Deadline: 11-Jul-22
The AIT Startups has launched the AIT Mexico’s 2nd Academia-Industry Training program to help participants advance business plans, establish further contacts with the industry, and clarify intellectual property issues.
The AIT aims to transform high-level applied research into market applications. Entry is awarded on a competitive basis to selected projects with entrepreneurial potential.
The AIT will provide the opportunity to network at an international level, to foster new partnerships and collaborations, and to have access to an emerging market.
Aims and Objectives
- Promote innovation
- Help participants transform their research into a high-potential startup
- Augment relevant skills to take research from the lab to the marketplace
- Improve market application by developing participants’ ideas with the help of peers, experts, and potential customers
- Favor the exchange of knowledge and expertise between Switzerland and Mexico
- Provide connectivity to industry-specific, high-level researchers
- Assist engagement between researchers and entrepreneurs to understand new market opportunities and exploit new synergies
- Incentivize transfer of know-how
- Provide researchers the tools needed for better understanding industry environment
- Deliver interactive workshops on entrepreneurship, business plan writing, intellectual property, market entry scenarios, funding strategies, and pitching
- Encourage best business practices and social impact
- Induce an entrepreneurial spirit
- Promote networks to foster new partnerships and collaborations
- Accessibility to a wide, international network of peers, mentors, and industry experts
- Support young scientists in establishing first partnerships with industry and potential investors
- Maximize contact with top scientists from key institutions
Eligibility Criteria
- Be a Swiss citizen or foreigner with a residence permit
- Have minimum a Master’s degree in any area of scientific knowledge
- Proof of English proficiency
- Provide a Curriculum Vitae
- Be affiliated to a Swiss University, University of Applied Science, or research institute
Evaluation and Selection
- An internal panel, composed of startup, business, and industry experts from Switzerland and Mexico, and members from the Leading House for the Latin American Region will evaluate applications to select 10 startups according to the following criteria (equal weight):
- Quality of overall idea, applied research, technology (product, service)
- Market potential (competition, scalability and application possibilities of research project, product and/or service)
- Feasibility of business plan (revenue and cost model)
- Roadmap to success (next milestones)
- Entrepreneurial personality and team (experience, skills, diversity)
- Expected impact of the AIT program (motivation for the program)
For more information, visit https://www.aitstartups.org/ait-mexico
