Modena Emilia Romagna - Italy Empowering Agency

The importance of networks

The financial and economic crisis which affected world markets in 2009 has made it crucial for companies to develop their exporting capacities and build up strategic and non-occasional relations also with the economies of the emerging countries.

These markets are not easy. They are geographically distant (e.g., Brazil, China, India, Russia, South Africa) and are distinguished by high risk factors and strong international competition.

We are convinced that to take up such difficult challenges, it is no longer a matter of just manufacturing and selling. Well-defined medium-long term strategies are required, along with closer focus on corporate training and culture and an increase in the size of companies. The latter can be facilitated by creating business networks able to ensure the growth of our SMEs and strengthen them. It is also vital that our companies keep up with themes relating to innovation and environment sustainability.

In order to provide our businesspersons with the backing they require to develop their companies along these lines, we have revamped our services and initiatives and remodelled them in a territorial marketing perspective. Hence the idea for “Export Laboratories”, to identify and gather together companies by sector/production process, strengthening personalised-assistance and consultancy services and proposing numerous training courses both on themes relating to internationalisation and on subjects such as the environment, safety, quality and privacy.

We have also set up new relations with Universities so as to invest in young people, a major resource in our country, trying to introduce the business culture concept into the school curriculum.