the art solutions and mantaining operational exelence  "Regional networking for global Success – Cambridge Network"Prof. Alan Barrell, Entrepreneur in Residence, University of Cambridge Entrepreneurship Centre, UK
Following a scientific training and six years working in the hospital laboratory service, Alan Barrell has spent almost 30 years in senior executive positions in technology-based industries. He worked around the world with Baxter Healthcare, the world’s largest Health technology company, and was Chief Executive of Baxter UK for six years. Subsequently he switched industries and joined a very small ‘Cambridge Phenomenon’ company in industrial electronics; Domino Printing Sciences, as Managing Director. Alan stayed six years, during which time Domino grew internationally and was listed on the London Stock Exchange. He has also become closely associated with three Business Angel Groups in Cambridge. |
| 13.00–14.30 | Lunch |
| 14.30–16.00 |  "Technology Platforms as Networking Mechanism" Dr. Andraž Legat, director, Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, Slovenia Dr. Andraž Legat has been a director of Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute since 2005. He is also a vice-president of two important international associations, ENBRI (European Network of Building Research Institutes) and FEHRL (Federation of Highway Research Centres). Dr. Legat also works in the research area and takes an active part in technology platforms on national and international levels. As an expert he is involved in experts’ bodies of European Commission where he strives for active cooperation among science and industry and for participation of national industry in joint European researches. .thumb.jpg) "Third generation Science parks networking" Prof. John Allen, Pythia Consulting Limited, UK
Professor John Allen is a Fellow and past-Chairman of the UK Science Parks Association and has been a strategic consultant to UKSPA. In 1985, he became the first Chief Executive of the Newtech Science Park and Innovation Centre in North Wales. Between 1993 and 2000, he was Chief Executive of Manchester Science Park, with all three universities in Manchester among its shareholders. This profitable venture now has 80 companies and over 1,300 people working in them; some 30% of its tenant companies are university spin-offs. He has undertaken consultancy on incubators, science parks, academic/industry links and knowledge-based SME in 28 countries around the world. "The future of web-based Social networks"
 Dr. Les Squires, Co-founder and president, Word Jenny Inc., USA
Dr. Les Squires' middle name is Collaboration. Serving for 15 years on the 32,000 member Boston Computer Society, and having headed a Boston-based application development company for 25 years, he blends what makes for successful information technology projects and successful organizational development. Clients served include Microsoft, IBM, Massachusetts DOE, Dynamics Research Corporation, New England Telephone, Parker Brothers, SAAB, Disney, LoJack and many more. Squires believes that the dialogue is a company's most valuable asset. |
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| 16.00–16.30 | Coffee Break |
| 16.30–18.00 | "NETWORKING: FASHION TREND OR SERIOUS BUSINESS NEED?" Round table: • Dr. Bor Rozman, Executive Director of Marketing, HRM and Legal Matters, Merkur, Slovenia • Prof. Slavica Singer, University of Osijek, Croatia • Miloš Ebner, MBA, Design and R&D Director, Trimo, Slovenia • Dr. Les Squires, Co-founder and president, Word Jenny Inc., USA • Rok Uršič, Founder and CEO, Instrumentation Technologies, Slovenia     Chair: Peter Frankl, Director and Chief Editor, Business Daily Finance, Slovenia |
| 18.00–19.00 | Start:up Coctail Break |
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19.00–20.00
Winners
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 Slovenian start-up competition: Start:up Slovenija 2007/08In the frame of the Conference the prize winner award ceremony of the Slovenian start-up competition Start:up Slovenija will take place. Venture Factory and project partners created an annual award to recognize the efforts of early-stage companies that need informal and formal investors and business partners to create successful businesses. The selection of the Start-up of the Year is based upon the evaluation of business plans and presentations before the award committee.
