Ten SMEs from Ukraine’s Donetsk region visited Poland in search of potential trading partners, in a “Roadshow” trip organised under the EU4Business East Invest programme.
Several of the companies from the agribusiness sector visited the international WorldFood exhibition in Warsaw.
WorldFood Warsaw provides a platform to connect and conduct business with over 4 000 food industry buyers operating in Eastern Europe. The event brings together the region's distributors, retailers, manufacturers and associations. Representatives from the Ukrainian companies were also looking at the latest innovative products on the market.
Meanwhile, representatives of the other Ukrainian SMEs, from the sustainable construction sector, visited the Polish National Energy Conservation Agency. They presented their business profiles and participated in the B2B meetings with Polish companies.
The Ukrainian delegation also visited the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development and the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency to become acquainted with opportunities in the Polish market.
Viktor Nikitin, a director of the rabbit farming SME, Kramatorskiy Krolik Ltd., commented: “I thought exporting to the EU was an extremely complicated procedure. But here, during the visit, I understood that everything is easier. At the trade fair, I found partners from Gdansk. We will cooperate with them and have found the equipment we needed. Overall, it was a very good Roadshow. We received useful direct contacts and an understanding of where to go.”
SPC Kramtehcenter signed its first export contract with a Polish company, Vitpol, in September 2016 as a result of the contacts it made during the Roadshow. Vitpol is a producer of a wide range of enhancing agents for corning and chopping meat, as well as color stabilizers and taste-enhancing mixes.
Another participant, Viktoriia Burkivska, CEO of tableware and packaging producer StudioPack Ukraine Limited, commented: “I am impressed with the level of organisation of this Roadshow – such an intensive programme, very interesting meetings and discussions, qualitative and useful contacts. This event really opened new perspectives for us as we thought about investments in Poland.”
Date
April 2015
Find out more
The trip was organised under the East Invest programme, involving the Donetsk Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the Eastern Partnership (EaP) side and the Polish Chamber of Commerce on the EU side.
The East Invest roadshows consist of study visits for entrepreneurs from EaP countries so they can explore business opportunities in the EU and promote EaP countries to the European business community.
To find out more, visit:
Implementing partners
Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry (EUROCHAMBRES)
Address: Avenue des Arts, 19 A/D, B1000 Brussels, Belgium
Phone: +32 (2) 282 08 50
Fax: +32 (2) 280 01 91
Email: eurochambres@eurochambres.eu
European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (UEAPME)
Address: Rue Jacques de Lalaing, 4, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Phone: +32 (2) 2307599
Fax: +32 (2) 2307861
Email: info@ueapme.com
Christian Gessl – Key Expert on Policy: c.gessl@uepame.com
Irina Tikhonova – Business Support Organizations Key Expert, East Invest 2: tikhonova@eurochambres.eu
Stanislav Daskalov – East Invest 2 Team Leader: daskalov@eurochambres.eu
Vasile Cirlig – Roadshow Manager: cirlig@eurochambres.eu.
Doris Rabetge – SME Key Expert: d.rabetge@ueapme.com