UNDP launches its first Business Innovation Lab on the platform of Tekwill, ICT Center of Excellence

The Business Innovation Lab represents the first modern collaborative co-working space for local SMEs that will promote innovation. The Lab will offer tailored trainings and consultancy by international mentors in business innovation; it will also provide matching direct cash support to SMEs for collaborative innovation projects.

“UNDP’s Business Innovation Lab will bring SMEs from different sectors on one modern platform for innovation and knowledge sharing that goes beyond traditional sector development approaches. One will find here absolutely new solutions to cross-cutting constraints to business development in various sectors, including but limited to ICT”, mentioned Dumitru Vasilescu, Project Manager, during the launching of the Business Innovation Lab.

The lab will contribute to finding innovative solutions to sector and cross-sector problems and challenges in a collaborative manner. Since 2015, the pilot Lab has already provided such support to over 300 local companies, 80 of which received matching financial direct support on the basis of Moldova Innovation Challenge Scheme – a national innovation awards competition for SMEs.

Today, a new of call for proposals was launched. The amount of the award is up to 8,000 USD for a period of up to 1 year per collaborative innovation project.

UNDP’s Business Innovation Lab was established in the framework of the Project “Innovative business development for local sustainable economic growth”, funded by the Government of Norway and co-funded for the promotion of innovation in high value agriculture sector by the Government of Romania, as well as supported for its various components by several private sector companies.

Tekwill is the place where people, community, ideas, resources, science and industry meet to identify, facilitate and enhance excellence in information technology. Tekwill brings prestige and influences the tech sector, the host university (UTM), and to Moldova by directly contributing to the entrepreneurship ecosystem. In addition, Tekwill aims to improve the skills needed within the IT sector, thereby creating high quality and well paid jobs, and deterring the emigration of talented young people. By enabling the tech sector to continue to grow, Tekwill encourages local startups and existing companies to expand and attract international IT companies to invest in Moldova.