NEPOT 15:word

NEPOT -­ Power among Neighbours Intelligent Growth & SME Jobs in Denmark, Sweden and Germany 6 good ques*ons 1. Why are rela+ons between educa+onal ins+tu+ons and SMEs not buzzing with more energy

in and among the 3 countries ?

2. Why not do more business with your neighbours ? Easier, faster, beAer than going to China ?

3. Why are SMEs not growing much faster ? What are the barriers ?

4. How can Swedes, Danes and Germans learn much more from each other much faster ? And do more business ?

5. Why don´t SMEs in the region step up cross border alliances to make themselves more relevant to EU and more compe++ve in the global market place ?

6. How do we adapt to the new agenda -­‐ green growth, new media and radical change ?

Together ?

Change is in the air. Radical change. Global financial crisis, changing global power structures, global climate challenges, hypercompe++on, Euro tensions are key challenges that affect society as a whole -­‐ governments, companies and ordinary ci+zens. Add to this, new technological developments that radically change communica+on at all levels. They offer new threats OR opportuni+es depending on the ability of key players to embrace change and new media technologies.

NEPOT is a project that wishes to use this change to create compe++ve power and ability to Small and Medium Size Enterprises in Northern Germany, Southern Sweden and Denmark. In the following you will find out why we intend to do this and how.

This paper aims to provide funding for the project.

Brief Summary We need to do more, beAer and faster business together in this region. There is vast unused poten+al in the rela+onship between neighbours. It makes sense to work much more together across borders to become stronger in the global market place. These are key drivers of the project.

However, it is extremely difficult for individual SMEs to understand global complexi+es and turn them into prac+cal solu+ons that work. It is very hard to create the results necessary to create jobs, growth and a sustainable future for the region without the help of others.

We need a Northern European Power Triangle with strong business and educa+onal links across borders between SMEs. A concept of integrated business development that builds strong internal bridges -­‐ physical and mental -­‐ and leverage the power of the regions key players in the hypercompe++ve global market place.

We need to mobilize the ideas, the energy and innova+ve mindset of new genera+ons to develop new products, services and business strategies that will be able to compete against fast moving layers of Asian +gers, BRIC-­‐ countries and the rest of Europe. New dynamic ways of working together across personal, professional and cultural differences.

The NEPOT Vision

NEPOT will create a Northern European Power Triangle that will set a regional agenda of growth, jobs and sustainable development for the 21st century.

The power triangle will increase the compe++ve power of SMEs in the Triangle.

NEPOT goals are to: • mobilize the business and entrepreneurial spirit of the region • create new and innova+ve links between educa+onal ins+tu+ons and SMEs • create much more business between SMEs • facilitate stronger partnerships and alliances across the region that will be globally compe++ve • mobilize the competencies of key regional actors -­‐ educa+on, research, poli+cs and culture -­‐ in a

new dynamic growth engine.

NEPOT means more, easier and be2er results for SME businesses and hence the power triangle as a whole.

Main NEPOT ac+vi+es are: Services • Guidelines for business development • Matchmaking of partnerships, technological findings, educa+onal ins+tu+ons and business

knowledge • Business incubator by providing the right environment, guidelines to the business case and

connec+ng with the right people • Helpdesk for general business services – help SMEs through bureaucracy

Mee0ng Events • Annual Summit with lectures, exhibi+on and interac+ve mee+ngs • Regional mee+ngs and workshops using state of the art interac+ve mee+ng design and

technology • Connec+on Squad -­‐ a team to “connect” SMEs with each other and educa+onal ins+tu+ons.

• Business incubator by providing the right environment, business guidelines and connec+ng with

the right people via advanced networking techniques.

Communica0on • A portal for members within NEPOT to meet, share and guide ideas to increase the business

value • Storytelling, cases and films to make business real • Ac+ve NEPOT and SME promo+on via social media

The NEPOT model The model inspiring the NEPOT vision was developed by Professor Lynda GraAon, London Business . According to professor GraAon a HOT SPOT is a func+on of the following formula: Coopera+ve Mindset x Boundary Spanning x Igni+ng Purpose x Produc+ve Capacity Coopera0ve mindset: Innova+ve insights come from the intelligence, the insights and wisdom of people working together. The idea that coopera+on really maAers. A smart combina+on of individual energy and rela+onal energy. Value is created when people come together.

Boundary Spanning: New value created through new combina+ons of ideas, knowledge and insight. The importance of sharing exper+se, explora+on of new opportuni+es, and new combina+ons of people. The availability of people who are able to build bridges across differences, who can create synergies across differences and who can mobilize a mul+tude of interests.

Igni0ng Purpose: The ability to create energy, to cap+vate people´s aAen+on and imagina+on, to develop something people find exci+ng, interes+ng and worth engaging with. The ability to ask igni+ng ques+ons that capture the imagina+on of many, ques+ons that excite and s+mulate.

Produc0ve Capacity: The ability to produce, to get things done, to deliver. The availability of people with the right skills and the right mindset for extraordinary produc+ve capacity. Produc+ve rela+onships between people able to adapt to changing demands on +me and rhythm.

These 4 values will create the results all SMEs are longing for – and they will do it within in the power triangle.

Who is behind NEPOT ?

Povl Chris+an Henningsen Bridgebuilder par excellence. He has built bridges between educa+on and SMEs, between 27 EU countries, between companies and their customers. Educator, consultant, writer and public speaker. He owns the company Empower focusing on valuecrea+ng rela+ons across personal, professional and cultural differences. Lecturing at Business Academy Aarhus. Large global business network. Special exper+se: facilita+ng and managing the mee+ngs of minds -­‐ in English, German and French.

Claus Kurt Nielsen Background in sales, and is s+ll selling -­‐ ideas and concepts. Then changed to management, building business’ from scratch. Mid 90’s went into communica+on, s+ll in management. Found a challenge in managing specialists, but s+ll being part of strategy and concept for customers. Very close contact kept to the industry having worked for, and with, Denmark's largest industry group Danfoss for a decade. Presently founder and owner of Scandvision CPH A/S. Peter Eyermann Created a number of companies -­‐ all within media. His focus is iden+fying opportuni+es and gelng people together across borders. He is a true Øresundchild -­‐ 50% Dane and 50% German.

Peter owns the communica+on agency Scandvision cph and the media bureau Your Global Eye. In addi+on he is chairman of one of Skåne´s most well reputed gold clubs.

Lene Rokstad Many years of experience within management – projects, people and businesses. Most of her employment has been within private consultancy and IT companies -­‐ all of them SMEs. Customers have been both private and public companies varying in size from very large to very small.

Throughout her career the main focus has always been to secure commitment through involvement and clear communica+on – and thus create results.

Anders A. Ekblom, Experience from interna+onal transporta+on, IT and media and public administra+on.

VP of Sales and a number of CEO posi+ons -­‐ Airport, Real Estate, Trade & Industry Agency and Informa+on Technology. B2B och B2C in Scandinavia, Northers Europe and USA. Expert in interna+onal business via Chamber of Commerce. Large network in southern and western Sweden.

Sondrup Bakker 25 October 2011 Povl Chris+an Henningsen