The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and kicking in Aarhus

 Aarhus is seeing strong business growth and is striving to create an attractive environment for entrepreneurs. This is done in close collabora-tion with the institutions working in a targeted way to help entrepreneurs set up viable businesses.

The Centre for Entrepreneurship, University of Aarhus, addresses students, graduates and PhD students as well as lecturers and researchers from higher and further education.

Targeted events are organised to help entre-preneurs clarify their ideas and prepare for set-ting up their own businesses. From the start in 2002 and up until November 2005, approx. 5,000 potential entrepreneurs participated in various events and received coaching. The centre also coordinates Venture Cup Central/Northern Jutland, one of Europe’s largest business plan competitions.

Incubators for the first few years

New IT or IT service enterprises can rent prem-ises at the new 10,000-square-metre IT-Huset Katrinebjerg A/S, which houses 70 small enterprises as well as Innovation Lab and parts of the University of Aarhus. Here, entrepreneurs can find inspiration and helpful advice. While only 10-20 per cent of all new enterprises sur-vive the first three years, the survival rate is generally about 50 per cent for those that move in with other entrepreneurs. In addition to spar-ring, the entrepreneurs are provided with servic-es and facilities such as meeting rooms, a reception and a canteen.

Another entrepreneurial and developmental environment is found at the old customs building Toldboden at the Port of Aarhus, where Vækstværk Århus was established in 2004. Here, cultural entrepreneurs can rent office space, receive personal guidance and be part of a network of likeminded people. VækstVærk Århus also organises workshops based on the needs of the entrepreneurs and has trainees and assistants who can assist the entrepreneurs.

Guidance for entrepreneurs

At the private centre for entrepreneurs Nyvirk, the target group is entrepreneurs who are immi-grants and who live in the so-called URBAN programme area of Aarhus. Guidance is free and aims to make entrepreneurs aware of how they can start their own business. Since the start in autumn 2004, the centre has advised 75 enterprises in Aarhus, typically within the retail business and the import/export sector.

Virksomheds Start & Vækst is the city’s know-ledge and advisory centre for all types of entre-preneurs and businesses with up to 50 employees. Shop owners as well as entrepreneurs with an international outlook can come for free guidance, have a mentor, participate in network groups or attend the courses offered by Virksomheds Start & Vækst. The centre comes into contact with approx. 2,600 entrepreneurs and smaller businesses each year.

Businesses in Aarhus benefit from the presence of the university and other institutions of higher education. In Aarhus, more than one in four employees have completed a higher education, as compared with only one in five in Denmark as a whole.