Progetto Mezzogiorno

Elaboration of a promotional initiative together with the ICE office of Palermo aimed at favouring commercial penetration in the countries of the Mediterranean region (Tunisia, United Arab Emirates) within the framework of the “ Progetto Mezzogiorno ” (Mezzogiorno Project) of the ICE. The latter is an “Industry and Services” multi-regional operative programme co-funded by the EU (FESR) and by the Italian Foreign Trade Ministry (1997)

The consortium has also provided for the coordination of all those initiatives launched within the framework of the project, which saw the involvement of the associated enterprises operating in the following sectors: wood, plastic recycling, polystyrene foam production, environmental protection, asphalt and tar production, and GPL systems

The project included the following activities:

Organization of informative seminars in Tunisia and meetings with local operators
Organization of missions for foreign operators (the Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates) to Sicily
Preparation of promotional and advertisement materials: company and product presentation brochures and audiovisuals in English and French
Preparation of the “Selling in the Year 2000” research project, beneficiary of the 1994/99 POP Sicily subsidy, sub-measure 3.3.c. The initiative envisages the study of international trends, the creation of a database of international tenders, internationalization opportunities and the creation of country and product reports for the main sectors of interest of the associated enterprises on the basis of specific analyses
Assignment for the coordination of trade relations with the Region of Kivu ( Democratic Republic of the Congo ) in the framework of the protocol with the Municipality of Palermo
The Med Europe Export Consortium has promoted the agreement between Sicilian enterprises and Egyptian Government for the establishment of a telemedicine centre in Egypt (sept. ‘01)
Search for and selection of opportunities for the establishment of trade relations with foreign countries:
Dissemination of information requests of importers (e.g. Cyprus for the wood, plastics, and environmental protection sectors)
Notification of the missions of Italian operators abroad (Brazil, Malta)
Initiatives for favoring the participation in international trade fairs (e.g. Egypt)
Identification of events and initiatives with an international scope (e.g. selection of promotional offers of the Italian National Institute for Foreign Trade)
Selection and preparation of mailing lists for cooperation proposals to potential partners (Cyprus and Egypt for the wood sector – the Lebanon, United Arab Emirates and Tunisia for polystyrene foam – high income countries for the environmental sector)
Elaboration of cost estimates for product and market surveys and search for partners
Contacts with public and private institutions operating in Sweden, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Austria, Switzerland and USA for the organization of meetings for the presentation of operators working in the field of environmental protection
Cost estimates for the promotion of contacts with the major countries of the Middle East and North Africa in the following sectors: marble, tar, wood, polystyrene, and environment
Intervention for the commercial organization of the importing of raw materials and the stipulation of a contract for the supply of plastic raw materials from Rumania with the support of an intermediary company
Promotional activities and the search for local reference contacts in foreign countries
Presentation of the consortium to the ICE offices in Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, and Turkey
Establishment of relations with institutions and Italian and international consultancy agencies for business relations with foreign countries: the Italy-Ivory Coast Chamber of Commerce, consultants in the United Arab Emirates and in the countries of the Mediterranean region, association for the promotion of exports to African countries and in particular Morocco
Cooperation with the CIEM, Center for the Internationalization of small and medium enterprises in the Mediterranean region
Organization of meetings with foreign operators
Visit of officials of the Italy-Ivory Coast Chamber of Commerce for wood, marble, polystyrene, asphalt and tar, and environmental enterprises for the definition of pursuable targets and the planning of operative measures for commercial penetration in Africa (June ’98)
Visit of Middle Eastern operators to wood, marble, asphalt and tar, and environmental enterprises (October ’98)
Visit of Lebanese operators to a polystyrene foam manufacturer in view of a partnership for the construction of a plant in the Lebanon and commercial penetration in the Middle East
Participation in meetings and seminars
Meetings with representatives of the Canadian Embassy in Italy
Participation in the “Meetings between Southern Italian and Mediterranean Enterprises” operative workshop within the framework of the meeting organized by the Mediterranean Fair Agency and the Territorial Unit 8 of the Inter-institutional Concerted Schemes (June ’98); Contacts were established with government officials and businessmen from Malta, Morocco, Tunisia and the Czech Republic;
Participation in the “North-South Partnership” workshop within the framework of the “The Mezzogiornos of Europe and the Development of the Mediterranean Region” seminar, organized by the Banco di Sicilia (November ’98). Contacts were established with government officials and businessmen from Tunisia
Participation in the meetings with foreign delegations promoted by the Production Activities Office of the Municipality of Palermo: representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, (March ’99) ; representatives of the Italian-Canadian Chamber of Commerce of Montreal (March ’99) ; Tunisian delegation for the presentation of the PDHL project for decentralized cooperation between Italian and Tunisia for the development of entrepreneurial activities in Gafsa, Tunisia (May ’99) . These meetings were followed by the stipulation of agreements for the organization of missions to foreign countries
Meetings with operators from Eastern Europe and Russia