Athgo is excited to introduce its first Innovation and Capacity Building Center (ICBC), which will open its doors in early 2009 in Yerevan, Armenia. The ICBC will conduct research and develop social business ventures in areas of Information Communication Technology (ICT) application to enhance economic growth and development under the context of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Main partners include:

• United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs represented by the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (UNDESA-GAID)
• Ministry of Economy, Republic of Armenia
• Ministry of Education and Science, Republic of Armenia
• State Engineering University, Yerevan, Armenia

The ICBC’s main objectives include:

• Build human capacity: Provide research and business development training, as well as education in strategic thinking and advantages in launching social ventures
  
  
• Promote social entrepreneurship: Offer educational opportunities and resources needed to move social ventures from the concept phase into realization
  
  
• Encourage Innovation: Provide a results-driven environment that stimulates new ideas and generates inventive business models
  
  
• Serve as a bridge between advanced and emerging economies: Find the most cost-effective and efficient methods to facilitate technology transfers and modernization

The ICBC’s main initiatives:

Educational opportunities: tools for individuals with an interest in developing entrepreneurship skills and learning about ICT and its application. The center will implement three types of training programs:

• Methodic Training will provide fellows with an intensive introduction to social entrepreneurship and ICT
  
  
• Specialty Training will be specific to fellow projects and serve as briefing into the technical and theoretical aspects of ICBC initiatives and social ventures
  
  
• Capacity Training will engage and educate a larger population in general capacity building, with a specific focus on ICT tools and social entrepreneurship

Fellowships: The ICBC will host 30 Sponsored Fellows and 5-10 Independent Research Fellows each year.

• Sponsored Fellows will undergo Methodic Training and apply their acquired skills to develop and execute ICBC initiatives. They will also assist in the incubation and implementation of social ventures through the ICBC
  
  
• Independent Research Fellows will be invited to the center to continue research on a topic relevant to the ICBC’s mission

Social Ventures: The center will receive approximately 500 social business plans from Athgo Global Forums, Independent Research Fellows, and other Center related programs. Fellows working at the ICBC will be trained to validate the plans and select the most promising social ventures to be incubated at the center. The original young authors of the venture will be invited to develop the proposed plans with ICBC fellows.