Indo-European IT SME Forum opened in B'lore
By siliconindia staff writer   |   Monday, 05 April 2004, 19:30 IST
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BANGALORE: The Indo-European IT SME Forum organized by ITSMA (Interactive technology Software and Media Association) and co-Sponsored by European Commission was inaugurated by Dr. Bob Hoekstra, CEO, Philips Software Center last week. Two major initiatives that would support Indian IT SMEs were announced at the forum. EMF (European Multimedia Forum) announced that it would be launching its already successful International Multimedia Accelerator, in India. The accelerator aims to create a services environment that would facilitate companies in India and EU to partner and collaborate better. The initiative also aims to obtain funding for certain R&D programs from various existing fund organizations like AsiaInvest and others. The second initiative called “PATENT” seeks to stimulate R&D in Indian IT SMEs by opening new partnerships and avenues to their cutting edge work. The two initiatives would provide a significant boost to IT SMEs interms of market expansion and leveraging their technology IP. Bob Hoekstra exhorted Indian SMEs to look for specific needs of European SMEs which big companies there do not have and which when added up is also significant in size. He also cautioned that knowing the European mindset and culture, unless the Indian company offers them a really compelling reason to outsource or partner, no one would be willing to take a jump. Launching the Accelerator, Philippe Wacker, Secretary General, EMF said, “ As Europe today actively begins to look at partnerships and outsourcing opportunities, there is a felt need for a environment which would enable companies from Europe and outside to be able to talk to each other in comfort and develop win-win alliances. The accelerator aims to do just that. Specific to India, I see the accelerator helping companies here grab a pie of the more than 6 billion Euros market opportunity for digital content made possible by deploying of broadband across Europe.” A part of the International Business Development programme of the European multimedia Forum (EMF), the Accelerator focuses on the promotion of the European digital media industries in the markets which present a high growth potential and the development of mutually beneficial trading relationships with key actors in key markets. Surbhi Sharma, Secretary General, ITSMA said, “The launch of the initiatives today and the other activities planned, provide a positive momentum for the Indian IT SMEs who have hitherto been constrained by knowledge and resources interms of market expansion, leveraging their internal IP among other areas.” The forum also witnessed a insightful and interactive panel discussion on Indo-European Partnerships chaired by S Krishna a senior Professor at IIM-Bangalore with participation by Jayant Nadiger, Trade Commissioner, Flanderers Region (Belgium), Philippe Wacker Secretary General, EMF (European Multimedia Forum), Jokin Garatea, International Director, GAIA (The Association Cluster of Telecommunications of the Basque region Spain), Chandra Kumar, MD, Linc Software, Sudhir Gera, VP-Marketing, Blue Star Infotech, Rohan Joshi, President, Val-Tech. The panel provided a framework and guidance for enabling Indian IT SMEs interested in accessing the European market and partnering with European companies.

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