Russia kicked off its GEW launch event on Wednesday with great success.
More than 150 people attended the International Forum “Integration of Russian Business into Global Markets as Competitiveness Improvement Strategy”.
The two-day forum focused on identifying and analysing issues facing small and medium enterprises, as well as the value of State support to the sector in terms of investments attractions, innovation development and entering foreign markets. Future support measures to develop and increase SMEs competitiveness on internal and international markets were also addressed.
A highlight of the launch day was a match making session with 100 contributors. The session was devoted to bilateral negotiations between Russian industrial SMEs and other SEMs in the US and Europe that showed interest in cooperation and investment projects in Russia.
The forum continued on Thursday with another 150 participants. Day two included an awards ceremony for the Russian National Award “Russian Creators” 2010 for the successful Russian SMEs . Categories including “Energy Nuclear Technologies”, “Information Technologies” , “Space Technologies” and “Medicine”.
A number of influential bodies were involved in the launch event, including representatives of the Russian and foreign SMEs, as well as the Russian federal, regional and municipal authorities, unions of entrepreneurs, Russian regional Chamber of Commerce and industry, regional SMEs agencies, science, research and education organisations, investment companies, financial and credit institutions, venture funds and business angels, international organisations and mass media.
Russia’s GEW forum was hosted by the US Russia Centre for Entrepreneurship (CFE) and organised by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, the Russian Agency for Support of Small and Medium Business and the Russian Business-Innovation Network Gate2RuBIN. Support was also given from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the All-Russian Organisation of SMEs “Opora Russia”, the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and Moscow Entrepreneurs Association.