Key areas
Capacity Building 3 pillars
Chamber Academy Three Pillars is set up to strengthen the capacity of our partners. The three pillars refer to the main tasks of a BMO – policy advocacy, business and networking services. These three pillars provide the BMO’s with a unique base for building and transferring competence and building capacity with other local BMO’. As many BMO’s, are independent of the state, municipalities and individual companies there is for example a great potential to be engaged as an independent third trusted party generating services to business and society. Arbitration and mediation, issuing international trade documents, anti-corruption and CSR are just a few areas where a BMO which has the confidence of a trusted third party can play an important role for business and at the same timegenerate income and sustainability from the organisation.
Chamber Academy Three Pillars will include:
- Tailor made workshops, trainings and round tables
- Benchmarking and experience sharing between BMO’s and relevant stakeholders
- BMO Mentorship programs
Women’s Economic Empowerment
The Swedish Chambers have during the years cooperated and driven several capacity building projects with women business member organisations successfully. On Aug 27-28 seventeen BMO’s, the forepart being WBMO’s were gathered for the first CTS Chamber Academy WEE workshop in Sweden raising issues on how BMO´s can be a force for WEE. The workshop was finalized with an open conference together with Sida on WEE. It was clear that all participating business organisations faces many challenges in common tied to promoting WEE as well as maintaining sustainability in their organisations.
CTS will, as part of our program and as a follow-up on the seminar and workshops gathering our partners and WEE network for a follow-up Chamber Academy seminar on WEE. A Chamber Academy WEE seminar and workshop will be held in the spring of 2013 hosted by one of our partner countries in conjunction with a larger women’s “Trade Fair” to extend the value added. The combined arrangement will allow the participants travelling to our Chamber Academy to also pursue wider interests tied to WEE and engage in business tied to the trade fair. The WEE seminar and workshops will focus on developing the Three Pillars of policy advocacy, services and networking which are core to the BMO’s income generation and sustainability.
Green Technology
To face the challenges presented by changes in climate and economic growth green technological solutions provide an important part of development. Green technology is a key to grow sustainable internationally competitive business. Sweden is a forerunner in the area of Green technology having some of the world leading technology and expertise within this area.
Together with our BMO partners, CTS will create meeting places, workshops and training courses and provide expertise and networks in the area of Green Technology. These activities will target the demand for knowledge transfer, trade and investment and connect developing country investors and businesses with Swedish business and knowledge in this area.
Industrial Development
Industrial development is pivotal in order to diversify exports which for most are strongly focused on raw materials and natural resources. Together with our BMO partners, CTS will tailor make meeting places, workshops and training and provide expertise and networks which will contribute to knowledge transfer in areas like product development, innovation and competitive production. Sweden has great knowledge from the last century on developing a highly internationally competitive industry and increasing the value added in our manufacturing exports.
Agribusiness
Many developing countries have great potential to develop business and increase trade in the area of Agribusiness. Together with our BMO partners, CTS will tailor make meeting places, workshops and training courses and provide expertise and networks to promote the development of the Agribusiness sector. This involves promoting increased value added in production and exports, especially regional trade with neighboring countries. CTS has analysed the opportunities and gaps in our partner countries in the area of Agribusiness and will share and discuss these results with our BMO partners.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle refers to a group of products containing interior decorating, furniture, clothes, shoes and jewelry that is linked to the consumer lifestyle. Our analysis shows that these products are of interest to companiesboth in Sweden and our cooperation countries. And that input, inspiration and knowledge is needed in order for exporters to become more competitive and grow – nationally and internationally.
International buying and production is shifting and the economic growth in countries in Africa makes this an interesting sector for trade promotion. Swedish companies are in the forefront when it comes to design and production within this field and will contribute with knowledge and expertise but also in the long-run be possible business partners.