Start-ups stir up passions. And with reason, as they are often as- sociated with the multitude of success stories due to Silicon Valley magic.
A start-up is literally a term meaning a company which is starting out. I therefore prefer to talk about entrepreneurship and to consider the wider view of any young business that is creating jobs by developing new solutions for a market or a social need. Fundamentally, two elements necessary today are an entrepreneurial culture and a motivation to respond to the challenges of society, in combination with a strong social or environmental impact. There are some very relevant initiatives, such as “Les Jeunes Entreprises”, which enable young people to discover a taste for entrepreneurship.
Beyond any concept, I have confidence in the creativity of young people, of women and men who take action. There are sufficient examples which mean we can see the glass half-full. It is a cause for celebration if the young generation is naturally inclined to be entrepreneurial, and we should guide this motivation towards current and future challenges.
A start-up is a temporary organization designed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model.
Steve Blank
I call on the stakeholders of tomorrow : don’t limit yourselves, allow yourselves to go further by meeting key players who can assist your approach and make it more relevant to society’s challenges. Through initiatives such as Be Circular, Greenbizz in Brussels or VentureLab in Liege, you can mix with experienced and motivated entrepreneurs.
As a federal deputy, I am convinced that ecology remains the future of the economy more than ever. My political priorities are focussed on entrepreneurship, SMEs and the self-employed, with particular attention to the redefinition of our economy and innovation (circular and sharing economics, functionality).
Gilles Vanden Burre
Federal Deputy, Ecologist Party – economics, entrepreneurship, SMEs and the self-employed Former Director of the Greenbizz business incubator
