Business partnership development mission for Ukrainian IT companies linked to Internet World 2009, London, UK has been implemented by the European Union Project to support the development of business capacity of Ukrainian SMEs.

Business partnership development mission for the IT sector is a sector-specific export mission to the UK aimed to promote the development of long-term business relationships between Ukrainian and EU companies.

The mission is combined with the participation in the Internet World trade show. The Internet World is Europe’s largest, longest running and best attended trade show for Digital Marketing and Internet business attracting over 13,000 visitors and more than 300 exhibitors each year. This year the Internet World has passed in 17th time and brought together UK’s leading suppliers and visionary individuals from marketing, IT, digital and eCommerce spheres.

The mission is addressed to 10 selected small and medium sized Ukrainian IT enterprises represented priority regions: Kyiv, Kharkiv and Donetsk.

During the Internet World the mission participants have presented their companies, products and services to potential business partners. Mirasoft brought to the Internet World its unique experience in the development of B2B Web Portals, E-commerce solutions, Online Lending and Credit Systems, Content Management Systems, Social Networks, Video-Sharing Sites and Integrated Mobile Solutions.

The company’s team has conducted a series of meetings with leading Content Management Systems and e-Commerce solutions providers from Germany, United Kingdom, Norway and United States, where bilateral cooperation model was discussed and initial agreements were achieved.

Attendance of more than 200 free seminars conducted by industry professionals combined with business networking provided Project participants with an opportunity to observe the latest industry developments, exchange business experience and perceive Western approach of doing business.

Apart from visiting the Internet World, the mission programme has included business and official meetings with various organizations based in UK, among them are included, the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB), the British Ukrainian Society, Ukrainian City Club in London and Ukrainian Embassy in London. The mission also hosted a series of Workshops at AUGB’s Central Office.

During the meetings all mentioned organizations have expressed an interest to support the mission participants in entering the EU market and promote Ukraine as reliable and attractive destination for the outsourcing and offshoring of IT and business services. Recent development of the Ukrainian IT sector as well as listing Ukraine in the TOP30 Gartner’s outsourcing destinations for a second year in a row have also been emphasized as positive trends in building business relationships with EU partners.

The selection of EU market is justified by the results of the recent survey aimed at identification of market opportunities and niches for the Ukrainian companies conducted by the project. The survey shows that the UK is largest EU-market for IT services, amounting to 31 billion Euro (2006) and also the second, after Germany, EU-market for software, amounting to 81 billion Euro in system software segment and 7 billion Euro in the application software segment.

Mirasoft experts have expressed a great satisfaction of the mission results emphasizing an increased opportunities to build business relationships with EU partners as a result of direct contacts established during the event and business contacts organized by Project team.

The results of the mission undoubtedly will have long-term impact and benefits for the Ukrainian IT industry and will facilitate to building of business relationships between Ukrainian and EU organizations as well as approximate Ukrainian companies to the European approach of doing business.

The Mission’s Cultural commitment

The mission has been featured not only by business achievements as the cultural exchange with various Ukrainian Associations based in UK was also among the main objectives.

The mission comprises cultural experts who conducted a series of presentations covering the development of Ukrainian Culture in different periods. The presentations were hosted at AUGB’s Central Office and attracted representatives and official establishments from the Ukrainian Associations based in UK, among them, the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB), the British Ukrainian Society, Ukrainian City Club in London, Ukrainian Embassy in London etc.

The Ukrainian delegation have also presented to the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) library a series of unique historical works covering the earliest stages of Trypillian culture – Neolithic European Culture that arose in Ukraine between the Seret and Bug rivers in the 5th millennium BC. The Trypillan Civilization count more than 7500 years and known to be one of the most ancient civilization.

The secretary of the Assosiation of Ukrainians in Great Britain Mr.Fedir Kurlak has expressed a great satisfaction and underlined an importance of such cultural events for Ukrainian Diaspora in the United Kingdom.