24.04.2020
Poland

Podkarpackie Science and Technology Park AEROPOLIS: Where Sky Is Not The Limit

Podkarpackie Science and Technology Park AEROPOLIS is now one of the most attractive investment locations in southeastern Poland. It operates in the heart of The Aviation Valley, the region specialized in the aviation industry and hosting a large concentration of aerospace companies, research centres, and developed educational and training facilities. Moreover, AEROPOLIS Technology Incubator operating in the park can offer great conditions to develop your business not only in aerospace but also in IT, electromechanical, biotechnology and chemical industries.

High-quality business advisory

One of the 37 technology parks in Poland PSTP AEROPOLIS is a place to give your business a head start and AEROPOLIS Technology Incubator has all the means to grow it. AEROPOLIS offers support to micro, small and medium enterprises to run their activities, starting from the office rent with discounts and ending with free of charge expert advisory in business creation. The new company can spend up to 5 years in the incubator, getting all the perks they might need in one place while developing their business.

Both startups and those that are already operating companies can locate their activities in the Technology Incubator. Even though the priority of the Technology Incubator is hi-tech companies, free advice specialists are available to all interested parties, not only residents of PSTP AEROPOLIS. Experienced professionals are ready to consult companies in planning business ventures, building a business model template and a business plan – both descriptive and financial parts, relying on effective patterns from already well-operating businesses. Moreover, the experts also consult on how to get capital for their business start, what EU program they can use to benefit or how to attract investment.

Start your startup in Podkarpackie

Poland has a high potential for the development of startups. It has the sixth-largest population and boasts one of the fastest-growing economies in the EU. The country’s location in the very centre of Europe and a well-developed transport and ICT infrastructure facilitates fast and efficient access to many European markets. Therefore, a startup platform Start in Podkarpackie, a project by RRDA (Rzeszow Regional Development Agency) in cooperation with AEROPOLIS Technology Incubator welcomes everyone with an innovative idea to develop their idea into a viable business model.

The services offered by Start in Podkarpackie are not limited by a closed catalogue – they are individually tailored for each idea and address specific technical and business needs of individual startups to reach the best possible results. They include mentoring, accounting, tax and legal services, help in creating business foundations, office space and more. As a result of this process, the prototype and business model of the company is created.

After the idea implementation and a positive recommendation from the platform, the startup can apply for up to 1 million zloty (approx. 220, 645 euros) for the development of the business as a part of the Development of Start-ups in Eastern Poland competition.

Inclusive business events to enforce innovation

AEROPOLIS Technology Incubator organises various events, enforcing business and innovation development. One of the most famous events taking place in Rzeszow is Techstars Startup Weekends, teaching the essentials of creating a real company during the intensive 54 hour weekend. Moreover, the Incubator also enforces entrepreneurship among women, organizing „Women in the front row” – inspirational women-for-women meetings. The Incubator also has an agenda of various business-oriented events, such as business breakfasts, business meetings „Without high heels, without a tie” and „Business in a nutshell” training. It also tries to enforce innovative problem solving through various hackathons.

Improving the quality of life in Podkarpackie’s region

PSTP AEROPOLIS is managed by the Rzeszow Regional Development Agency (RRDA). RRDA’s mission is to promote the possibilities offered by the Podkarpackie region, including its outstanding natural landscape, tourism potential, as well as promote a new image of the region as a modern, innovative and economically developed region. Operating PSTP AEROPOLIS truly brings an advanced innovation, technology transfer, and support to entrepreneurs, startups and SMEs working in the region.

Rzeszow Regional Development Agency – Podkarpackie Science and Technology Park AEROPOLIS – AEROPOLIS Technology Incubator

The verticals that are your priority ? What types of startups/entrepreneurs should come to your incubator and which shouldn‘t?

The use of high technologies from the aerospace, IT, electromechanical, biotechnology and chemical industries are especially welcome and promoted in the incubator. Our region is specialized in the aviation industry as our region is the heart of The Aviation Valley that is located in south-eastern Poland, known for its developed aerospace industry and pilot training centres. The region is characterized by a large concentration of aerospace companies, research centres and developed educational and training facilities. Now the main type of business located in the incubator is the IT sector.

Support you provide (services: mentorship; access to the infrastructure; partnerships with businesses; organize events like hackathons etc)

Infastructure

The Incubator building with an area of approximately 5,300 m2 consists of:

Office and conference part with 39 office rooms with an average area of approx. 30 m2, intended for rent to entrepreneurs; in this part there is also a conference room for 200 people and two meeting rooms for 16 and 20 people. In the vicinity of the conference room there is also an area to be used for the catering section;
Production and service part, which consists of 12 units with an area of 100, 200 and 300 m2 for rent. Tenants have sanitary and social facilities, including changing rooms and washrooms.

In the Technology Incubator, both business start-ups and those that are already operating can locate their activities. It is also a chance to continue operations for entities leaving the PPNT Academic Pre-incubator.

In the Technology Incubator with a total area of 5,300 sq m can be rented on preferential terms (valid from 01/01/202o):

basic rate of incubation fee for office space – 40.00 PLN / m2 (net)
basic rate of incubation fee for production and service space – 28.00 PLN / m2 (net)

The following concessions are introduced on the basic rates of the incubation fee:

40% in the first year of incubation
35% in the second year of incubation
30% in the third year of incubation
25% in the fourth year of incubation
10% in the fifth year of incubation

In addition, social and technical facilities as well as conference facilities are available for entrepreneurs (a conference room for approx. 200 people and 2 meeting rooms for approx. 16 and 20 people).

