IDA may have a great impact on Polish institutions which support the development of entrepreneurship and innovativeness in Poland – believes Jerzy Kwieciński, vice-president of a board in the European Center for Enterprise, a consulting company supporting Polish entrepreneurs. – The National Center for Research and Development gives money to conduct researches and develop a prototype and the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development may support institutions from business environment such as seed funds and companies on the investment field. However, enterprises also need a capital to realize their projects – and this capital may be transferred to them by IDA.
The experts point out many opportunities resulting from cooperation between certain institutions which support innovativeness, thanks to which it is possible to achieve the synergy effect of offered forms of service. IDA Venture tools, aimed at implementation and development phase, will complete the National Center for Research and Development offer of financing researches and they will be also a continuation of support given by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development in the area of seed capital, that is startups and entrepreneurship incubators.
On the basis of the new strategy, IDA will be able to realize new tasks concerning support of Polish companies which made some discoveries, developed new technologies and now need money for their development. They need a greater capital in order to join the financial project together so it could find its place on the native market or even on international markets – explains Kwieciński.
Currently, such capital may be gained by companies through, for instance, investments of high risk, that is venture capital funds. They are being introduced in Poland but we should also build our Polish potential. IDA has money and it is able to do it – convinces Jerzy Kwieciński.
New support instruments for companies are the effect of a new strategy adopted by the Industrial Development Agency. Next to exiting pillars of activity, that is restructuring and investments, there is another one – innovativeness. Till 2020, IDA is planning to allocate 1,3 billion zlotys on innovativeness, 1,8 billion zlotys on restructuring and finally 160 million zlotys on investments.
So far, IDA has been mainly known from helping companies and institutions which were in serious financial troubles – says vice-president of the European Center for Enterprise. – Now, the new strategy will concentrate on the innovativeness. However, it does not mean that IDA will not help those companies which got intro trouble. It will support them not only by restructuring but also by introduction of innovations.