Georgian ICT companies had an opportunity to meet leading counterparts from Estonia and Latvia at an International ICT B2B Exchange event in Tbilisi on 5 June, supported by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia and the EU4Business initiative.
The event was organised jointly by Georgia’s Innovations and Technology Agency (GITA), Enterprise Georgia, the ‘SME Development and DCFTA in Georgia’ project funded by the European Union under its EU4Business initiative, the Georgian ICT Cluster, and the Baltic Innovation Agency.
“The digital transformation presents enormous growth potential for Georgia and the European Union. The EU supported the establishment of the Georgian ICT cluster from its early start, as we believe that cooperation between ICT companies is crucial for the development of the sector and Georgia's competitiveness on international markets,” Domink Papenheim from the EU Delegation to Georgia told participants.
Georgian governmental officials presented the policies implemented in the ICT sector to boost its development. They described conditions for doing business in this sector, investment opportunities and the existing ecosystem that promotes innovation.
The event provided a good opportunity for the Georgian ICT Cluster to present itself and to raise the awareness of international participants and colleagues within the industry about current priorities and the cluster’s action plan.
“For the newly established Georgian ICT Cluster, it is of utmost importance to share the experience of our Estonian and Latvian colleagues. By partnering with such strong international players, we have been presented with an important channel for accessing external markets,” said Nana Mikashavidze, Georgian ICT Cluster Manager.
In the B2B format that followed, Georgian, Estonian and Latvian companies engaged in identification of prospects for cooperation and possible joint projects. Representatives of 11 Georgian ICT companies, both members of the ICT Cluster and other industry players, had an opportunity to register for B2B meetings in advance and connect with their counterparts from Estonia and Latvia.
“This visit provided a good overview of the main Georgian ICT developments, and offered concrete possibilities for better connecting the Georgian ICT ecosystem with Estonia and Latvian counterparts, as well as to find new partners and launch new cooperation projects between the countries,” said Rene Tonnison, Board Member of the Baltic Innovation Agency.
The SME Development and DCFTA in Georgia project supports the implementation of DCFTA-related institutional and regulatory reforms in Georgia. It lays the ground for strengthening the SME sector to ensure broad-based growth, by increasing the competitiveness of Georgian SMEs and ensuring their adaptation to the new regulatory environment enabling them to benefit from the opportunities under the DCFTA.
The Georgian ICT Cluster was established as part of the project’s business clustering initiative.
