The Kosovo Virtual Incubator and the Start Up Center were inaugurated in the UBT
03/06/2015In a ceremony held today at the UBT, the Kosovo Virtual Incubator and Start Up Center in the UBT were inaugurated today, created with the support of the Embassy of the United States of America in Prishtina.
Present at the ceremony were the Head of the Entrepreneurship Project of the US Embassy, Mr. Kanishka Gangopadhyay, representatives of institutions and business, other guests, teachers, students and media representatives.
Besides the inaugurated project today, the US Embassy has supported the business-plan competition for the students of the UBT, whereas within the project the magazine “UBT Entrepreneurship Journal” has been also published, in which a range of activities are published, and former students of the UBT, successful in their businesses, have been presented.
“This moment is historical. A virtual incubator of Kosovo. We have also stressed it in the conclusion of the first part of the project – Our mission, our vision, our dream is being realized with the help of the US Embassy. It is a process which helps all these participants. The first point is that the UBT has a program for Business and Technology. Schools which have the opportunity to generate ideas and products. UBT is the largest school of the ICT in the Balkans. We must use this part to enable the students to create entrepreneurships. To support them and to generate new working places and to create enterprises in Kosovo. These are all the conditions for us to support development”, stressed the rector of the UBT, Prof. Dr. Edmond Hajrizi, speaking at the ceremony.
According to him, the virtualization of the incubator enables them to be supported from the physical form in the virtual form. “We have regional support. I think there will be more results. We have tested it at the UBT, it has the networking part, the private part, etc. So it has all we need”, continued Hajrizi.
Mr. Hajrizi noted that new ideas will be supported from the entrepreneurial corner. “With the support of the US Embassy we have managed to create this. In all the cities we will create such a corner. With this a decentralization/regionalization is created. We will support all the businesses, but innovation will have priority”, stressed Mr. Hajrizi.
Related to innovation, he reminded that the students of the UBT have taken the first place at NASA with their ideas.
He also said that the UBT is one of the only higher education institute which has professional subjects.
“We need to identify the part of the most distinguished people. How many of them will register businesses, we will try to create as many spin offs as possible, in cooperation between the UBT and other businesses. We expect grants also from the Government of Kosovo. We have received the confirmations from all the banks, even from TEB in this case that they want to help women’s businesses”, stressed Dr. Hajrizi.
Dr. Hajrizi announced that the first users have already been selected and will have the opportunity to use this program.
“”This month, or this time slot, it’s the time of support from the American people who helped us with the opening of the library and now with this program as well”, said among other things Dr. Hajrizi.
The Project Coordinator, Mr. Naim Preniqi initially expressed gratitude to the US Embassy and for the other participants in this project.
“The goal has been to form the Entrepreneurship Centre at the UBT. The project started in 2014. Initially about 150 students participated in it, out of them came out 40 business-plans which have passed a stage of monitoring from the teachers. Some of them who were more successful were awarded with certificates. One of the other points of the incubator has been the establishment of the virtual incubator, where there were presentations during October and November of the previous year. In the establishment of the incubator American experts have helped”, said Mr. Preniqi.
Related to the support of businesses in the field of information technology spoke Betim Gashi, who emphasized that young entrepreneurs will be supported with various electronic services.
At the end of the ceremony certificates and recognitions were given to all those who contributed to this project. Among others, the Project Leader for Entrepreneurship of the US Embassy, Mr. Kanishka Gangopadhyay was also honored with a recognition, as were the first incubists.