IDEA An Interactive System to promote Business Support Services in the CEI/SEE Countries

1. IDEAAn Interactive Systemto promote Business Support Services in the CEI/SEE Countries Prof. Dr. Claudio Di GiorgioCEI Summit Economic ForumPortorož, November 24, 2004 Informest – Service and documentation center for international economic co-operation - Gorizia (IT) Tel. +39-0481597411 claudio.digiorgio@informest.it

2. IDEA Interactive Database for Enterprises and Associations >> An on-line system intended to give a comprehensive view of the services supplied by the business support organizations to SMEs in the CEI/SEE Countries and to constitute an interactive platform to foster the networking of the public and private service suppliers NOT a database of SMEs and Associations Pilot project to be presented for co-financing under the Italian Law 84/2001 for the reconstruction of SEE claudio.digiorgio@informest.it

3. Main Objective of the Project • IDEA is the first step towards the main goal: • To establish an operational network among the institutions and organizations working on SMEs promotion in the CEI countries • Improving the accessibility of the information available for SMEs in all CEI member countries • Stimulating the cross-country co-operation opportunities of the business support systems claudio.digiorgio@informest.it

4. The Premise - 1 At present, it’s not available any on-line information tool capable of giving a complete and up-to-date picture of all the products and services that private and public local organizations (local development agencies, enterprise associations, public offices, private companies, non-profit organizations, networks, etc. – service providers) can supply to investors and SMEs at local level on the territory (SEE). claudio.digiorgio@informest.it

5. The Premise - 2 • Several web-sites on SMEs • Many institutional web-sites • A few number of web sites of business support associations (ex. EURADA, the European Association of Regional Development Agencies) • Many large-scale Portals (WASME, INSME, WAIPA, WTPF, WCN, IEDC, TIN, ANIMA, etc.) claudio.digiorgio@informest.it

6. > the International Network for SMEs (INSME – www.insme.org), > the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA – www.waipa.org), > the World Association for SMEs (WASME – www.wasmeinfo.org), > the World Chambers Network (WCN – www.worldchambers.com), > the World Trade Point Federation (WTPF – www.wtpfed.org), > the Trade Information Network (TIN – www.g77tin.org), > the International Economic Development Council (IEDC – www.iedconline.org), > the Euro-Mediterranean Network of Investment Promotion Agencies (ANIMA – www.animaweb.org), > the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership of Intermediary Organizations (SMExchange – www.smexchange.org) claudio.digiorgio@informest.it

7. … and other high-level European Networks and Initiatives: • the Central European Initiative (CEI – www.ceinet.org) • the EIC Network (http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/networks/eic/eic.html) • the BIC Network (www.ebn.be) • Dialog with Business (http://europa.eu.int/business/en/index.html) • the Association of European Chambers of Commerce (www.eurochambres.be) • the European Trade Promotion Organization (www.wk.or.at/aw/etpo/) claudio.digiorgio@informest.it

8. The Premise - 3 • All these networks have a preminent promotional character: organization of seminars and conferences, representing members’ interests with respect to national/international institutions, general information, project dissemination, etc. • The majority of web sites related to these networks do not provide any kind of technological platform to be shared among members, or the platform is limited to basic services (project database, documentation, links,news and events, newsletter, forum, etc.) claudio.digiorgio@informest.it

9. The Idea • To gather in one single place on the web all relevant information about the business support organizations in the CEI/SEE countries and their real services for SMEs • To build a technological platform to be shared among the members for providing advanced on-line services to enterprises and favour FDI at the local/regional level • To interact directly with enterprises to match their demand of services with the overall offer of the network • To set up the conditions for a concrete networking of the development actors based on the on-line platform claudio.digiorgio@informest.it

10. Project Objectives - 1 Putting at disposal of the local and foreign companies a constantly udated telematic instrument capable of: > Giving detailed information about the services of assistance, consultancy, financial and operative support etc. at disposal in the target area, supplied either by the local institutions, business support organizations, european networks or private companies; > Allowing SMEs to insert in the information circuit their own requests for collaboration, technical assistance, consultancy, partner research and other services claudio.digiorgio@informest.it

11. Project Objectives - 2 Putting at disposal of the local business support organizations a telematic platform capable of: > Sharing projects and development instruments, co-operating on common issues, building and delivering customized services, gaining access to relevant information sources (investment programs, european projects, calls and tenders, internal and external demand, statistical data, geo-referentiated data-banks, databases of enterprises, etc.) > Allowing the service suppliers to promote their products/services/initiatives addressed to enterprises. claudio.digiorgio@informest.it

12. Characterization • Peer to peer operating environment (supported by Informest – Services and Documentation Center for International Economic Co-operation, realized by ASME) • Interactive features(not only searching the structured on-line archive, but also: 1 - for the enterprises, ENB to entry directly their requests for customized services; 2 - for the service centres, rights to insert and update directly profiles and catalogue of services) • Multilingual database(data will be entered in the system both in the language of the hosting country and in english  the local system of enterprise support will be accessible also to european companies wishing to invest in the country/region or establish contacts with local SMEs) claudio.digiorgio@informest.it

13. The Model BSO BSO BSO Web-site evbdy.zz Web-site sthg.xx NoWeb-site BSO BSO Common Portal & Tech. Platformidea.net BSO BSO Web-site sthg.yy Web-site else.yy Local SMEs Foreign SMEsForeign Investors claudio.digiorgio@informest.it

14. Towards an actual Networking The project provides for the set up of proper teams involving the project partners as well as other organizations whishing to adhere to the initiative. The Steering Committee will assume relevant decisions about the system implementation and work to favour the process of actual networking of the members with the perspective of the future sustainability of the system The Management Board will assure the operational management of the system during the project lifetime The Observers’ Group will follow the pilot initiative and favour the conditions for the extension of the network claudio.digiorgio@informest.it

15. Who is asked to Join > The SEE members of the CEI WG on SMEs for the Pilot action IDEA, all themembers of the CEI WG on SMEs for the CEI SMEs Portal follow-up Provisional Timing • Pilot action start-up: summer 2005 • Pilot action end: December 2006 • CEI SMEs Portal start-up: January 2007 claudio.digiorgio@informest.it

16. Thank you for your attention ! … and waiting for contributions … claudio.digiorgio@informest.it