OREANDA-NEWS. December 23, 2013. The Organisation for Small and Medium Enterprises Sector Development (ODIMM), in partnership with the Economics Ministry, launched the Moldovan Network of Business Incubators (RIAM) in Chisinau.

Attending the event, ODIMM Director General Iulia Iabanji and the heads of the business incubators from districts Soroca, Stefan Voda, Leova, Rezina, Singerei and Dubasari signed an association agreement of the business incubators within RIAM, the ODIMM press services has reported.

The Moldovan Business Incubators Network, set up with the European Union’s financial technical assistance, is a cooperation platform established by a voluntary agreement of its members, to promote the role of incubators in the economic development and their recognition at the national and international levels.

Attending the event, Deputy Economics Minister Dumitru Godoroja highlighted that the business incubators were the pillars of development of the small and medium enterprises in Moldova. "These represent regional development platforms and a first source of information of entrepreneurs from all over Moldova as regards the business support projects," Godoroja said.

"By jointly implementing the development programmes, RIAM is a means of attracting new funds. According to the international experience, the business incubators do not have sufficient resources to develop their capacities. It is not a secret that the donor organisations prefer to work, first of all, with the networks than individual beneficiaries," the team leader of the EU Technical Assistance to Sector Budget Support on Economic Stimulation in Rural Area (ESRA) programme, Philip Santens, said.

The business incubators from Stefan Voda, Leova, Rezina, Singerei and Dubasari have been created by ODIMM with the ESRA project’s support within the policies matrix for the Sector Budget Support on Economic Stimulation in Rural Area Programme, financed by the European Union. The business incubator from northern Soroca town was created in 2009, with the Norwegian government’s support.

The ODIMM develops and implements programmes and projects meant to back ideas of all entrepreneurs willing to develop their own business. This is a public, non-profit organisation and works under the Economics Ministry.