Hubs are the heart of the i3Network - they are the places where companies receive regional and global support, and participate in movement and activities between other hubs.
What is an i3Network Hub?
A Hub is a consortium of existing organizations within a geographic region engaged in the support and development of entrepreneurs and SMEs, economic development, and international trade at whatever level. Hubs are the gateways to the global network of similar hub consortia. Members of Hubs must be actively engaged in one or more aspects of the provision of guidance and support, professional or technical expertise, or business facilities that contribute to the process of building and growing client businesses. Organizations that comprise a regional hub may include:
- Science or Technology Parks
- Universities with Enterprise, or Technology Transfer resources and/or specialist technologies, Corporate Research Centers, or Entrepreneurship Centers
- Local or regional business support agencies
- Regional and Local Economic Development Agencies
- Private companies engaged in business support of economic development activities
- Business Incubators, Technology-Incubators or Innovation Centers
- Regional Investment Funds, Business Angel Networks, Venture-Capital funds
- Inward Investment Agencies
- Local or regional government bodies
- Your browser may not support display of this image. Chambers of Commerce or other business membership organizations
Each hub of the i3Network represents an existing support network in a specific geographic region of the world. A hub can represent an entire country, a region of a country, several contiguous countries (usually border areas or small countries) entire states, regions of a state or multiple states. The i3Network creates a new way for these existing organizations and networks to work together globally.
How does the i3Network Work?
Each regional hub has one organization in its existing network serve as the Lead Organization and usually assigns a Hub Director to coordinate activities, information, and inquiries between members of the regional hub and between other hubs around the world. In essence, the Hub Director serves as the representative or ambassador of the regional hub to the global i3Network.
Communication between regional hubs and other hubs in the network is facilitated and initiated by the Hub Director through the i3Network Global Portal and via regular means of business communications. The Hub Director representing the regional consortium is responsible for initiating missions, making inquiries and connections for individual consortium members, and dissemination of information about the i3Network and its individual member organizations, networks, and enterprises.
For more information, read the Hub Membership Overview.
