Quarterly Progress Report for the Period September – December 2011

The project's primary objective is to enhance entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for youth by providing them with the necessary support to use information and communication technologies (ICTs) to identify and exploit new opportunities. The PI project will achieve its objectives by establishing sustainable Business Innovation Centers (BICs) in Tuzla and Banja Luka. These centers will provide value-added services that enable SMEs and young market entrants to use ICTs to strengthen their competitiveness. The Business Innovation and Technology Center (BIT) in Tuzla and the Innovation Center in Banja Luka (ICBL) have been selected as partners for the establishment of the BICs. During the reporting period from September to December 2011, several significant accomplishments were made. The PI team visited the Microsoft Innovation Center in Varazdin, Croatia, and met with the director. Sample questionnaires have been developed for the market assessments, which will include face-to-face interviews with potential customers of the BICs and questionnaires distributed to companies that are not interviewed. The local government agencies in Tuzla and Banja Luka have committed to distributing the questionnaires. The PI team met with the director of the BIT, who expressed full commitment and support for the project, including financial support or in-kind support such as providing office space. The City of Tuzla has also expressed its support for the BIT and has committed to providing financial assistance to cover the operating expenses of the BIC and the ICBL. The Ministry of Development and Entrepreneurship of the Tuzla Canton has committed to supporting the PI project by being a partner and assisting during the market assessment. The Ministry of Education, Science, and Sports of the Tuzla Canton has also committed to supporting the project by being a partner and assisting during the market assessment. The PI team met with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering representatives to discuss potential collaboration between the BIC and the faculty. The faculty was initially reserved about the project but agreed to meet again to discuss it further. The Innovation Center in Banja Luka (ICBL) also made significant progress during the reporting period. The PI team met with the director of the ICBL and representatives of the Athene Prosjerteledelse, the organization that will provide management and technical assistance to the ICBL. The PI project has made significant progress in establishing partnerships with local government agencies, the City of Tuzla, and the Ministry of Development and Entrepreneurship of the Tuzla Canton. The project has also made progress in developing sample questionnaires for the market assessments and meeting with potential partners and stakeholders. The project's objective is to improve the competitiveness of SMEs and provide new opportunities for employment and self-employment for young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.