Brainstorming
Consultation: Programme | Participants | Summary | Interviews
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Thursday, 13 July 2000: afternoon session
Utilizing e-trade competency for
international competitiveness: the Internet and the Trade Support Institution (TSI)
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Voices from the Brainstorming: Day 2
TSIs as e-commerce driving forces
The aim of this session was to discuss the impact of
the digital economy on the management and services of TSIs.
Low rankings
The introduction to this session pointed out that in a recent e-business
ranking of 60 countries, the first developing nation on the list was Chile at 23, while
Nigeria, an important oil producing country and significant African economy, was
positioned at 59. Most developing countries and countries in transition, including all of
the Least Developed Countries, did not figure in the list at all. This gave an indication
of the ground still to be made up.
Respond to needs
Moderator Philip Williams of ITC, Specialist (Trade Support
Institutions) in the Division of Trade Support Services, noted that the previous
discussions during the brainstorming had confirmed several points:
- The environment of every country is different.
- The e-business requirements of industry sectors differ.
- Businesses must respond to the actual needs of clients. In this respect nothing has
changed.
- E-business is here to stay and growing rapidly.
Australia's approach
So far, he noted, there had been little discussion about who or what
dirves this process, particularly for SMEs in emerging economies. TSIs were a driving
force, as shown by the example of AUSTRADE, Australias Trade and Investment facilitation
agency.
A paper made available for the brainstorming noted AUSTRADE's emphasis on:
- Making their Web site an integral part of their business
- Providing training on how the Internet can be used for international business
- Using the new technology to improve efficiency, and
- Encouraging a corporate culture of networking.
The expected results for Australia were:
- improved competitiveness
- increased SME export profitability; and
- internationalization of Australian business.
Malta and South Korea then presented reports on their efforts through
TSIs to improve their country's export performance.
Malta
Anton J. Said, Manager of the Business Information & Technology Division for
the Malta External Trade Corporation (METCO) noted that as the national trade promotion
organization, the agency is responsible for projecting Malta’s image as a business
partner. METCO recognized the potential of the Internet as a promotional tool at an early
stage. METCO Online was in fact officially launched in July 1995,
before an Internet node was available in Malta. METCO was therefore
instrumental in establishing Malta's presence on the Internet. For
the first time, it was possible for foreign business entities to
easily access online information about Malta, its business
environment and support institutions, and about METCO and its
services for the international business community.
During the same year METCO published its ‘Made In Malta Directory’
company register in its entirety on the Web. The database contains
over 1,500 entries, each providing details of manufacturers,
exporters and services companies, and is organized in 25 industry
sectors. Products and firms are listed and categorized. Details for
each firm include the address, fax and telephone numbers, e-mail and
Web addresses, contact person and a list of products/services
produced. Effectively, this initiative placed METCO as one of the
first TSIs to provide a comprehensive register of exporters on the
Web. This online business directory is still the most accessed
resource on METCO Online and has often proved to be the gateway that
links Maltese suppliers and overseas buyers for the first time.
South Korea
Mr S.J. Kim of the Korean Trade-Investment Promotion Agency outlined the
approach of his country's TSI KOTRA and its promotion of Silkroad21. This site offers a
user-friendly search across major Korean sites, offers customized service to enable users
to choose the information SR21 provides, and provides market information, logistics and
other trade-related information.
KOTRA' approach to promoting e-commerce by SMEs includes education and training,
e-commerce related events and seminars, system building through guides to information
acquisition, and self-development by the e-community. |
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