There are questions nobody asks because they are obvious. Others are not so obvious. The latter include some questions many people ask themselves about great companies and their relationship with entrepreneurship. Why do large companies implement and support initiatives to encourage entrepreneurship? What interest can a multinational company have in promoting young entrepreneurs?

To start shedding light on this matter, first we need to know that innovation and entrepreneurship need each other. That said, we also need to know that in order for a company to become a great company, it needs to innovate. The innovative spirit needs to be at the heart of the company. The best proof that this is so is the fact that the companies that invest the most in innovation are more productive, competitive and sustainable. And, incidentally, they are also the ones that grow the most and do so in a sustainable way. For this reason, the commitment of great companies to innovation is clear, especially nowadays: the crisis creates a need and this need leads us to innovate. We will not overcome the difficulties by doing more of the same.

Great companies are aware of the challenges of this globalized world. And they know that these challenges cannot be tackled single-handed. Taking into consideration the current globalization context, no company can adequately meet the needs of customers and society unless it implements internal and external collaboration methods. This is one of the main reasons why great companies support and need entrepreneurs, startups and university spin-offs. This need to continue innovating and collaborating with the ecosystem's different agents is leading great companies to a model of open and network innovation.

The main reasons why great companies are committed to an open innovation model are:

• There is more talent outside than within the company. This is a simple question of quantity.
• No company can master 100% of today's technology.
• Large multinational companies want to be global, not generic. This means adapting to the specific features of the territory and partnering with the local agents of the innovation ecosystem.
• There is an accelerating convergence of certain areas and fields that encompass different disciplines, such as smart cities, smart grids, eHealth, etc.

Open innovation is the effective collaboration among all the agents in the ecosystem: customers, employees, partners, suppliers, universities and knowledge institutions, competitors and society at large. Encouraging entrepreneurship is the key to having a more innovative ecosystem, the foundations of the knowledge economy. Ideas competitions, mentoring, digital assistance platforms, funding, cession of space and labs, business incubators, etc., are the most direct expression of the support for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship.

Great companies can and should play a leadership role to promote startups and spin-offs and thus contribute to generate a more innovative ecosystem. Each newly established company is yet another milestone on the road to innovation, that ultimately benefits society as a whole.
I am convinced that entrepreneurship is possible, but it is not an easy process. My professional career supporting and mentoring entrepreneurs and initiatives has taught me that entrepreneurs, besides their enthusiasm and knowledge related to their initiatives, should always persevere to continue making progress with their projects, even when adverse circumstances arise. And one last thing: the ideas must be realistic and attainable or, as someone once said, they should start simple, continue with what is necessary and, finally, achieve the impossible. This is my advice.