and then comes rebellion what if you
know this feeling right my name is
Lorena and it’s a privilege to instigate
rebellion in Prague where my very own
started where I started drinking beer
I’m here today though to talk about
innovation in Central and Eastern Europe
it often feels like playing catch up
with other countries for this or that
our region groomed several unicorns
today’s the first one was born in Prague
a vast we also have Prezi in Hungary
Skype Estonia Allegro in Poland there is
a lot of creativity and a lot of
technical talent right here I know it
because I am well-connected to the
innovation space I know it’s because I’m
Romanian I know it because I lived in
Prague for many years and you know it
we are ready thirst even for the
innovation disorder but here is the
truth creativity and talent are not
enough it may feel like it but now
reports and theories say innovation
needs enablers the state economy market
size funding research and many many
others let’s take the latest global
innovation index what do we see first
number of enablers 21 that’s a lot
variety
Czech Republic ranks first amongst us
24th Poland 37 Romania 51 Belarus only
109 out of 127 countries that’s a range
is quite a range right it may feel
overwhelming even disconcerting when you
see the numbers the unflattering
rankings but try to look at this image a
new one thing may come out of it the
market size may not be that small the
Independence says Poland Estonia and
Romania are attractive attracting the
highest funds was Czech Republic hosts
some of the best funded most mature tech
companies and another one
Romania ranking 51 here just called the
highest early-stage tech investment to
date in Central and Eastern Europe in
April uipath got 30 million US dollars
what a puzzle let’s look at the numbers
between 2015 and 2016 venture capital
funding doubled but some of you may be
well aware that startups from here are
relocating somewhere else although they
keep the core development home examples
would be my rehab scheme vision in
Romania Bella beads from Croatia they do
so to have easier access to fundings or
markets the amounts here are considered
to be just the drop compared to the
amounts go into other European countries
but the truth is
cannot even measure the funding coming
towards startups from our part of the
world because many are not easily
identified as such forget about numbers
here is an interesting title did they
did foreign investments make Prague a
strong startup hub Prague develops of
one of the best places for independent
and nomad workers I alone found 10
co-working spaces here what does it mean
opportunities for people to connect to
engage exchange ideas build a network
the ecosystem so I’m gonna ask again
did they drugs ecosystem made innovation
discoverable and the early unicorn story
a vast trustworthy how do you make sense
of this the numbers the enablers the
articles you look at Silicon Valley and
you want the why Europe doesn’t have any
despite the fact that many countries are
pouring money into building ecosystems
what are we missing
under preneur your culture is rarely and
elusively mentioned by reports or
articles what really nurtures innovation
from the grassroot innovation courage
and creativity of course but what else
collaboration from the ground up and the
good news is this is really in average
we don’t have to wait for pillars or
anything else it’s up to us
with a scholarship for an MBA based on
my savings
I didn’t think I’m gonna last three
months and yet I came during the program
I heard often networking networking
networking as a graduate of psychology I
was like what I mean like know lots of
people not of you but know them like
really really well know their feelings
and everything
but I did not work I also had a couple
of international assignments and very
early on I realized that in widespread
and diverse themes the first thing you
needed to do to get things done was
network a few years later I started a
multidisciplinary PhD with the horizon
digital economy Institute in Nottingham
I was only interested in healthcare the
first one to go for it inside the
Institute so I had to do some convincing
but it was also an emerging area back in
2011 it was like once upon a time in
digital health I really had to work the
ground I went to conferences events I
use social media
anything by the way the second startup I
found was massive from Slovenia and this
is really just an extreme case of
networking I did not Network much in
Romania not until two years and a half
ago when we kicked off
I see health a health innovation event
inside a bigger one I see first one of
the biggest festivals in digital
innovation in our part of the world
Drago’s the founder was excited from the
very beginning but not many others I was
told
literally lauranna they won’t be twenty
people to even get what you’re talking
about
that cannot be Troy said I’m sure there
are many we just don’t know each other
so I went back to number one networking
networking networking and look how close
we got and cozy really in this picture
there are also two of my truck tribe
friends caramel Cove xanthomas Mershon
but also a former ministry of health
several global influencers many local
innovators and healthcare stakeholders
in two years we coagulated a vibrant
community of people interested in
healthcare innovation you know all style
networking person-to-person or social
media this year we even had a senator in
the opening last weekend in Bucharest
there was one of the biggest and most
important Health hackathons in central
Eastern Europe one of my fellow juries
was dr. deanna pawan presidential
councillor in public health the empty
space you see by the end of the year is
gonna be the first digital health
innovation hub and accelerator opening
in our region open to all health rebels
in Central and Eastern Europe it is
really important to connect horizontally
but also vertically do not feel shy to
engage with decision-makers let them
know you explain them tell them what you
need you may be surprised the take away
from my story would be see what happens
when you start drinking beer see how far
I got by only having fun really this is
about how in only two years we put the
basis to make healthcare innovation real
and discoverable in central Eastern
Europe this is not my story this is
about one plus one plus one plus one
that in no time lets exponent on
exponential growth of a community
this is about the power of money who
says that here we cannot fly high all
the way who says we cannot fly cars to
Slovaks
are taking on Silicon Valley companies
like Kitty Hawk backed by one of
Google’s co founders Larry Page talking
about innovation here today is deeply
significant to me not only because I
feel like I’m bringing my story back
home where it belongs it is important
for us innovation is the growth engine
of an economy more than that innovation
is the health check of democracy itself
I will say this again it might feel like
it but now innovation is not a lonely
adventure and this is a fresh study
published only a month ago I’m gonna
give you a hint it boils down to three
words you may know very well by now
together we are visible heard
significant inside and outside our
countries and region keep building
networks that raise well above
individual endeavors they will build
trust
catch talent generates knowledge attract
capital they will even push for those
pillars the unflattering factors in the
reports there is plenty of goldfish
right here or otherwise boots
there is no such thing as two bigger
fish to fry if we connect and
collaborate the size one matter the
market size
even a handful of rebels running
together impacts will generate
incredible change my message to you
today is find your own pack and run
together start here in Prague
thank you thank you frog for everything decree much