Workshop Title: Empowering Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Leaders: Theory and Action
UK coordinator: Dr. Maksim Belitski
Turkish coordinator: Dr. Elif Kalayci
Discipline: Entrepreneurship, Public Policy, Leadership
Dates and venue: 21-26 May 2017, Atilim University – OSTIM Technopark, Ankara, Turkey
Turkish business has been viewed as a community of traders and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with relatively low research and development investment. The issue facing the country was not lack of startups and entrepreneurial spirit, but lack of economic growth over the last decade when compared to other European innovative regions. The region has many potential advantages for entrepreneurship, including government initiatives, tax benefits, well-educated and diverse workforce, geographical location, a strong engineering base. The commitment to developing a sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem is there, but requires better coordination and stronger leadership with various stakeholders to be involved: government and economic development sector, entrepreneurs and corporates, risk capital, technoparks and universities. Each stakeholder has a public commitment to accelerate the country’s ecosystem and framework.
The workshop invites UK, Turkish and international researchers towards solving the urgent, timely problem of development of the efficient entrepreneurial ecosystem first in Ankara and then in other Turkish regions based on a concept of shared leadership. The workshop will examine the role of shared leadership of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and design efficient mechanisms policy-makers and entrepreneurs can employ in order to promote growth for all.
The Newton Researcher Links programme, funded by the Newton – TUBITAK Partnership Programme, provides opportunities for the early career and experienced researchers in the UK and Turkey to share knowledge and build broad and effective collaborations of mutual benefits.
The workshop intends to bring together researchers, practitioners and other stakeholders including venture capital, policy-makers, NGOs and entrepreneurs themselves working or interested in the fields of high-tech start-ups, entrepreneurship, digital technologies, leadership and innovation.
We expect to discuss the merger of research and practice, see their implementations and evaluations, encourage the transition towards concrete projects where entrepreneurs get support from risk capital, private sector, universities and government. Participants are expected to leave with a better knowledge of current research and build networks, to have fruitful brainstorming sessions, generate new ideas and find partners to explore new opportunities. Discussion results will be posted after the workshop on-line on Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Research Network and be included in a final report to government, business and investors.
The focus of the workshop will be to create deep links that enable both sides to undertake innovative research and to establish a sustained exchange of knowledge and expertise between the researchers and businesses. Therefore, participants of this workshop will also benefit from the local and international networking opportunities.
We expect to see emerging trans-European collaborations as a result of this workshop, both between senior as well as between junior researchers, businesses and in terms of joint research with concrete outcomes, such as papers in internationally renowned venues. We also expect to see a faster impact of research results into formation of new businesses and practices, with long term benefit for the Turkish educational and business environment and economy, a rise in experts in vital domains, and in particular progress in supporting young entrepreneurs from low income regions. We expect to see further proposals for collaboration & funding emerging as a result, and follow-up of this international workshop.
For selected participants, Newton – TUBITAK Partnership Programme, through the British Council, will cover the costs related to the participation to the workshop, including travel (both international and local), accommodation and meals. Costs for the visa will be covered; however, participants will be responsible for making all the necessary arrangements. Participants must have travel and medical insurance.
The workshop will be of value to every business seeking to adapt to a new ecosystem of innovation and technology, building strong collaborative relationship with regulators and university scholars. The workshop will be of value to researchers and academicians aiming to research mechanisms of entrepreneurship ecosystem development, engage with business to validate their ideas and knowledge, build new networks with industry as well as to participate in design of new regulation and apply for further funding. Policy-makers and NGP will benefit by participating in a discussion on ‘ecosystem challenges’ from stakeholders and receive recommendations to be adopted quickly.
Application and Deadline:
Apply by completing an application via eelworkshopankara.com before
Deadline : 5 pm on 15h March 2017
Eligibility Criteria:
1. Applications must be submitted using the Researcher Links application form on eelworkshopankara.com
2. Application must be submitted by the above deadline in English
3. Participants must be early career researchers (with or without PhD) or established researchers to be fully funded. For the purposes of this workshop, early career researchers are defined to be either current postgraduate researchers or those who have been awarded their PhD within the last 10 years.
4. Business, NGO and public representatives from the UK and Turkey are invited to apply, however travel and accommodation costs cannot be claimed. There is no workshop participation fee.
Quality Assessment:
1. Experience and relevance of the applicant’s research area to the workshop
2. Motivation and contribution to the aims of the workshop
3. Description of the long-term impact expected through the participation in the workshop
4. Ability to disseminate workshop’s outcomes
Selection Procedure:
1. Eligibility check
2. Quality assessment
3. CV review
Notification of results:
Applicants will be notified by email on 1st of April on the acceptance.
Equal Opportunities
The British Council is committed to equal opportunities and diversity in all its activities and this includes the avoidance of any bias in the assessment of applications due to gender, disability, racial or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or religious belief. Participants’ selection undertaken by workshop organizers must not contravene this policy. Extra support to enable participation of early career researchers with special needs will be given.
