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An incubator is a facility and/or program that provides start-up companies with an environment and variety of services to help them grow more quickly and more successfully.
NBIC, the only biotechnology incubator in Taiwan
 The NanKang Biotech Incubation Center, NBIC, is a “full service” biotechnology incubator. That means that NBIC offers facilities for the incubatees as well as comprehensive services to facilitate their growth and success. Some incubators offer space but may offer limited services. Others may be “virtual” in that they do not offer space but offer an array of services to support incubatee companies. Also NBIC is a biotechnology incubator and accept companies that are engaged in development of biotechnologies that have commercial potential. Other types of incubators may accept other types of companies.
The NBIC is the only incubator in Taiwan focused in biotech start-ups. NBIC partners with the universities, research institutes, hospitals and incubators to serve the incubatee companies.
NBIC, the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration sponsored incubator
NBIC is sponsored by the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration (SMEA), MOEA of the Taiwan Government, and managed by the Development Center for Biotechnology (DCB).
NBIC is a non-profit biotech incubator, all the funding and annual budget are from SMEA, all the rent and service income that NBIC recovers from the incubatees go back to the Fund of SMEA.
NBIC managed and supported by the Development Center for Biotechnology
The Incubator is managed by a professional team from DCB, the team reports to the president of DCB directly. The full time professional management team stays on site to serve the incubatees. The management team is leading by Dr. Shang-Pwu Shia.
DCB gives the full supports to NBIC, includes the technologies in 6 major areas: protein drugs, small molecule drugs, new drug formulation development, gene-based drugs, Chinese herbal medicine and environmental biotechnology. Besides the technologies, DCB also provides the services of market information (ITIS project), technology transferring (BioFronts project) and the bio-industrial window for the Government (BPIPO project).
NBIC welcomes all bio-related small and medium companies
The qualifications to apply to NBIC are:
- The company must exist.....NBIC accepts companies and also individuals with executable proposal for a company. Individual applicants must get the company license from the Government within 6 months after entering NBIC.
- Foreign bio-related company, subsidiary or branch office, registered in Taiwan are also welcome.
- The company must be biotechnology related, companies developing proprietary biotechnology product or platform or bio-services companies are welcome.
- The business concept should be one that has the potential to achieve significant growth.
- The company should have resources to support operations for itself.
- The founders of the company must be willing to fully participate in the NBIC program.
- No pollution, no pathogen allowed.
NBIC’s application process
The process officially starts with the completion and submission of the pre-application form which can be found on the NBIC website. If NBIC management has not already met with the company, a meeting is scheduled. During that meeting, the company is able to share more insights about the business concept and founders and to learn more about NBIC.
The second phase of the application process is providing the business plan of the company, after the reviewing by NBIC manager a formal committee of 5 members who are experts in the field, will be formed. At the time of the reviewing meeting, applicants make presentations to the experienced committee members who give NBIC feedback about the company. That feedback along with everything else NBIC has learned about the company to decide whether or not to accept the applicant.
NBIC provides total solution to all incubatees
Basically NBIC provides assistance with any need the incubatees have giving a total solution. NBIC focuses heavily on the aspects such as strategic planning, capital strategies, legal advice, IP issues, financial services and advice, marketing and sales advice, human resources issues and even technology resources as needed.
The assistance is provided a number of ways. Some of the incubator staffs provide business guidance to the incubatees and meet with them regularly to assist with strategic issues and connect incubatees with resources available through NBIC.
NBIC works with a number of professional service providers in the community such as law firms, accounting and CPA firms, marketing and advertising firms, investment organizations, insurance companies and others that offer products and services relevant to the incubatees.
A number of service providers come to the incubator periodically and are available to meet with incubatees on-site at no cost. Others are available as needed to give some guidance and advice. The initial assistance is provided free-of-charge to the incubatee. If more extensive services are needed, the incubatee is responsible for forming a fee-based relationship with the service provider.
