The new Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) in Flanders is looking for partners.

Monday, March 19, the Microsoft Innovation Center Flanders will be opened in Kortrijk and Genk. This MIC has as a goal to:

• Stimulate ICT projects in Flanders in the areas of health; educate and inform on the subject.
• Give advices and guidance’s to companies active in the development of computer applications; help them through the use of new technologies like cloud computing or the use of natural interaction with a computer.
• Guide start-ups who engage themselves in projects focusing on e-Health.

The MIC Flanders is still looking for structural partners. These partners will be engaging with the founding partners of MIC Flanders (City of Genk, City of Kortrijk and Microsoft). The structural partners will contribute to achieving the objectives of the MIC Flanders not only with resources but also with their expertise input. The partners have access to the MIC Flanders ‘community ‘ composed of specialized developers and entrepreneurs; they receive a great valorization of their research and a visibility within the healthcare sector. The partner’s commitment will be for a minimum of 3 years and is renewable. The minimum membership fee is 75.000 Euro per year.

The MIC Flanders is the third innovation center that Microsoft has opened in Belgium in a public-private partnership. The MIC aims to stimulate the development of ICT applications and to create new companies and jobs. It serves as a catalyst for regional IT companies, innovators, start-ups and spin-off’s, and for the government and institutions alike. The MIC will inform all organisations concerned about new opportunities and applications and will help to create new companies and thus new jobs.

The MIC will work on 4 axes:

• Networking: creating a positive frame for IT innovation and for a place where people can meet and enrich themselves on matters of common interests.
• Discover and learn: the transmission of expertise around new technologies through conferences, seminars and workshops.
• Innovate: around new technologies and create new innovative applications through “calls for projects” that are directly related to professional opportunities.
• Entrepreneurship: Start-ups are guided and supported through boot-camps in which everyone’s ideas can turn into a business plan.

As a partner of the MIC, you will  get benefits and advantages like visibility, activities, call for projects, facilities and the membership to the Board of the association.

• Visibility: the partner has a significant exposure with his logo on the website, on the press releases and news, on the banners…
• Activities: The MIC Flanders organizes many activities to which all members and associates have access to.
• Call for Project: partners use the MIC’s platform for the organization of ‘call for project’
• Facilities: partners may use specific infrastructures in the MIC Flanders such as meeting rooms, seminar rooms, demo rooms, etc.
• Board of Directors: partners will have a seat on the Board of the MIC Flanders

Applications need be sent to Stefaan.DeClerck@kortrijk.be (Mayor city of Kortrijk), to Wim.Dries@Genk.be (Mayor city of Genk) or Lucvdv@microsoft.com ( Luc Van de Velde, Director Developer&Platform Group Microsoft). Applications need t be in before April 30^th 2012.

Applications need to have the following information:

• Name and Activity of the company
• Contact person details (email, mobile)
• Short description of the motivation
• Short list of projects that are eligible for a ‘call for project’