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Cross-border
economic
development
Project factsheets
Cross-Border Project Cafés
What do these cross-border
Project Cafés consist of?
The cross-border Project Cafés (“Cafés à Projets” in French) were
initiated in November 2012 by Start Hop, a French cooperative based
in Strasbourg and Offenburg that provides advice on business creation
and is charged with promoting economic projects, in partnership with
the Urban Community of Strasbourg, the Strasbourg Jobs and Training
Centre (Maison de l’Emploi et de la Formation de Strasbourg) and the
Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict.
Based on the observation that French and German
entrepreneurs only rarely include the other side of the Rhine in
their market studies and find it difficult to project themselves
into the neighbouring territory, Start Hop’s aim is to promote
business creation across the Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict
by organising thematic “project cafés” to which people with
business projects, business starters and young entrepreneurs
are invited.
Experienced business owners also take part to contribute and exchange
ideas about the way business creation works in the neighbouring country.
Start Hop provides information to participants about the resources
available in the region (networks, advisers, business-clubs, business
incubators, etc.).
Since the project was launched, eight thematic Project Cafés have
been held in Strasbourg, Kehl and Offenburg on:
Ì
Ì
Financing
Ì
Ì
How to develop one’s clientele
Ì
Ì
Location
Ì
Ì
Web-marketing and social media – differences and similarities
between France and Germany
Ì
Ì
Speed meeting: partnerships in the Eurodistrict
Ì
Ì
Creativity and innovation in the Eurodistrict: one entrepreneur –
one project
Ì
Ì
Student entrepreneurship in the Eurodistrict
Ì
Ì
Wirtschaftsforum – best practice: the players in innovation.
Each Project Café comprises around 50 participants on average,
the majority of whom are French (68%), which is explained by
the strong interest in business creation against a backdrop of
high unemployment in Alsace
, but also of development of tools to
support business start-ups (incubators, cooperatives, etc.). People
with business projects can have an individual consultation with Start
Hop at the end of the meeting to better assess their needs (financing,
premises, etc.) and to direct them where necessary to the appropriate
players. Additional workshops for smaller groups of participants have
also been offered in order to supplement the discussions initiated at
the Project Cafés. An account of each thematic session is published
on Start Hop’s blogs (novoeco.info, starthop.eu) and on the website
of the Strasbourg Jobs and Training Centre.
Project factsheet
Cross-Border
Project Cafés
Border
France-Germany
Territory
Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict
Duration/date
Since November 2012
Partners
Start Hop; Urban Community of Strasbourg, Strasbourg Jobs and Training Centre, Strasbourg-Ortenau
Eurodistrict
Objective
Business creation
Main activity
Organisation of thematic “project cafés” bringing together budding entrepreneurs and heads of businesses
to discuss setting up a business in the neighbouring country