The duration of entrepreneurs’ stay in the Technology Incubator is a maximum of 5 years.

Advisory

Experts in the field of creating business, patenting and industrial design can benefit not only from companies operating in the Technology Incubator Podkarpackie Science and Technology Park AEROPOLIS – free advice specialists are available to all interested parties.

People who plan business and need information on this subject can make an individual consultation with an entrepreneur and business creation expert.

Consultations concern planning business ventures, building a business model template and a plan, both its substantive part – descriptive and financial. The financial projection covers expenditures, costs, revenues, financial reports, index analysis and start-up valuation. I also try to suggest how to sell a given service or product. The originators show patterns that have worked well in other businesses and can be effective also in their ventures. Originators who use my consultations are often people planning innovative projects with whom we work together to develop a business model. I suggest how to get capital for a start, what EU program they can use or how to get an investor. Consultation with an expert Podkarpackie Science and Technology Park AEROPOLIS offers all interested in building a company.

The mission of the Technology Incubator is, among others, to:

Support the development of micro, small and medium enterprises;
Enable further development of enterprises from the Podkarpackie Technology Park Academic Pre-incubator;
Support the establishment and development of companies created by students, graduates, PhD students and academics from universities in Podkarpackie;
Enable the use of scientific achievements, research and development works of universities in the Podkarpacie region;
And also support large enterprises operating in the Podkarpackie Technology Park or planning such activity.

Projects

START IN PODKARPACKIE

The Startup Platforms everyone who has an innovative idea will get expert help and will develop an idea into a viable business model. The incubation manager will prepare a detailed incubation plan for the idea. After its implementation and obtaining a positive recommendation of the platform, you can apply for 1 million zlotys for the development of your business as part of the Development of start-ups in Eastern Poland competition.

The starter platforms offer a package of services, including, among others:

help in creating the business foundations of the undertaking,
specialized services individually tailored to the idea,
workshops and trainings in the field of public speaking and the presentation of your project,
mentoring,
accounting, tax and legal services,
help in creating elements of corporate identification,
providing office space for startup development.

Specialized services address specific technological and business needs of individual startups. They are not limited by a closed catalog, therefore a startup has the chance to receive tailor-made services. As a result of this process, the prototype and business model of the undertaking should be created.

Events

Business breakfasts
“Without high heels, without tie” – business meetings
“Business in a nutshell” trainings
Startup weekends
Hackathons
“Women in the front row” meetings with inspirational meetings women for women

Success cases: can you share any startup stories who have grown thanks to the support you have provided?

CADAWAY AUTOMOTIVE and CERVI ROBOTICS

There are many examples of successful companies but two which are worth mentioning are Cadaway Automotive, owner Jakub Kocoj in 2016 opened a startup in Jasionka near Rzeszów, designing the elements of the car’s body and interior.

The office is located in the Technology Incubator in the Podkarpackie Science and Technology Park Aeropolis. Since 2016, when only two engineers worked in it, it has grown considerably. Today, the company has several dozen constructors and grows with the staff and the leasable area.

Today, Cadway Automotive’s activities focus on Europe and Asia. But contracts in America are also within the reach of this young company, which from the very beginning has been intensively investing in development. In a short time, Cadway Automotive received the ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 27001 quality certificates, passing the process of implementing the enterprise management system, quality management of offered services, environmental management and secure data storage.

– We not only design, but also provide more and more comprehensive services. We build a network of local sub-suppliers who successfully implement large orders for us – Podkarpackie companies carry out the equipment and various elements designed by us. We have full confidence in them. They are experienced companies that have been producing aviation for years. We have also joined the Polish Automotive Group, which brings together the companies involved in mass production and spare parts for the automotive industry. We also work with them – emphasizes Jakub Kocój.

Cadway Automotive is also working on developing its own production. He is investing in industrial 3D printing and planning to buy machines. The construction of the company’s headquarters is also planned. For now, it works in the Technology Incubator, but the aim is its own offices and production halls.

CERVI ROBOTICS

Cervi Robotics deals with the prototyping of robots, drones and devices for the Internet of Things. Hired staff is their main competitive advantage. Company employs only and exclusively finalists of national and international technology competitions. Thinking “out of the box” is a necessary mindset for them. They help their clients to find cheap and effective solutions built with scalability in mind from the very beginning.

They help their clients to go through each of the following stages from the idea to mass production:

Idea
Proof of Concept
A functioning prototype
Design for production and assembly
Help with certification, assembly, testing and shipping

Owner Vadym Melnik in 2015 started his company in the Academic Pre-incubator in the Podkarpackie Science and Technology Park “Aeropolis”,

The company is dynamically developing, currently it employs over 50 people together with ServoCode, and by the end of the year, the number of employees can reach hundreds. They moved from pre-incubator to Technological Incubator in Podkarpackie Science and Technology Park, has already been operating for two years, and it is possible that in the next years Cervi Robotics will permanently become associated with the technology park Aeropolis by investing in its own headquarters in Podkarpackie Technology Park.

What is unique about your incubation, what are your advantages?

Location (next to the Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport) Facilities, Projects, Interesting business profiles.

How long is the incubation support and when do companies exit the incubator; do you charge them for the services?