UMA is associated and founder member of the Centro de Empresas e Inovação da Madeira / Madeira Business Innovation Centre (CEIM) / (BIC) from 1997. Its main aim is to encourage the creation of small and medium firms by bringing entrepreneurship to life, highlighting modernization and business innovation.
CEIM/BIC Madeira is a consolidated organisation in the field of advising and SMEs mentoring that aims to provide support, helping to create conditions that will favour the appearance of micro/small businesses, by bringing to life entrepreneurship, modernization and business innovation. Main services offered are the following:
- Incubation facilities.
- Entrepreneurs services (business plan, advising and mentoring).
- Consultancy services (feasibility study, technical, economic and financial company analyses, advising and mentoring).
- Applications to support programs with regional, national or European funding.
- National and international co-operation (regional and European contacts networks, fomenting new partnerships).
- Regional and local development.
- Industrial property rights (support to industrial property rights, licensing, disclosure agreements, etc).
- Process of protecting industrial property.
UMA has developed 2 relevant extra-curricular activities in the promotions of entrepreneurship and innovation among students in partnership with CEIM/BIC, namely:
1) The Road Show for Entrepreneurship, where students have taught courses in Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, the goal is to encourage and promote the entrepreneurial spirit among students;
2) The StartWEB, where students can participate in a competition through the development of a business idea in the areas of programming, design, information technology and management.
UMA has also developed a Business Simulation Project in partnership with the University of Aveiro, where students had the opportunity to manage a company in a virtual market.