International Marketing Committee: How Does It Work?
The projects of Kharkiv IT Сluster are performed upon an initiative of working groups and relevant committees. In the first quarter of 2016 the Сluster undertook teeming activity in the field of international marketing. Such companies as INSART, VERNA, AltexSoft, Rozdoum as well as CodeIT and Agilites which joined us in the last month are dealing with this sector. The tasks of International Marketing Committee, headed by Vasyl Soloshchuk (INSART), include among others promotion of Kharkiv City as the best IT-location in Eastern Europe; cooperation with relevant non-governmental organizations and business associations as well as diaspora with the purpose of lobbying interests of Kharkiv IT-companies in overseas markets and more. To perform the set tasks, we have planned a series of webinars with business representatives in North America and Europe; collection of data and creation of content for making publications about Kharkiv IT-industry; establishment of contacts with Chambers of Commerce of different Embassies and participation in business activities of the targeted regions.
Today we would like to pay attention to the last point that is visiting relevant events. Executive Director of Kharkiv IT Cluster, Nataliia Vynohradska, was one of the speakers at the panel discussion at the Nordic Business Day 2016 in Odesa City, and also took part in the reporting meeting of Canada-Ukraine Сhamber of Сommerce in Kyiv City.
The Embassies of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland gathered business representatives in Odesa City on the 22nd of April. The event highlighted such key target areas for the co-operation between Northern Europe and Ukraine as information and communication technologies, energy industry, agriculture and innovations. The forum was focused on the promotion of adoption of important decisions in the field of extending co-operation between the two countries.
Kharkiv IT Cluster gladly took part in the panel discussion devoted to the possibilities of collaboration in the field of IT. The following issues were discussed within the framework of the forum: IT outsource trends (Big Data, IoT, cloud technologies, etc.), challenges for the Nordic business in Ukraine. Particular attention was paid to the growth and development of Ukrainian IT-startups, since namely they have the potential to become a powerful investment opportunity for the Nordic entrepreneurs. Nataliia Vynohradska shared her views on the situation in the IT-field in Ukraine in general, and in Kharkiv City in particular. She talked with the Ambassadors of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland on the prospects for the further cooperation. The forum appeared to be an excellent platform for launching successful collaboration, thus we are waiting for the implementation of a number of joint projects with Nordic countries already in 2016.
The second event connected with the development of international relations of Kharkiv IT Cluster was the Annual General Meeting of Canada-Ukraine Сhamber of Сommerce. The participants of the meeting discussed the results of work of the association in 2015. Among others, they mentioned the webinar, conducted in partnership with Kharkiv IT Cluster in December of the last year for Canadian entrepreneurs and corporate members of the Cluster. The main issue of the reporting back meeting became the ratification of a free trade zone between Ukraine and Canada, through which our country would be able to greet 98% of the Canadian market. In this regard, Kharkiv IT Cluster is going to take part in a large-scale forum which will take place in Toronto City on 20-21 June, 2016, with a prior webinar for coming together with potential partners of the Cluster and its members. All the requests regarding the forum program and B2B events were discussed at Canadian Pub Night, which round the Annual General Meeting off. Nataliia Vynohradska managed to share plans with Roman Vashchuk, Ambassador of Canada in Ukraine, with whom we have already managed to productively work on the issue of removing Security Alert from Kharkiv Region for Canadian citizens.
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