Project title: Transfer of Czech Economic Transformation Know-How: Supporting the Development in the Field of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Skills in Moldova;

Implementation period: April 10, 2010 – February 28, 2011;

Funded by: Soros Foundation – Moldova, East-East: Partnership Beyond Borders Program;

Partner: Czech-INVENT technological agency (Czech Republic);

Project goal: Contribute to the acceleration on economic transformation of Moldova by providing Moldovan beneficiaries know-how on the development of business incubators and science & technology parks, using the experience, guidelines and methodology developed in the Czech Republic over the past two decades;

Main activities:

• Selected appropriate Moldovan regional beneficiaries from among 5 Moldovan regions (Chisinau, Comrat, Cahul, Balti, and Ungheni), where the regional support to technological/innovation development has already been declared and documented;
• Prepared workshops on technological/innovation infrastructure development;
• Prepared a study trip to the Czech Republic for 15 Moldovan participants;
• Developed and presented a study on R&D policy in Moldova;

Main outputs and outcomes:

• A set of information and data on the Czech Republic’s two decade experience in promoting innovation and entrepreneurial skills;
• Presentations and hands-on training delivered at two workshops in Chisinau, on 12-14 of May 2010 and 9-10 of June 2010;
• Policy Study “Research, Development and Innovation in the Republic of Moldova: Problems and Options”;
• Public presentation of the Policy Study and the project outcomes at the Roundtable held in Chisinau, attended by 2 Czech experts, 25 of February 2011;

Project impact:

Fifteen Moldovan beneficiaries were trained on innovation and entrepreneurial skills as part of this project. As immediate impact of this project, several locally driven technological / innovation initiatives (projects) that received the Czech experts’ feedback and expertise (Agency for Innovation and Technology Transfer, Association of Private ICT companies, Institute of Chemistry of Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Organic Synthesis, and Innovation Incubator “Inovatorul”) were initiated. The project also contributed to closer cooperation among local Government, NGO and universities in the field of technological / innovation entrepreneurial infrastructure development. The policy study developed laid the ground for subsequent policy interventions and initiation of the R&D sector reform.