THE FIRST CZECH-SERBIAN CLUSTER-BASED SME FORUM IN NIS, SERBIA

Submitted by Alina Danieles… on 17 November 2016

The first CZ-RS Cluster Forum was held in Nis, Serbia from 13 - 14 October 2016 Within the accompanying business matchmaking event between Czech Republic and Serbia in Novi Sad in September 2015, under the patronage of the Czech Prime Minister Mr. Bohuslav Sobotka and Serbian Prime Minister Mr. Aleksandar Vučić, supported by the Czech and Serbian Chambers of Economy, the MoU between the Czech National Cluster Association and the Serbian Cluster House had been ceremonially signed.

The six-month project CZ-RS CrossClustersNETworking SME Trade Bridge, based on the setting up of trade cooperation between export oriented SMEs in Czech and Serbia using the clusters as an efficient tool for transnational connections, started in May 2016. The mission of the project is to encourage cross-border cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises - members of the export-oriented clusters through trade cooperation, joint ventures and investments, exchange of knowledge, transfer of know-how and access to new markets.

Initiators and authors of the project:

Dr. Pavla Bruskova                                                    Dr. Danka Milojkovic, Cluster House Director

NCA President and the TCI member                    and TCI BofD member

The project is implementing in the framework of Aid for Trade Programme – Serbia, co-funded by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, the Check Development Agency, the Serbian Cluster House and non-financially supported by the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications of the Republic of Serbia and the Czech Embassy in Belgrade.

Czech Cluster Family representatives

CZ-RS Cluster Forum – opening session

The Forum gathered 12 representatives of the Czech clusters and companies in the following areas: EU funded projects. Food processing. Wellness and Health Tourism. Metal sector. Machinery industry. Packaging, chemical industry, bio medicine, recycle industry/waste collection and treatment. Energetics, ecology, oil and gas processing. Wood-processing, Furniture production. Nanotechnology - Agriculture and Food Industry , Chemical Industry (Plastic Material Production) , Textile industry – functionalized membranes, application of special composite Nano fibrous yarns. After four months’information, promotion and identification SMEs and clusters who are interested in cooperation with Czech business partners in Nis, the center for setting up business cooperation between the both countries, the Cluster House hosted almost 100 SMEs and clusters in Niš, Serbia and contribute to over 60 B2B, C2B and C2C matchmaking meetings.

From 1-3 November 2016 the Serbian Cluster Family will visit Prague with the aim to further develop business cooperation which started in Serbia and to support transfer of lessons learnt and the best practices in the filed of cluster-based economic development. The following project outputs will be achieved: - export-oriented clusters and SMEs in the CZ & RS is mapped and business cooperation is initiated - interactive web platform/forum for direct business cooperation between the CZ & RS developed - case studies of the successful internationalisation of SMEs in clusters in CZ & RS are created - Internationalisation strategies of two clusters in CZ & RS are prepared.

 

YUMIS company Nis, a member of the CH Agro Cluster and a                                                                     Serbian Women Cluster Initiative started at the CZ-RS Forum

founder of the LEDIB Cluster House Union                                                                                                       in Nis, October 13, 2016

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