North Funen Business Council considers international cooperation a natural part of our activities and this is the reason why we took the opportunity to commit ourselves to a cooperation with the Lithuanian town Jurbarkas when it presented itself at the beginning of the 1990s.
By Birger Munter, Business Manager at North Funen Business Council and Export Consultant
In 1992, the then principal of a continuation school, Bent Rasmussen from Særslev, North Funen, participated in a conference in Vilnius. The theme of the conference was Danish schools. Bent Rasmussen was inspired by this trip and returned home with a wish to help improve the conditions in Lithuania at the time.
Official contacts with the municipality of Jurbarkas were established, and several both private and official visits took place. The well-known organisations, Lions Club and Rotary, collected funds, computer equipment, wheel chairs, etc. for Jubarkas.
All these activities culminated in a town-twinning agreement. On 13 April 1999, the Mayor of Jurbarkas visited Bogense and signed a town-twinning agreement with Bogense. The Lithuanian Mayor was accompanied by 30 representatives from the Lithuanian trade and business who wanted to be inspired, establish contacts and create the basis for mutual cooperation.
North Funen Business Council Becomes Involved
On the basis of a grant from the Rural District Allocation of the Danish Ministry for the Interior and Health of DKK 200,000 kr. – North Funen Business Council together with the municipality of Bogense established Development Park North (UpN) in 1997. The purpose of this development park was to be a sparring partner in connection with the establishment of new companies and business development in general in North Funen.
At this point in time both North Funen Business Council and UpN were heavily involved in the visit of the Lithuanian delegation. We saw it as a mission to establish contacts between the Danish and the Lithuanian companies. UpN had export promotion programmes on the agenda. It was time to act.
A business centre in Jurbarkas was established in May 2000 and shortly after representatives from North Funen Business Council and Lions and Rotary from Bogense paid them a visit. The main purpose of the trip was reached. We returned home with loads of good offers for companies in North Funen. A systematic and long-standing cooperation between the two business centres took off.
2000-2003: Jurbarkas Business Centre
Jurbarkas Business Centre was started by two newly qualified economists from Lithuania, Linas and Ernesta, who, after a trip to North Funen, could present a wide range of contacts both from Lithuanian and from Danish companies. The Centre was going to be an office hotel for local Lithuanian companies and for Danish companies establishing themselves in Lithuania, providing courses and marketing assistance. In September 2000, an office was established in Jurbarkas for North Funen Business Council with Per Nielsen as the contact person.
Results of the Cooperation
In the autumn of 2004, North Funen Business Council organised a one day inspiration trip to Lithuania for more than 60 business people from Funen. From January to June 2005, we benefitted from an EU programme regarding knowledge transfer. Experience, work methods, the business policies of North Funen, and business service in Denmark were some of the topics on the agenda.
In March 2006, 29 Lithuanian farmers came to Bogense to study Danish agriculture. During the visit these farmers became familiar with a locally manufactured product – a hygrometer. The product was very relevant to the Lithuanian farmers who often experienced problems with a high moisture content in their grain products. Since this visit a number of hygrometers have been sold to Lithuania.
During the period from 1992 to 2007, Danish business people have visited more than 400 companies in Lithuania. Approximately 60 Danish companies have initiated negotiations, and a major market survey on the subject "From Agriculture to Solar Energy" was made. Bogense Rotary Club has started 40 clubs throughout Lithuania. Today, the Centre is firmly embedded as a base for the companies in North Funen.
In general, the companies in North Funen have established useful contacts and realized concrete projects such as sale of doors and windows, production of special packaging material, candle making, manufacture of washing bags, etc. In addition, we have provided support to the establishment of contacts on behalf of interested companies in Funen as well as service in terms of feasibility analyses, trade delegations and establishment of joint ventures.
Many of the entrepreneurs who have been involved in the Centre from the beginning are in one way or another still in contact both with the Centre and with North Funen Business Council. Today, Jurbarkas Business Centre is an integrated part of the municipal service to companies. We have a permanent personal contact with those involved in Lithuania. We have had many intense and positive experiences, and visitors from both countries have had many new ideas and inspiration for future activities. In brief: It was all worth it!
Facts
North Funen Business Council is an interest organisation for more than 300 member companies in the municipality of North Funen. The business council is a kind of sparring partner for companies in the municipality, offering advice and guidance for entrepreneurs.
Bogense was, before the local government reform in 2007, an independent municipality, but after the reform Bogense merged with two smaller municipalities in Funen – Otterup and Søndersø – and they are now called the municipality of North Funen (29,500 inhabitants).
Read More
www.nordfynerhverv.dk/?lang=uk
www.jurbarkas.info/index,gb,2487.html