Events

Iulia Iabanji, Director-General of ODIMM, mentioned that this competition highlights all the successes and good practices of the incubator and creates new opportunities for the development of the SME sector in the regions, contributing to the economic development of the country.

According to the Director of ODIMM, business incubators have become successful histories in developing entrepreneurship in the Republic of Moldova and are set to develop further, as the results achieved show an acceleration of entrepreneurial activity in the districts where the business incubators were opened.

Vitalie Iurcu, Viceministru of Economy, congratulated the winner of the competition, appreciating the performance of the Nisporeni Incubator this year and mentioned that the work done by incubator managers through their activities it contributes to the development of the regional economy, stimulates the creation of new companies and contributes to the creation of new jobs.

According to Vitalie Iurcu, the Government is constantly seeking solutions to improve the business climate in the country in order to create better conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises to operate. The Deputy Minister for the Economy mentioned the legislative changes made in this regard, including the optimisation of the number of permissive acts for starting and developing businesses, the creation of a one-stop shop where entrepreneurs and future entrepreneurs can find out about businesses, etc. The Deputy Minister also spoke of a new government initiative, expected next year, to provide support for companies that increase the number of employees.

Liliana Babără, the administrator of the Soroca Business Incubator and the new chair of the RIAM Board of Directors, mentioned that training and mentoring programmes should be implemented to improve the efficiency of business incubators. This year, incubators can enjoy an increasing number of residents, which has also led to the creation of new jobs.

Participants in the meeting spoke openly about the problems, constraints and demands of small and medium-sized enterprises in the country’s regions. Incubator managers mentioned the need for more active involvement of local public administration in supporting the business environment by taking on responsibilities related to infrastructure, participation in events and other common issues. At the same time, the importance of adapting the existing legislation in order to give more freedom to entrepreneurs and reduce bureaucratic procedures was underlined. At the same time, entrepreneurship representatives asked the Ministry for involvement to facilitate entrepreneurs’ access to funds and the granting of tax breaks to incubator residents similar to those for businesses in Free Economic Zones.

The Network of Business Incubators in Moldova (RIAM) was established by ODIMM with the support of the European Union in 2013. The network currently includes 9 Business Incubators and a further 2017 Business Incubators are expected to be opened in Cahul and Calarasi in 2.

The 9 incubators currently employ 147 resident companies, of which 72 are female-founded companies. In total, incubators provide 660 jobs. In 2016, a new reporting system was introduced and a string of information sessions attended by more than 300 participants, who were informed about all ODIMM programmes. ODIMM also managed this year to sign two Collaboration Agreements with the Romanian Association of Incubators and Business Centres (AICAR) and Galați Industrial Park.

The Nisporeni Business Incubator (IAN) is a non-profit institution that gives entrepreneurs with ideas and business plans the chance to realise them in a favourable environment. The official opening of the Incubator took place on 30.7.2014. The business incubator in Nisporeni has an incubation rate of 91 %. Several foreign-funded economic development projects were implemented during 2016. The Incubator is active in 29 companies in the field of manufacturing and provision of services. The companies’ turnover amounts to approximately RON 36 million and the amount of taxes paid is RON 1.2 million.