There was a world premiere at the Steinbeis Day with a workshop and an introduction from the project team that developed the Steinbeis Company Competence Check® (UKC). The team presented the analytical instrument to an audience of Steinbeis Network members. The full version of the online tool developed by Steinbeis, which assesses company competence, is now available to all potential users.
An abridged version of the UKC can be accessed by going to www.steinbeis- ukc.de, where any user can conduct a quick check for free through a fully accessible interface. The Master Check as a full version with all analytical functions can only be accessed with a login. This version includes comparative analysis of self and external assessments, plus comparisons of functional levels and databases which can be used to derive best practice examples.
The access codes for the full version of the tool are handed out after a one-day training session. Members of the Steinbeis Network can attend sessions for free. Third-party participants pay a training and license fee. The training outlines the foundations of the methods used, how the software works, and the various analytical functions. If people are interested in trying out the competence check, they are welcome to take part in the training sessions and can also work with members of the Steinbeis Consulting Groups which are constituted around the analytical dimensions of the UKC. The project team will also be pleased to answer any questions about the tool and the project.
To find out when the next training sessions take place, go to www.steinbeis-ukc.de/schulung. Registrations can be emailed to ukc@stw.de.
Dr. Michael Ortiz
Steinbeis Headquarters (Stuttgart)
michael.ortiz@stw.de
As part of an initiative for startup companies and people in company succession (ifex), which was launched by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry for Finance and Economic Affairs, a series of contests took part across the state in 2013 under the banner Elevator Pitch BW. Baden-Württemberg is the first federal state in Germany to organize such a competition at the state level in order to promote more entrepreneurship in the region. This modern and novel kind of event is aimed at providing young startups with a platform for presenting their concepts to a relevant audience.
The initiative includes regional cups to give contestants a change to win over a selected jury and a local audience for their business idea, plus receive useful feedback. This allows young entrepreneurs across the state to go public with their business ideas early on in the process, in order to validate their business model at an early stage and forge useful networks to keep developing their new business.
The third round of Elevator Pitch BW got underway in October 2015. The winners of local pitches (regional cups) in cities such as Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Constance, and Stuttgart have the unique opportunity to present their business ideas at the state finals in the summer of 2016 and win a prize worth up to 3,000 EUR. Entrepreneurs who received advice through the Exi startup voucher scheme are also welcome to present their ideas at the regional cups and try to win over the jury and audience with their business visions.
More information and details of events and timings can be found at www.elevatorpitch-bw.de
Ralf Lauterwasser, Ines Gehring
Steinbeis Headquarters (Stuttgart)
ralf.lauterwasser@stw.de , ines.gehring@stw.de