In the beginning of the project, Growth Factory facility, maintained by Cursor Oy, was planned to serve as a concrete facility for startups, business incubation, collaboration of students and businesses etc. But since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, activities of Growth Factory were put on hold. In the fall 2021 when the pandemic seemed to be calming down Cursor started thinking and brainstorming how to reconcept the facility and services to better fit into “new normal” after Covid-19 pandemic. It was obvious that due to profound behavioral changes caused by the pandemic the concept of Growth Factory needed to be rebuilt.
Rebuilding of new concept and services of Growth Factory proceeded during fall and winter 2021 as a joint undertaking inside Cursor. The process of developing Growth Factory into Starttisatama included many steps and collaboration of several persons working in Cursor. Twin Campus project supplied and delivered primary support for project coordination and acquisitions. Other assistance consisted of IT procurement, administration, communication, and cooperation with business advisory services.
The ultimate goal was to plan and establish a reasonably priced business acceleration service package customized to 10 to 12 startup entrepreneurs with passion to grow, cooperate, and create new jobs, providing entrepreneurs with open plan desk, fully equipped negotiation room, network of established local companies and growth enhancing advisory services by Cursor and its partners, serving incipient and recently begun entrepreneurs from Hamina, Kotka, Loviisa, Miehikkälä, Pyhtää, and Virolahti, facilitating international and cross-border communication and collaboration and run by Cursor Business Advisory Services.
The development process proceeded, and different steps were implemented until May 2022. Planning, procurement, and acquisitions for a modern negotiation/ meeting room were implemented during winter-spring 2022. Part of the negotiation/ meeting room equipment and appliances were financed by Twin Campus project (large on-the-wall display and presentation technology including presentation system, camera, microphone, and speaker). Housewarming party/ official launching of Starttisatama Business Acceleration Services was arranged on 6th June 2022.
The Twin Campus project contributed also to environmental sustainability in different indirect ways. As for e.g., acquisitions (not financed by Twin Campus project) like shared lounge furniture (recycled from Cursor´s premises), phone booth (recycled) and negotiation room furniture (bought as recycled) as well as cafeteria´s coffee tableware (no disposable cups but ceramic ones) are of excellent examples of small actions and choices with which to boost sustainability and green office/ campus. Audiovisual appliances for remote negotiations diminish considerably the need of travelling and thus has positive impact on e.g., fuel consumption (consumed less) and emissions (caused less). As for promoting equality, negotiation room has a translator for multilingual meetings, startup client companies have woman entrepreneurs as well and entrepreneurs represent different age groups.
Summary of Starttisatama Business Acceleration Services
Starttisatama provides workspace for small businesses seeking rapid growth, offers workspace for 12 growth-minded entrepreneurs. For each firm, maximum length of stay is two years. Open space office allows efficient networking. Starttisatama offers personal desks, shared lounge, cafeteria, and spacious conference room to facilitate private meetings and inhouse-training events. Monthly rent includes use of above-mentioned facilities, availability of regular business consulting hours from Cursor advisors and business coaching events by external experts. Starttisatama clients have access to fully equipped conference room and private meeting rooms with catering and office services. First two startups arrived, and operations started on 16th May 2022.
Starttisatama Business Acceleration Services´ future outlook
Starttisatama´s facility and services have been maintained after the finalization of Twin Campus project by Cursor Oy as part of its normal day-to-day operations. The development process of Starttisatama started in November 2021 and the process (evaluation and development and expansion of services) has continued after the end of Twin Campus project. The application for new innovative startup companies with will and ability to grow is constantly open. Collaboration between Cursor and especially Xamk (other educational institutions as well) will continue to attract new startup entrepreneurs from students as well.
The desired long-term impacts of the project regarding Starttisatama is that its services will be actively used by startup companies and several companies will be established by students. Recruitment process and path of acquiring and attracting new companies from educational institutions is working well. Starttisatama has expanded its workspace from 12 due to increased demand. Potential startups, from abroad as well, are competing hard to get as clients into very attractive and famous Starttisatama.
-Marja Holopainen & Tiina Liikka, Cursor Oy-