NBIC also provides numerous education and networking programs. We have a frequent schedule of seminars, forums and workshops conducted by experts on various topics. NBIC also partners with other organizations in Taiwan and international incubation associations, NBIA and AABI, to provide networking and education opportunities to the incubatees.
NBIC provides access to DCB resources
NBIC draws heavily on the DCB for a variety of resources for the incubatees. Some incubatees need additional research expertise and NBIC helps them partner with research PI and staff. The e-journals and e-databank of DCB library is available to NBIC incubatees and offers information research services for market analysis, technology evaluation, tech-transferring analysis or other information needs.
NBIC works with various connections
NBIC website lists many of the organizations it partners with to make services available to the incubatees. NBIC is always adding to the pool of partners as it finds additional sources of expertise.
In the NanKang BioPark community, NBIC works closely with the BioPark management office, the BioPark bio-safety office and building service office.
In Taipei city, NBIC has good relationship with the municipal government and work with many medical schools, hospitals, nonprofit business service providers and many professional service organization and businesses that have relevant products and services.
NBIC provides more, takes small
Currently the rent rate is NTD454/M2 per month for the net floor area in the private incubation room and the room size ranged from 65-90 M2 mostly. The rent includes high speed data access and many professional services. Incubatees are responsible for their own utilities, phone service as well as any furniture and/or equipments they may need in the private incubation room. There is no additional charge for all of the invaluable counseling and coaching provided or for attendance at NBIC educational program. NBIC also provides 2 times more common areas for the incubatees, such as lounges, conference room, meeting rooms, common central labs, tissue culture rooms, washing rooms with instruments, equipments and devices for easy access. For the management reason, NBIC takes small charges on conference room and some advanced instruments.
NBIC’s lease
The lease is for one year and renewable. At the end of each year, NBIC evaluates together whether the partnership between the incubatee and Incubator is beneficial to both and whether or not to renew the lease. Every 3 years NBIC reviews the incubatee to see whether to extent the staying of the incubatee.
NBIC’s location
This incubation facility located in the 17th floor of NanKang BioPark, Building F, at the NW corner of NanKang Software Science Park.
NBIC gives flexible memberships for your need
NBIC has more options….the 2nd category, 3rd and the 4th memberships for heavy and light services users. 2nd category incubatee, paying NTD10,000 monthly fee, is for those incubatees who have their own office space outside but would like to utilize NBIC full services and access to everything the Incubator has to offer as NBIC incubatees. The 3rd category member status is for those that are working out of their office from external of NBIC and need some services slightly. The 3rd category member pays NTD10,000 annually member fee and get discount on all paid services. The 4th membership is designed for the companies who need our services for a transient period and the payment is negotiable.
NBIC offers high quality incubation services for 3 years
Generally an incubatee will be in and out in 3 years or less which is what NBIC likes to see. Some may stay a little longer and it is allowed if they are making progress, utilizing the Incubator program and still have a business focus that meets the criteria.
NBIC objective is to graduate an incubatee at the appropriate time when they are ready to stand on their own.
Graduation is when an incubatee company has matured to the point that they do not need Incubator assistance regularly and are ready to have their own facilities. Usually the company has product in the market and has reached a level of financial stability and employee growth that enables them to be fully functional on their own. At that point, NBIC assists with finding sublease opportunities and access to other services that may be needed as they transition into their own space.
Graduation also takes place when a incubatee company is acquired or merged.
NBIC, the partner for helping biotech start-up companies
NBIC is only 2 and half years old, since Sept. 2004. This year only, 2006, NBIC incubatees got 7 cases of assistance from the government with the total amount of NTD56,054,000.
CONTACT
Tel：886 2 2655-8633
Fax：886 2 2655-8634
E-mail：nbic@mail.dcb.org.tw
Website：www.nbic.org.tw
Address：17th FL., 3, YuanQu ST., Taipei 115, TAIWAN
 （Biotechnology
Plaza, NanKang Software Park）
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