FINPIN Delegation visit to DCU 17 th October 2007

On Wednesday the 17 th October, a group of Finnish delegates from FINPIN (Finnish Polytechnics Entrepreneurship Network) which included two University Presidents, attended an event in DCU, hosted by Invent and organised by Dr. Sarah Ingle on behalf of DCUBS and DCU.

The 3 day event was designed for the Finnish delegates to examine the Irish environment for enterprise and entrepreneurship, and was co-ordinated overall by Dundalk IT. The trip involved one day in DKIT, one day in UU and one day in DCU.

In DCU, the delegates met with relevant faculty and staff, listened to presentations by representatives from DCUBS, invent, Fiontar and NFTE, and discussed entrepreneurship initiatives both within and outside of campus community.

The day was a resounding success, and the delegation were particularly impressed with the quality of the presentations offered, the information they obtained and not least, by the excellent hospitality provided by invent.

Below see list of Finnish Delegates and schedule for the day:

List of Finnish Delegates:

1. Dr (tech) Heikki Malinen, Vice President, Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences

2. Dr Ritva Laakso-Manninen, President Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Member of the Board FINPIN

3. Mrs Helena Rantanen, Senior Lecturer, Turku University of Applied Sciences

4. Mr Lasse Korkeaoja, Senior Lecturer, Turku University of Applied Sciences

5. Mrs Anne Pelttari-Bergman, Director of School of Business and Administration, Rovaniemi University of Applied Sciences

6. Dr Jussi Halttunen, President, Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences and Chairman of the Board FINPIN

7. Mr Lasse Jansson, R&D Director, OstroBotnia University of Applied Sciences

8. Mr Anthony Okuogume, Principal Lecturer, Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences

9. Mr Matti Alatalo, Business Incubator Executive, Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences

10. Mrs Päivi Starckjohann, Director, Lahti University of Applied sciences, Innovation Centre

11. Mr Sakari Kuvaja, Director, FINPIN

12. Mr Kai Koski, Programme Head, Senior Lecturer, Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences

13. Mr Perh-Göran Kåla, Managing Director, Firmaxi

14. Satu Sihvonen, Project Manager (Start Incubator), Häme University of Applied Sciences

15. Mrs Marja-Liisa Neuvonen-Rauhala, Research Manager, Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Innovation Centre

Schedule of the day:

10.00am Welcome by Director of invent, Richard Stokes

10.15am   Entrepreneurship in Dublin City University , Dr Sarah Ingle DCUBS

10.45am   Introduction to invent, Richard Stokes

11.15am   Coffee

11.30am   Industrial policy and entrepreneurship in Ireland , Professor Colm O'Gorman DCUBS

12.15am Fiontar, entrepreneurship and the Irish language, Emer Ni Bhradaigh, Fiontar, DCU

12.45pm   Lunch

1.45 pm   Entrepreneurship education and the commercialisation of university research, Dr Teresa Hogan DCUBS

2.15pm   Introduction to the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship at DCU, Janet Knox, NFTE

2.30pm Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, President DCU

3.00pm   Final discussion and close