FIFTEEN shining business stars are participating in SETsquared Partnership’s first Entrepreneurship Programme this week.

Taking place at The Innovation Centre on Basing View, the purpose of the three day programme is to turn good ideas into new hi-tech companies for Basingstoke.

Earlier this year, the partnership, which brings together Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey universities, teamed up with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, to set up an incubator hub for new technology businesses.

The hub is the first in the country outside a university campus and has a target to develop 20 new high growth companies and bring £20 million of investment to Basingstoke by 2016.

Most of the entrepreneurs at this week’s event have new ideas in the digital sector, covering areas as diverse as better interaction for learning and collective decision taking using smart phones and tablets, improved internet security, helping smaller businesses access engineering support, creating a community driven website to share deals and offers and improving healthcare and food growing technology.

The course will give those taking part the chance to benefit from the experience SETsquared – Europe’s number one university business incubator – has from 12 years of helping over 1,000 businesses to start-up.

Aiming to give entrepreneurs the help, support and skills they need to set up a successful company, the course combines sessions led by experienced entrepreneurs and investors, lectures and small-group workshops, covering everything from how to bring their business idea to life, attract customers and draw up a business plan to how to access funding for start-up companies. The programme ends with an opportunity for those taking part to pitch to a Dragons’ Den style panel of investors, on Friday afternoon.

Prior to the start of the programme earlier today, SETsquared’s innovation director Simon Bond said: “I’ve been delighted with the response to this first Entrepreneurship Programme in Basingstoke.

“We’re working with an exciting group of companies with some great ideas.

“It will undoubtedly be a tough and challenging three days with the prospect of pitching to investors at the end of the week. But these are ambitious entrepreneurs and I don’t doubt that they will impress.

“Entrepreneurial talent is abundant in Basingstoke and there are a lot of skilled technologists, many of whom have cutting edge experience with leading global multi-national companies.

“This week is all about taking those shining stars and helping them to develop even further so they can go on to grow businesses and in turn the local economy."