Adela Sediva Latvia 200 8

1. Adela Sediva Latvia 2008

2. General facts about Latvia • Locality of Latvia • Heart of Baltic and the biggest city agglomeration in Baltic region

3. Geographical- economical characterization • Locationof Latvia - major influence on the country's diverse historical and cultural experiences; • Geographic location as an important East-West commercial and trading center; • Latvia's main exports - timber, paper and agricultural products; • Reforms implemented in Latvia and integration in the EU have left a positive impact on economic development of the country. Latvia has shown the highest economic growth rates in the EU.

4. Geographical- economical characterization II • Capital of Latvia-RIGA: • The largest city in the Baltic States; • most important centre of industry, finance and transport in the Baltic region- In the 14th and 15th century, Riga became one of the most developed centers of the Hansa Union;

5. Geographical- economical characterization IIa • significant role in the region being an important transport junction on the roads between Western and Eastern countries; • the dramatical change of industrial structure; • ideally located on the cross-roads between Eastern and Western Europe as well as between Russia and the Scandinavia;

6. Geographical- economical characterization III • Ventspils - Harbour in the Baltic Sea • one of the oldest cities in Latvia • one of Latvia's most important harbours through which passes a great deal of shipping transit

7. Geographical- economical characterization IV Key Macroeconomic Data

8. Geographical- economical characterization V • Privatization in Latvia - • previously state-owned small and medium enterprises have been privatized; • have led to the development of a dynamic and prosperous private sector; • Still in state hands there is the electric utility, the Latvian railway company, and the Latvian postal system, as well as state shares in several politically sensitive concerns

9. Industrial structureof Latvia • The main industrial sectors: • the pharmaceutical industry; • food production; • wood processing and furniture production; • production of communication technologies; • the electronics and electrical engineering industry; • the sector of mechanical engineering and metalworking; • transport sector and transit; • the textile and clothing sector.

10. Industrial profiles I • Biotechnologies Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals • The chemical industry accounts for 8.4% of total value added within manufacturing.

11. Industrial profiles II • Sector Exports • The leading export products are pharmaceuticals, comprising 40.6% of the sector's total exports, followed by plastic products (23%) and glass fibre (14.4%).

12. Industrial profiles III • Biotechnologies Chemicals and Pharmaceutical Sector Advantages: • established manufacturing infrastructure • geographical and cultural proximity to eastern markets. • Development trends within the sector include: • bio-tech lab equipment manufacture • bio-fuel production • generic pharmaceuticals manufacture • sub-contracting of research services, production and packaging

13. Industrial profiles IV • Food industry is the second biggest sector

14. Industrial profiles V • Food industry Sector Advantages : • Latvia is at the heart of Europe’s fastest-growing region the Baltic Sea Region • Sector Exports • With Latvia becoming a member state of the EU, larger avenues are opening up for its exporters with the EU concluding preferential trade agreements with several countries where Latvian products did not previously benefit from any trade relief.

15. Industrial profiles VI • Wood processing industry profile • Sector Exports • most important export industry contributing as much as one third of export turnover and playing an essential role in rural and regional employment. Around 80% of total output is exported. • Sector Advantages • availability of large domestic and imported wood resources • skilled labour force in a historically traditional industry • established timber-processing sector

16. Industrial profiles VII • The ICT sector in Latvia • Mobile communication services • WAP and Internet services • Sector Exports

17. Industrial profiles VIII • Sector Advantages • favourable geographic location • availability of highly skilled ICT professionals with international project experience (including project management), good language skills and a combination of western-style working culture with knowledge of the Russian market • highly developed communications and logistics infrastructure • a high level of government support and attractive taxation policy

18. Industrial profiles IX • Electrical and optical equipment industry • VEF factory

19. Industrial profiles X • Sector Exports • Sector Advantages • Well-established traditions in engineering and electronics manufacturing • An educated, skilled, cost effective workforce, around 1000 technical staff and 100 qualified engineers entering the labour market each year • EU quality levels achieved • A strategic location between the east and west, ideally suited for targeting the Baltic Sea region and Russian markets • Well-developed professional services, telecommunications and IT, energy, financial, logistics and transport systems • Excellent foreign language skills

20. Industrial profiles XI • Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking • Sector Advantages • Competitive labour skill/cost ratio . • Short order-delivery time. • Computerised and on-line capabilities. • Educated and well-trained workforce.

21. Industrial profiles XII • Transit and Logistics • Sector Advantages • Latvia's geographical location between east and west • The quality and level of transport and logistics services • Quality of road, rail, and maritime infrastructure • Availability of skilled labour • Availability of high level IT in the transport industry • Government support for the development of the transit, transport and logistics sector • Taxation issues

22. Industrial profiles XIII • Light industry (production of textile and leather products)‏ • Sector Exports

23. Industrial profiles XIV • Light industry Sector Advantages • Skilled and flexible workforce • Experienced engineering and design staff familiar with the industry's newest trends • Dedicated managers who have often become co-owners of the companies they lead • High quality production and design equipment • Substantial experience of working both in eastern markets and with customers and partners from western Europe

24. The Structure and supply of services to enterprise • LIAA • promoting business development by facilitating more foreign investment • increasing the competitiveness of Latvian entrepreneurs in both domestic and foreign markets • The Chamber • creating favourable business environment; • represent economic interests of Latvia's enterprises; • offer business promotion services • Commercial Consultancy bureaus- • Different commercial consultancy agencies, providing wide scale of services in order to full fill your ideas

25. WHO ARE WE? EuroFortis SIA is a new consulting center Our activities started in 2006 as Stalex Horice filiale (branch of Czech company) In 2007 we transformed and renamed company as an independent company Eurofortis SIA

26. THE MAIN ACTIVITIES European educational projects and consultancy Business and management consulting for foreign and local companies Marketing researches for foreign and local clients

27. EU PROJECTS At this moment we are one few companies working in EU educational project field. - Participation in 6 different projects with innovative content We can professionally provide these tasks for the project: • Researches in a given sphere • Hing quality of promotion and dissemination activities • Cooperation with universities, regional development agencies, employment agencies, local social institutions

28. BUSINESS CONSULTANCY Eurofortis helps to foreign businessmen entering Latvian market and supports their successful start in Baltic. • Full assistance service for foreign companies • Search of relevant business partners in Latvia • Search of distributors in Latvia

29. MARKETING RESEARCH At the end of year 2007 Eurofortis is starting with providing of marketing researches for local and foreign companies. Research on given sphere B2B and B2C researches Complex marketing research Collection of data and analysis Focus groups

30. CONTACT EuroFortis SIA • Rupniecibas iela 52 • LV-1045 Riga • Latvia • info@eurofortis.lv • www.eurofortis.lv

31. Continous trainingservices Almost all continuous training services in Latvia are provided by private training institutions. • Professional courses • Educational centers • Language courses

32. Possibilities of blended learning • Benefit of blended learning- self studies combined with traditional learning • Possibilities of blended learning in Latvia- possible, but still not common in a field of professional education • Institutions offering blended learning programmes: • Language training centres • Computer training centres • Universities • University of Latvia and Riga Technical University- good examples of using a blended learning tool MOODLE • e-learning program „mysellingskills”

33. Possibilities of blended learning –Moodle tool • Moodle is a free open source course management system