We spoke to a series of matchmaking event participants about their experiences of our events, the results of the connections made at the events and if they would recommend the events to others. Here, we speak to Carolina Garcés (left) - Project Manager for Internationalisation and Innovation – Mobile Heights, Sweden:

 

"Through the matchmaking events organised by the ECCP on behalf of the European Commission, Mobile Heights and Clusters of Sweden have had the opportunity to take part in 2 matchmaking events:

• The EU-Singapore Matchmaking Event  in the context of the Industrial Transformation ASIA-PACIFIC (ITAP) which was held on 18-20 October 2022, and, 

• The EU – Taiwan Matchmaking Event in the context of the global ICT and IoТ show and exhibition Computex 2023 which was held on 30 May – 1 June 2023.

By finding new markets for their products and services and by collaborating with international partners for research and innovation, EU companies can contribute towards the twin transitions at a global level. Internationalisation is thus a prerequisite for cluster organisations to better support our regional ecosystems to cope with societal challenges. These 2 matchmaking opportunities have been very relevant for our internationalization strategy in key geo-strategic markets outside Europe.

 

On the EU-Singapore Matchmaking Event, Singapore is an important node in the global logistics chain and has also become a hub for regional and global R&D in the south Asia/Pacific region through promoting advanced innovation partnerships. For these reasons, Singapore is an important market for Swedish companies aiming for global expansion. 

After our visit to Singapore, we started a collaboration with Business Sweden-Singapore. As a result, on 20 April 2023 Mobile Heights, Clusters of Sweden and Business Sweden organised a seminar where we presented the opportunities for Swedish companies in Singapore and Southeast Asia/Pacific and discussed Singapore´s role in Asia and why it could be an attractive region for Swedish companies to consider. 

Furthermore, 3 companies from Singapore (whom we met during the Matchmaking event organised by ECCP) have been offered free of charge coaching hours to help them to prepare their pitch for the Swedish market. Then, the Singaporean companies had the opportunity to pitch their product, services and solutions to Swedish tech companies. 

Video here: https://lnkd.in/gVdrT6pn (Pitching session starts  minute 38)

As a result of these efforts, we have knowledge of at least 4 business opportunities that are being explored between Singaporean and Swedish companies. We will follow up on this process and work to make sure new business opportunities arise from this effort. 

 

On the EU – Taiwan Matchmaking Event, Sweden and Taiwan have built very good trade relations over the years, but there is still untapped potential for Swedish companies in the ICT sector.  Mobile Heights is leading a project aiming to support the semiconductor-intensive industry in Skåne during 2023. Being a world-leading manufacturer in the high-tech and electronics sector, Taiwan is important for us, as a tech cluster, to understand the Taiwanese market, as well as to identify and bridge potential collaboration opportunities between Taiwanese and Swedish business and innovation actors.

During our visit to Taipei,  we participated in targeted matchmaking sessions, study visits, and panel discussions. Some of the organisations contacted include: TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), TAITRA Global (Taiwan External Trade Development Council), Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI)(工業技術研究院, 工研院), Invest Taipei Office (ITO),  Business Sweden-Taiwan, and several other associations and companies. We have also participated in a session dedicated to the European Chips Act with our colleagues from Silicon Europe.

 

After the event, we teamed up with Business Sweden Taiwan and South Korea to invite 6 of our companies located in the south of Sweden and working with semiconductors and microelectronics to participate in the `Swedish Semiconductor Days” in South Korea and Taiwan in the context of Semicon Taiwan 2023,  which will take place on 29 August - 4 September 2023. This event will bring together Korean and Taiwanese semiconductor players from across the value chain in demand of innovative technologies.

Through a project financed by Region Skåne, Mobile Heights will be able to subsidise part of the travel expenses for SMEs.

 

We highly recommend these EU matchmaking opportunities which strengthen the clusters' strategic and operational capacity to support SMEs in their internationalisation journey and aid them to become integrated into larger and more global value chains. It increases the cluster's knowledge about relevant markets for our regions and companies and supports our mission by strengthening our global networks. 

Furthermore, through Cluster-to-Cluster and Cluster-to-Business matchmaking opportunities, the cluster team can map and identify potential opportunities for SMEs who lack resources to initiate internationalisation activities. The companies can explore the relevance and potential of new contacts through online meetings, before investing resources and time by themselves."