  Concert: Katja Koren & Band   
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| 20.00 | Gala dinner |
"Creating Alliances to enlarge business opportunities"
Day 2 - Friday, 28th March 2008
.| 8.30-9.00 |
Registration |
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| 9.00-10.30 |  "Know-Who Based Entrepreneurship in Practice - How Porsche, Bang & Olufsen and Volvo Drive Innovation Leadership"Prof. Sigvald J. Harryson, Visiting Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark, and Director of the Growth Through Innovation Program, Baltic Business School, Sweden
Prof. Sigvald J. Harryson is combining academic research and close collaboration with a large number of innovation leaders such as ABB, Bang & Olufsen, BMW, Nestlé, Volvo Cars, Porsche, Procter & Gamble, Stora Enso and Tetra Pak. The consulting experience of Prof. Harryson is focused on critical dimensions of “Growth Through Innovation” – based on networked knowledge creation crossing public and corporate boundaries. His academic experience covers the universities of St.Gallen, Lausanne and Lund – prior to his current positions at Copenhagen Business School and the Baltic Business School.  "Networking for effective technology transfer" Prof. Antti Paasio, Turku School of Economics, Finland
Professor Antti Paasio has extensive experience in the field of entrepreneurship and working with small businesses, both in Finland and internationally. He took part in the establishment of the Business Research & Development Centre (BRDC) at Turku School of Economics & Business Administration in 1986 and has been the director of BRDC from 1989 onwards. In July 2003 he was appointed as the President of European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ECSB) and he is also the Head Teacher of Entrepreneurship Studies in TSEBA. |
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| 10.30-11.00 | Coffee break | |
TRACK 1: Business Networking Training |
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| 11.00-15.00 |
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| 15.00-17.00 | Lunch | |
TRACK 2 |
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| 11.00-12.30 |
12 minute paper presentations followed by Round table discussion: |
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| 12.30-13.00 | Coffee break | |
| 13.00-15.00 | 12 minute paper presentations followed by round table discussion: • "Networking for Internationalization", Lesjak I. (Slovenia): • "Broadening opportunities: move fast through informal investors networks", Melasecche Germini A., Di Anselmo A., Mazgan N. (Italy, Slovenia) • "The role of universities in cluster development, BBU case", Chis A., Lacurezeanu R., Nistor R.L., Bacila M-F. (Romania) • "Universities are creating new type of networks: student spin-off models", Nagy E.E. (Hungary) • "The effect of networking on technology and innovation management at Jožef Stefan Institute", Stres Š. (Slovenia) • "Patras science park leading a bilateral project for regional growth: experiences and lessons learnt", Stefanou F., Stylios C., Groumpos P. (Greece) |
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| 15.00-17.00 | Lunch | |
TRACK 3 |
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| 11.00-12.30 | 12 minute paper presentations followed by round table discussion: • "Systemic thinking and ethics of interdependence as a the background of the power of networking", Mulej M., Potočan V., Kajzer Š., Ženko Z., Mulej N., Rosi B., Mlakar T., Škafar B. (Slovenia) • "How to get the most out of the networking & innovation process - the partnering approach: partner relationship management at Muenster university of applied sciences", Baaken T., Kliewe T., Davey T. (Germany) • "Getting into" social software: take the experience of IBM", Grum B. (Slovenia) • "The role of external actors and networking in the competitiveness of Hungarian companies", Sass M. (Hungary) • "Flying cross-border to entrepreneurs? Business angels in Slovenia", Vadnjal J., Vadnjal M. (Slovenia) |
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| 12.30-13.00 | Coffee break | |
| 13.00-15.00 | 12 minute paper presentations followed by round table discussion: • "Innovation success in SMEs and the role of networking agencies: a study of SMEs in West Midlands", Sundaram U., Roberts G. (United Kingdom) • "Hungarian innovation networks", Barta E. (Hungary) • "Tourist cluster for growth and employment in innovative EU regions – Slovenian initiative", Rangus V., Mršol N., Stanič U. (Slovenia) • "Synergetic effects of vertical and horizontal integrations for more efficient R&D activities – ACS case study", Bušen D., Orbanič P. (Slovenia) • "Introduction of a model fostering innovations and the competitiveness at the regional level", Rogina D., Vodeb D. (Slovenia) |
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| 15.00-17.00 | Lunch | |
TRACK 4: Microsoft Entrepreneurship ForumForum organiser: |
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| 11.00-11.20 |
Opening Addresses: Prof. Ivan Rozman, Rector of University of Maribor, Peter Ješovnik, Msc., Director of Public Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments - JAPTI, Dr. Aleš Mihelič, Director of General-Technology Directorate at Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Techology of the Republic of Slovenia;
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| 11.20-12.00 | “BUILDING ON YOUNG POTENTIAL AND DEVELOPING LEADERS OF TOMORROW” Matej Potokar, General manager, Microsoft d.o.o., SloveniaBEST PRACTICE: "High-tech entrepreneurs from former Imagine Cup teams" Enterprise Inova IT, Slovenia |
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| 12.00-12.30 | “MICROSOFT INTERNSHIP PROGRAMMES FOR EU STUDENTS”.thumb.jpg) Hans Jørgen Skovgaard, Microsoft Development Center Copenhagen, Denmark
Hans Skovgaard drives the Microsoft Dynamics AX Supply Chain Management (SCM) development organization at the Microsoft Development Center in Copenhagen. As part of the Navision acquisition by Microsoft he facilitated and managed the introduction of engineering excellence initiatives, aligned developer competence, built new teams and organized training for new developers. Prior to his engagement with Microsoft he was at Mondosoft, a search engine company. Katja Prnaver, Former intern at MDCC, Slovenija |
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| 12.30-13.00 | Coffee break | |
| 13.00-14.30 |
"CREATING OWN FUTURE AS YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR: DREAM OR REALITY?" |
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| 14.30-15.00 | Discussion | |
| 15.00-17.00 | Lunch |
Networking is more than a stack of business cards. It's about relationship building and making yourself and your company attractive to people in a way they hadn't realised before. It's about developing your business, not cramming it down someone's throat. However, not everyone thinks they have good networking skills. They look at other people who appear to be at ease in the networking arena, and think, "Born socialiser. I could never do that".
Miloš Čirič is Counsellor to the Chairman of the Board at 
Post Conference Workshop Date: Saturday, March 29th Time: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Place: Tovarna podjemov (Venture Fctory), Svetozarevska 6, 2000 Maribor |
| 9.00 -14.00 |
Implementing Social Networks: Let’s DO It! Dr. Les Squires will conduct a workshop on social networks on Saturday following the conference. Squires believes that the best way to understand the power of social networking is to build and actually use one. Tools used in this workshop are free of charge to install and use: Skype in Ning. It is recommendable that you bring your personal computer to the workshop. Objectives :
Registration and More information: Uroš Turnšek, |