ProCórdoba Agency launches its Export Development Program for the Software Industry, as part of its Business Intelligence Program.
The Export Promotion Agency offers a Business Intelligence Service whose main goal is to prepare our province's export offer for global demands. This tool seeks to achieve a medium- and long-term vision of the export activity of each industrial sector in different potential markets.
The information gathered through studies works as an "observatory" that monitors the variables which directly impact upon the company's business activity in order to redesign its strategy when necessary. The goal is to help companies position their products in such markets.
ProCórdoba's General Manager Roberto Rossotto explained,
We started the Business Intelligence Program five years ago. We are mainly working on identifying the best markets so as to bring business proposals to Cordobese companies. This always entails hard analysis and research work that must be carried out before developing a business proposal, which is then presented to entrepreneurs."
Currently, there are 43 Cordobese companies actively working with ProCórdoba's Business Intelligence Program in the auto parts, rubber & plastics, milling, and pasta & baking sectors. This year the Program is expanding to include the software and agricultural machinery sectors. It will also relaunch the dairy sector program, and a new study will be conducted for the health sector.
The Software & Computer Services (SCS) Sector
"What we are presenting today for the tech sector is the result of research and development work that took us a year to conduct. Today we are formally launching the resulting proposal for companies," explained Rossotto.
This particular program is aimed at the province's companies working in the software & computer services sector. Companies will have at their disposal a series of business strategies and tools based on three pillars: trade facilitation, creation of more and more added value, and the promotion of a strategic global vision.
Technical & Commercial Information Manager Ezequiel Lijtinstens gave more details about the new program:
This work and all the research process were undertaken together with the Córdoba Technology Cluster, the Villa María ICT Cluster, the San Francisco Technology Cluster, and the Río Cuarto Technology Cluster. They have really helped a lot when it comes to establishing contact with companies and obtaining data about the sector."
Companies will be able to access the assistance through typical trade promotion activities offered by ProCórdoba, but which will be focused on the markets with the greatest potential. Lijtinstens further explained,
Based on the study, we selected five strong potential markets: Canada, the US, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru."
Córdoba Technology Cluster's President Diego Casali shared his expectations and said,
We are very eager to see what comes ahead with the launch of this program. The sector faces many export challenges when it comes to the export market, specifically because of the national context and regarding the opening of new markets, new agreements that have done away with double taxing (such as the one with Brazil) (...) In the province, even though there are companies already engaged in export, we aim at helping those still working only at the domestic level to go out and compete in foreign markets. This program is especially designed for SMEs to be trained and take a leap. We are here to support them.
With a view to maximizing their chances of success, companies will be provided with training opportunities specifically related to business strategies, languages, negotiation, public procurement and legal and tax issues. The latter will be further addressed through a specific service that offers consults with relevant entities. Additionally, the program aims at facilitating trade with partners in the chosen destination countries.
With a view to driving the creation of more and more added value, work will also be done on the participation of companies in intersectoral technological immersion programs at the main world technology hubs, thus promoting the development of solutions at the global level.
Casali offered the following conclusion:
We want our exports to grow by 30 to 40 percent. The program can be adjusted to suit the needs of each company. It is not focused only on software. Infrastructure and telecommunications companies in the cluster are also welcome to submit their applications. We want to provide support to companies that offer technological products and services in general."
