MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut 1 MEDRESSA PROMOTING BUSINESS CO-OPERATION BETWEEN EUROPE AND THE SOUTH MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES... in the Information Technology

MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut 1

MEDRESSA

PROMOTING BUSINESS CO-OPERATION BETWEEN

EUROPE AND

THE SOUTH MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES

... in the Information Technology Domain

Hashem HashemIntelliSoft Lebanon


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


The Medressa II Partners

F2i , Spain

IT Consult,Germany

Danish International,France

Consorzio Pisa Ricerche, Italy

HIAST, Syria

CNI, Tunisia

EMI, Morocco LebaneseUniversity

BayaNet, Egypt

GammaTech,Cyprus

RSS, Jordan


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


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”.


The Medressa TopicsAdvanced Software Applications Cairo, Tunis, DamascusCultural Heritage Preservation Cairo, AmmanE-Business and E-Commerce Nicosia, Cairo, Amman, DamascusE-Government Cairo, Rabat E-Learning Aleppo, Marakkesh, Nicosia, Beirut,

TunisElectronic Document Management BeirutE-Procurement AmmanIT for Environmental Applications AmmanIT for Promoting Textile Cairo, AleppoIT for Promoting Tourism CairoIT for the Textile Industry Cairo, Aleppo, Tunis, Amman,

CasablancaIT for Tourism Beirut, TunisIT in Factory Management DamascusIT in Healthcare Beirut, AmmanIT in Transport TunisIT in Water Management AmmanMultimedia and Internet Development CasablancaRapid Prototyping Techniques in Automation and Medicine

Nicosia

Planned events are in italics


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


The IT-NETWORK

UK5%

Austria4%

France10%

Belgium4%

Spain15%

Greece 15%

Germany19%

Italy19%

others9%

Total number: 310

The EU Network

Jordan15%

Egypt29%

Tunisia8%

Cyprus 21%

Lebanon8%

others2%

Turkey2%

Syria6%

Morocco9%

The MPC Network

Total number: 892


RESULTS

36 Partnership Events until end of 2004

Over 150 European organisations presented their products and

technologies to a total audience of over 1700.

. . . . . . .


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


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


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


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


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


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


Technology Transfer Model

Ne

w S

MC

Ma

rkets

EUE

xist

ing

EU

Mar

kets

IT Com panyP rovide r

Techno logy &K now H ow Transfe r

U pgrades &Feedback

B usinessA lliance

SMC

IT Com panyA dapta tion &

S uppo rt

End User /Customer

End User /Customer

End User /Customer

End User /Customer

End User /Customer

End User /Customer


METHODOLOGY: HOW?

• Bring people together

• Provide contact points in the countries

• Provide assistance where required


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


THE PROCESS

Identify Companies who developed Technology in Europe

Applicability in specific SMCs

Interested Companies and End Users in SMCs

Organize Partnership Events in SMCs


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


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


The IT-NETWORK

www.MEDRESSA.com:

• Company profiles and product descriptions from any member

To profit from this network model,

PARTICIPATING IS ESSENTIAL !


Thank You

...and the truth is the process itself

E. Kant

Documents

MAP-IT, July 26, 2007 - Beirut 1 MEDRESSA PROMOTING BUSINESS CO-OPERATION BETWEEN EUROPE AND THE SOUTH MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES... in the Information Technology