Themes
SME Aisle is covering the following themes:
Southern African countries
SADC (Southern African Development Community) region is seen as the future place for investments with its 300 million potential customers, port gateways, and aim for political stability and economic conditions. Rapid urbanization is a key development in many countries of SADC and there is a growing need for infrastructure development, education and services.
Central Baltic countries
The Central Baltic area is in the North-Eastern part of the European Union, uniting the Nordic countries Sweden and Finland with two Baltic countries Estonia and Latvia. The area includes coastal regions of all programme countries for which the Baltic Sea is an important water body.
SME Aisle project
- Duration: 01.03.2018–31.08.2022
- Budget: total budget 1 731 850,31 € and ERDF 1 358 178,06 €
- Funded by Interreg Central Baltic programme.
- Partners: Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Prizztech Ltd, Tallinn University of Techonology (Estonian Maritime Academy), Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Association of Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking Industries of Latvia.
- Associated partners: Satakunta Chamber of Commerce, Finland & Swedish Wind Power Association, Sweden.
- Project lead by Satakunta University of Applied Sciences.
- Project manager: Minna Keinänen-Toivola, minna.keinanen-toivola(at)samk.fi, +358 44 710 3063.
Project supports business activities
SME Aisle project supports business activities of Central Baltic companies to Southern African markets and business activities together with the locals.
SME Aisle: Exports of shipbuilding, maritime and logistics, renewable energy, automation and ICT from Central Baltic to the Southern African markets using Namibia as a stable entry point.
Our objective in the SME Aisle project was to support Central Baltic maritime clusters’ SMEs with an ambition and potential to enter into new markets in Southern Africa using Namibia as stable entry point.
SME Aisle project focused on companies from Central Baltic area i.e. Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Sweden. The map shows the area more precisely: the Central Baltic programme area consists of parts of Finland (incl. Åland), Sweden and Latvia as well as all of Estonia.
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Partners
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK), Finland
Prizztech Ltd, Finland
Estonian Maritime Academy, Tallinn University of Techonology (TalTech), Estonia
Association of Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking Industries of Latvia (MASOC), Latvia
Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Latvia
SME Aisle success stories
Maintenance services and delivers spare parts to Namibia
N-Tech Ltd, a one-man Finnish company founded in 2008, provides maintenance services and delivers spare parts. This company evolves in the electricity and automation sector. Mr. Jarno Laine, the owner of the company, had already experienced Namibian several years ago, during his engineering studies. As a matter of fact, he spent a little bit less than half a year there working for his training period in 2003. He explains that it helped a lot to discover the culture and understand the inhabitants.
Joint ventures of StandByMate/Nordcrewing Group OÜ in Southern Africa
In Namibia a joint venture was set up and the company is currently moving towards recruiting German-speaking workers from Namibia, due to a demand from a major German customer.
The company Nordcrewing was established on November 2018. The idea of starting a recruitment company began with the startup company called StandByMate. StandbyMate was an online recruitment platform, moreover an online version of the current recruitment company Nordcrewing.
Read the success story of StandByMate/Nordcrewing Group here (pdf).
Environmentally friendly innovative solutions for agriculture
“The SME Aisle project has helped us in identifying suitable partners and has met our expectations”, states the Managing Director of BioSorbio Ltd. Jukka Lunden.
BioSorbio Ltd. is a Finnish company specialized in eco-friendly solutions in agriculture, soil and water remediation. The company joined the SME Aisle project in 2019.
BioSorbio’s products have raised interest for example in Zambia, where the company recently established a joint venture named BioRaiser Zambia Ltd.
Digital inclusion in Africa – SME Aisle success story of Aion Sigma
“Thanks to the SME Aisle project, we have been able to enter the market in Southern Africa” says one of the company founders Joakim Hedenstedt.
Aion Sigma joined the SME Aisle project in 2019 and has been active in project events within the ICT field.
So far, Aion Sigma has partnered with Musanga Logistics to provide smartphones with their employees in Zambia.
Doing business with SME Aisle companies
ICT and Automation
Business practices and culture in Central Baltic area
Visa procedures in Finland, Sweden, Latvia and Estonia
Differences and practices of online communication between the Central Baltic and Southern Africa
SME Aisle on social media
Facebook Posts
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