Local Expert On Entrepreneurship And Tech Start-ups Addresses International Audience

Eindhoven , The Netherlands, October 15, 2004 – Dennis Cagan , CEO of the Santa Barbara Technology Group, spoke at the Netherlands Science & Technology Officers Network Conference as a guest of the Dutch Parliament . The Conference title was “Entrepreneurs in the knowledge sector” and it was intended to highlight critical success factors for entrepreneurs starting companies in the fields of Nano- and Biotechnology.

The conference was held on the 14th and 15 th of October at the Philips High Tech Campus in the City of Eindhoven and was organized by the Netherlands Science and Technology Officers Network of the Ministry of Economic Affairs for The Netherlands.

The Dutch government is undergoing a concerted effort to develop its knowledge economy. As the key part of that effort they are instituting numerous efforts to promote and support start-up companies based on the rich portfolio of research emerging from the country’s Universities. In conjunction with the conference Mr. Cagan visited research facilities and technology incubators at both the University of Twente in the city of Enschede , and the Technical University in Eindhover. He also met with officials and researchers from Delt University. These are the three preeminent technical Universities in The Netherlands.

Mr. Cagan’s speech covered topics including the impact of geographic knowledge concentrations (like Santa Barbara) on innovation, spin off creation and the establishment of start-ups; the importance of public-private R&D cooperation and which are its critical success factors; good practices regarding stimulating startups in a local region; and key differences between areas in The Netherlands and US areas such as Silicon Valley and Route 128 in Boston.

About Santa Barbara Technology Group

Santa Barbara Technology Group is a private investment and consulting firm engaged primarily in investing in and mentoring early-stage technology companies. The firm has become an important connection for any high-tech startup on the Central Coast . SBTG provides world-class management assistance, strategic guidance, valuable connections and seed capital to entrepreneurs, helping young companies gain access to operational and technological infrastructure.

More information is available at www.sbtechnology.com.

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