Studio Moderna Receives EFER “New European Champions” Award

17.11.2011

In Poland, New European Champion awards have been given out for the first time this year by EFER (the European Forum for Entrepreneurship Research), in collaboration with the IESE Business School (Barcelona) and the Warsaw School of Economics.

The award is given in recognition of the success of innovative expanding companies from Central and Eastern Europe and Russia that have successfully expanded to foreign markets.

Studio Moderna is the only Slovenian company to have received this prestigious entrepreneurial award.

The voting committee comprised eleven representatives from a variety of academic and business associations.
The key assessment criteria included:

• Country of origin (Central and Eastern Europe including East Germany, Ukraine and Russia),
• Company size (significant company growth in terms of the number of employees and revenue over the last 5 years),
• The entrepreneur's role (the founder must hold a position in the top management),
• Internationalisation (operation on international markets either in terms of supply or marketing, and good prospects of stronger internationalisation in the future),
• Company age (the company was established after 1990, is at least 5 years old and shows promise of company growth)
• Potential collaboration of the company in the project (the entrepreneur is willing to take part in the New European Champions project).

In the initial assessment stage, the committee selected 30 applicants from a total of 75 applications. The winning companies are hailed as an example for all budding
entrepreneurs. In making their assessment, the committee took into consideration the geographical and sectoral diversity of the companies, the diversity of entrepreneurial services and products and internationalisation.

The companies were assessed in five categories: (1) small but global; (2) large with a strong global presence; (3) worldwide exporter; (4) international franchise, trade or partnership strategy and (5) technologically advanced global companies. The entire process of selecting the award winners lasted over a year.

On receiving the award, president of Studio Moderna, Mr Sandi Češko, said:

'We are absolutely delighted with every award conferred on companies that have overcome local obstacles through their own efforts and skill, and which show a promise of continued brilliance via healthy capital.

At the same time, I am happy that Studio Moderna can play a part in spreading and adding to the know-how of entrepreneurship at home and beyond. I believe that entrepreneurs are a major driving force of development and progress, even in tough times like now.'

About EFER

Ever since its establishment in 1987, the EFER has actively promoted entrepreneurship in Europe through an exchange of good practises. In the early years of its operation, there were no relevant entrepreneurial practises from Europe that could provide a sound foundation for teaching entrepreneurship in the current European educational institutions. Bert Twaalfhoven from EFER commented on Sandi Češko:

'I first met the ambitious Slovenian entrepreneur Sandi Češko in 1992. It was an honour to reward such a remarkable man. Not only for his achievements in the field of the economy, but also for the time and energy that he still invests in his company regardless of his success. He sets an example for many professors and their students.'

Today, the EFER works closely with a network of business schools, universities and professors from all over Europe and the world, as well as entrepreneurs, international organisations and other experts. With their help, they conduct research and education in entrepreneurship and offer the latest information about best practices in the entrepreneurial sector. In the present economic situation, teaching good entrepreneurial practices beyond
the national borders is a vital part of education about entrepreneurship for all countries, as it is the only way for lecturers to understand both the present and future needs of entrepreneurship and prepare new generations of entrepreneurs to successfully take on challenges.

With its selection of successful companies, the mentioned project has shown that there are many good entrepreneurial practices from which much can be learned. Educating young people on the basis of entrepreneurial examples that are proving their excellence internationally is an opportunity for every country to successfully produce new generations of entrepreneurs who will be able to rise to the challenges of the ever-changing entrepreneurial environment.