Business Matchmaking and Networking Conference held in Sarajevo
03/06/2010
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UNDP BiH „Value Chains for Employment” Project (VCE) organized its first Business Matchmaking Conference. The conference was attended by representatives of local companies in the field of agriculture and food-processing industries and cooperatives, as well as representatives of state institutions, local authorities and international organizations.
Interactive conference was organized with the aim of increasing economic activity in order to facilitate idea-sharing and innovation among SMEs, communities and government agencies. VCE Project also intended to facilitate discussion and encourage business leaders to consider ideas for partnerships, joint ventures, and potential spin-offs that might help to expand their current operations and/or create new businesses. This event enabled an excellent opportunity to identify suppliers, potential clients and partners, introduce new products, establish alliances, and network with peers in the technology sector expanding current market and business opportunities.
As a part of the conference, the ceremony of signing the Memorandum of Understanding with the following state agencies was organized: BiH State Veterinary Office , BiH Institute for Standardization, Food Safety Agency and the Export Promotion Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. UNDP BiH VCE, supported by these state agencies and other certification authorities in BiH, will provide full technical, professional and material assistance to beneficiaries in terms of introducing new or improving existing systems of quality control, production and food safety standards (ISO, HACCP, Global GAP, Organic production, etc.) so that domestic producers are able to meet the BiH legislation, and European Union standards for export of their products to foreign markets.
UNDP BiH VCE project is funded by the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The aim of this project is to improve the livelihoods of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina by producing new value, generating employment and incomes, and sustaining those currently in place. The proposed modality is the support to the creation of new value-added chains, and the strengthening of those that are currently operating in agriculture and related food processing industries, and in particular: fruit production, dairy processing and diversification of vegetable offerings. With the support of BiH authorities, and namely: State Veterinary Office, Food Safety Agency, Institute for Standardization, Export Promotion Agency, and municipal authorities, who will receive capacity development assistance, this will enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to increase their domestic and export market shares, production, and employment. Furthermore, it will provide a mechanism through which micro-producers may increase their participation in economic activity. Through the symbiotic relationship between SMEs and micro-producers, incomes and employment will be increased, and poverty will be reduced.
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