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MEDRESSA. PROMOTING BUSINESS CO-OPERATION BETWEEN EUROPE AND THE SOUTH MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES ... in the Information Technology Domain Hashem Hashem IntelliSoft Lebanon. MEDRESSAII-The History.
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MEDRESSA • PROMOTING BUSINESS • CO-OPERATION BETWEEN • EUROPE • AND • THE SOUTH MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES • ... in the Information Technology Domain • Hashem Hashem • IntelliSoft Lebanon MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
MEDRESSAII-The History • Funded in 1998 by the European Commission Directorate General Information Society : IST-1999-29058, as a Specific project called Medressa. • Objectives: to provide access for European SMEs in the IT domain to emerging markets in the South Mediterranean Countries(SMC). • First event in Cairo 1998 • Now covering Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus • 36 partnership events since 1998. • Over 150 European organisations presented their products and technologies to a total audience of over 1700. • Ended on 2004 MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
The Medressa II Partners MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
Goals • Bring Europe and the South Med Region closer together • Help the business (Small and Medium Size Enterprises) and research community to establish personal contacts (In the field of IT) • Identify Demand and Offer • Learn about and from each other MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
Why? • We are all part of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (Barcelona 95) • Political • Cultural • Business • We all need stability, not enforced but sustainable, based on co-operation • This requires a certain level of prosperity which can only come through business • Build bridges instead of building “walls”. MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
The Medressa Topics Advanced Software Applications Cairo, Tunis, Damascus Cultural Heritage Preservation Cairo, Amman E-Business and E-Commerce Nicosia, Cairo, Amman, Damascus E-Government Cairo, Rabat E-Learning Aleppo, Marakkesh, Nicosia, Beirut, Tunis Electronic Document Management Beirut E-Procurement Amman IT for Environmental Applications Amman IT for Promoting Textile Cairo, Aleppo IT for Promoting Tourism Cairo IT for the Textile Industry Cairo, Aleppo, Tunis, Amman, Casablanca IT for Tourism Beirut, Tunis IT in Factory Management Damascus IT in Healthcare Beirut, Amman IT in Transport Tunis IT in Water Management Amman Multimedia and Internet Development Casablanca Rapid Prototyping Techniques in Automation Nicosia and Medicine Planned events are in italics MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
The IT-NETWORK • www.MEDRESSA.com: • Repository of all product presentations from the Partnership Events • Contact data of all EU companies who participated • Contact data of the Med Participants • Company profiles and product descriptions from any member MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
The IT-NETWORK MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
RESULTS • 36 Partnership Events until end of 2004 • Over 150 European organisations presented their products and technologies to a total audience of over 1700. • . . . . . . . MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
Medressa Association • Founded in 2005, Registered in France • Continuation of Medressa Project Mission and Objectives. • Extension of the Southern Mediterranean Countries (SMC) to cover the Gulf Countries, (besides the traditional countries) • Companies who develop Technology in SMC can now look for market in Europe • Was unable to start efficiently last year (due to security problems) • Will be launched during GITEX 2007 MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
Objectives • Trigger new partnerships (MED - EU), for business co-operation • Implement this through Partnership Events in South Med Countries and Europe • Run Technology Awareness Meetings with companies and associations in the South Med Countries • Provide Europeans with focused analyses of local South Med markets and business opportunities MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
The European View • Share Existing Products or Developments • Broaden the scope of their applicability • Direct Exploitation of new markets • Prepare for the Future • Take into account the requirements of SMCs • Identify appropriate partners in SMCs • Pave the way for New Partnerships MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
The SMCs View • Benefit from existing technology • Adapt and Utilise existing products and technology • Take advantage of the know-how • Need Exposure in EU & SMC markets • Participate in the R&D Process • Take into account SMCs needs at an early stage • Establish strong relationship with the European R&D community MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
The Problems • On the SMC Side: • lack of knowledge of what is available • lack of experience in certain technological areas • small or missing IT Company base • On the European Side: • lack of general knowledge about SMCs • difficulties in finding business partners MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
Roles • What Medressa can do: • It can bring people together • It can provide contact points in the countries • It cannot provide a long term follow-up but provide assistance where required • What you can do: • Follow up the contacts • Define concrete next step • Aim at a business view, don’t just look for funding MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
Technology Transfer Model MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
METHODOLOGY: HOW? • Bring people together • Provide contact points in the countries • Provide assistance where required MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
THE PROCESS • The Brokerage and Partnership Events • Companies will be invited to join these events to • present their products / developments • meet business partners, both for marketing and joint development • Country Information • Short reports on the local economy • Specific reports on the selected sector • Contact points in the countries MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
Companies who developed Technology in Europe • Identify Applicability in specific SMCs Interested Companies and End Users in SMCs Organize Partnership Events in SMCs THE PROCESS MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
IT NETWORKING MODEL • Partnership Events are not the only way to find Business and Research Partners • We need a continuos ‘meeting place’ to maintain and establish contacts • And since we are living in the Information Society, this can only be a virtual meeting place on the Internet: • The Medressa IT-Network MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
IT NETWORKING MODEL • The WEB Information Base • A repository of all products presentations from the Partnership Events • Contact data of all EU companies who participated • Contact data of the Med Participants • Country and sector reports • Partnership / Technology requests from both sides at any time MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
The IT-NETWORK • www.MEDRESSA.com: • Company profiles and product descriptions from any member • To profit from this network model, • PARTICIPATING IS ESSENTIAL ! MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut
Thank You ...and the truth is the process itself E. Kant MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut