Right beside the Bega channel, where white vaporetto-s are sailing, there is a brand new, futuristic office building, owned by the Timisoara Mayor Hall, fully administrated and operated by young entrepreneurs from Timisoara: INCUBOXX.

A room full of young and bright minds. Curious questioning eyes focused on the two presenters in front. The presentation starts. A word cannot pass without being reflected upon. Each slide is followed closely. Each aspect of RRI is discussed. Each statement – thoroughly examined and broken down to bits simple enough to know “what’s in it for me?” The RRI concept is indeed stirring up minds.

The “what” and “how” of RRI were presented in front of around twenty young ICT start-uppers in the largest business incubator in Western Romania INCUBOXX - Timisoara. The message needed to be clear and simplified. Showing examples of practical tools was more than essential in order to attract companies’ attention. Under the spotlight were the benefits RRI can bring for the business, what will RRI look like if it is a national policy, what the role of the business in a RRI socio-economic environment is.

Although the “contribution to a better society” is not among the first goals a start-up would set, all of the attendees admitted that business needs the support of the society within which it operates. And RRI can actually offers the right tools to create a mechanism supporting the start-ups grow. Through RRI   businesses can identify products which are already desired by the society thus shortening the path to the market, and support creative minds to innovate, anticipating the citizen’s needs.  And when sailing on a trouble water, as almost all of the young entrepreneurs do, the questions with “missing the boat” or “sinking boat”* would not bother. Only because RRI helps the captain to choose the right boat and ensure a long-term harmonious sailing.

This was our experience at Incuboxx – Timisoara, during the presentation of the RRI concept and the opportunities it might reveal in front of companies. 

*“missing the boat” and “sinking boat” – marketing concepts related to launch of a product on the market where the first one illustrates the late launch and the latter – the launch too early.

Petya Gancheva & Virgil Rotaru

Petya Gancheva works on the RRI Tools project at the Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Bulgaria, the RRI Tools Hub for Bulgaria and Romania.

Virgil Rotaru works on the RRI Tools project at the Victor Babeş University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timişoara, RRI Tools Hub member in Romania