JADE Spring Meeting Live Coverage: Entrepreneurial skills in the digital markets

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The day that the European young entrepreneurs were anticipating finally came. Some 200 young entrepreneurs from all around Europe defied the terror that the European capital is suffering since the 22/03 attacks and convened to discuss how they will change Europe through entrepreneurship.

The theme of this year’s annual meeting is Industry 4.0. The dream team of Europe gathers to explore opportunities and threats in digital business and how it can be an enabler for the so much needed European growth.

Earlier today the CEO of European Business Network (EBN) Philippe Vanrie opened the panel discussion. The panelists were Dennis Tan from Dashmote, Helen Kopman (Deputy Head of Unit, Innovation, at the European Commission), Steven Price from EIIL, Maciej Surowiec from Microsoft and Simone Baldassari (Policy officer, European Commission, DG GROW).

Simone Baldassari:

“Junior Enterprises are an excellent way to experience Entrepreneurship while at University.”

Helen Kopman:

“It is important to encourage woman to choose careers in the IT sector.”

Simone Baldassari:

“Nobody can afford as a young person in todays society to not to be entrepreneurial. We have to understand the changes that our society faces and we have to be innovative.”

Maciej Surowiec:

“Is there a single industry that does not rely on digital technology?We see many small companies who use very affordable digital technology products to gain competitive advantage”

Dennis Tan:

“(Digital technology usage for gaining competitive advantage) should be cross-generational, only forcing the young to use digital technology is not enough. There is a definite benefit to start mentoring relationships and to benefit from knowledge sharing between generations.”

Steven Price:

“(As a university student) JE movement and any other extra curricular activity where you have to organize, where you have to have an idea and you have to execute that idea: these are the skills that sets you apart.”

Panel discussion about digital readiness of European higher-education institutions:
Maciej Surowiec:

“Universities could do much better!”

Simone Baldassari:

“We need entrepreneurship to spread across faculties. It should not be related only with business studies. As a European Institution, we need to support universities to become entrepreneurial universities. I agree we not there yet.”

Steven Price:

“We should put more funding into supporting junior enterprises. “

Simone Baldassari:

“We need more mini companies at school, more junior enterprises at universities. We should support junior enterprises to make the concept even more wide spread.”

Dennis Tan:

“We need to learn executing theoretical knowledge and the only way to do this during university currently is Junior Enterprises.”