Young entrepreneurs are growing up

In 2009 the DG Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission (EC) promoted the

“Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs” (EYE) a pilot project for the development of SMEs in

all the EU Member States.

The programme is based on the collaboration between successful and aspiring entrepreneurs

with the aim to give to the latters the possibility to acquire the right competencies and skills

to start-up a new successful activity.

All this is achieved through 1 to 6 months long-lasting stays of young entrepreneurs at

thriving companies all over the EU Countries.

The final objective of this project is to promote the growth and the internationalisation of

SMEs (both new and consolidated) and to encourage the exchange of know-how in this

sector inside the EU.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce for Hungary (ICCH) has recently

took part in this programme through the “Europe Helpdesk” an ICCH

section which manages all the EU projects of the Chamber.

Moreover the ICCH is involved, together with one Italian and one

British partner, in the Fly-off – Feel your business1, a project co-

financed by the EC under the Erasmus which started last June and will

last 21 months.

In particular, the ICCH proposes itself as an intermediary between

Italian and Hungarian enterprises in order to promote the exchanges

between the two Countries.

To this end it could be useful to report the experience made in

Hungary by Alessandro Gambini - Professor in the Department of

1 http://www.fly-off.eu/index_it.html

Mathematics for Economic and Social Sciences at the University of Bologna, and aspiring

entrepreneur – at the Lenart Bt2, owned by Isztvàn Lenart.

Gambini stayed there for 1 month and a half. During this period he has the possibility to

know the Lenart’s Spheres commonly used in Hungary to help students with mathematic

and scientific calculations. He participated to workshops and visited some schools to see the

practical application of this instrument. Back in Italy, Gambini started to use the spheres and

to promote their use in primary and secondary schools among teachers and students.

On the other hand Lenart had the opportunity to export its products in the Italian market

thanks to the business plan elaborated with Gambini for the diffusion of the Lenart’s

Spheres in Italy and the involvement of others commercial partners.

That is what they said about their experience:

Gambini: “The exchange has been very useful for me. It should be more many opportunities

like the EYE not only for entrepreneurs but also for SMEs which want to improve and

extend their activity”.

Lenart: “Thanks to EYE we had the possibility to sell our product in Italy. Moreover we

accepted the ideas of Alessandro on the promotion of extra-curricular maths forums in

primary and secondary schools”.

Gambini e Lenart during the exchange

The situation of SMEs is the same in Italy and in Hungary and it increases the importance of

this programme in order to develop the economic cooperation between the two realities.

2 www.lenartsphere.com

The EU initiative is a part of the ICCH’s general mission of encouraging the Italian

investments and the presence of Italian SMEs in the Magyar Country.

Mariangela Sassi – October 2011