projects

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Maribor (Slovenia)

Funded by PHARE funds of the European Union GFE assists the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Maribor to qualify the Small- and Medium Enterprises of the Chambers region for the competition in the "Single European Market". Under the title "Emerging EU" in a two years programme a broad qualification and training programme is offered, including subjects as European legislation, ISO 9000 ff, quality management, logistics, marketing, selling in the EU, human resources management, financial engineering, project presentation etc. . Another topic of this project is the promotion of cross border co-operations with Austria. Though a cross-border co-operation with the CCI of Graz has been initiated and cross- border business meetings. This project started in 2002.
Photo: The Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Maribor

GFE organized an uncountable number of entrepreneurs missions to countries as Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritius, Kenya, Zambia, Senegal. Gabon. Congo/Zaire, Cameroon, Ghana, Jamaica, Cuba, Barbados, Trinidad &Tobago, Venezuela, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, U.A.E., Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Poland, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia

India - Indian German Export Promotion (IGEP) (funded by GIZ)

Since 1988 the Indian German Export Promotion Programme (IGEP) with offices in Delhi and in Aachen promotes Indian-German co-operation with success. Indian businessmen arrive daily in Germany, assisted by GFE/IGEP, to meet German and EU entrepreneurs or to show their products on 12 different exhibition in Germany and other EU countries, as Hanover Fair, IAA, Anuga, etc . This programme is funded by German GIZ.

Photo: President and Chairman of Indian NASSCOM in Aachen during the 1st Indian German Informatics Days, organized by IGEP

PROTRADE (programme funded by German GIZ

From 1990 GFE was contracted by German GIZ to realize its international Trade Promotion Programme. GFE has been charged to identify, develop and promote on European Markets products in 24 countries. Product designers, quality managers, market researchers, exhibition experts and sales executives of GFE helped private companies out of these 24 countries to market their products in the EU.

This programme covers the countries: Burkina Faso, Benin, Ghana, Mali, Kenya, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique

Jamaica Trade Promotion Programme (TDP) with JAMPRO (funded by EU)

In 1999 GFE has been contracted by Jamaican JAMPRO (Jamaica Promotion Corp.) to realize the Trade Development Project, funded by the European Commission. Three long term experts of GFE assist Jamaica in its efforts to boost exports into EU and US markets. Targeted sectors are informatics, food-processing, crafts and some industrial projects, such as the manufacturing of the first Jamaican cars. The project handles a 4,5 million € Credit line in favour of SMEs.

Investment Programme Mauritius (funded by EU)

In 1989 GFE started assisting the Government of Mauritius to promote European investments and trade with the EU. GFE worked with MEDIA - the Mauritian Export Promotion Agency, the Ministry of Economy and since 2001 with the Board of Investment, and the Ministry of Industry.

The Government of Mauritius opened its German delegation of MEDIA in Aachen in the office building of GFE, delegated experts and advisers and organized promotional events in Europe. Mauritius has since become a success story in development of welfare, economic growth, tourism and international co-operation.

Mauritius combines one of the most beautiful beaches of the world with a fast growing economy, tax holidays and skilled labour.

GFE realized a Business Plan on behalf of the Ministry of Cooperatives and Handicraft to develop the Maurotian SME sector in cooperation with the German Chamber of Handicrafts Frankfurt (Handwerkskammer Rhein-Main).

Fotos: Tourism, a EU Investors mission at MEDIA Office in Port-Louis, the Centre of Port Louis changed shape in the last 15 years

Lithuania, Vilnius: GFE and INFOBALT organized the first "European Business Panel" in the Parliament Building in Vilnius/Lithuania attended by 300 entrepreneurs and political leaders. Key-note speakers have been:

Mr. Jörg Henno Harms, Chairman of Hewlett Packard Germany
Mr. Andrius Kabilius, former Prime Minister of Lithuania and Chairman of the Commission for Politics and Public Relation of the Lithuanian Government
Mr. Vytautas Naktinis, Owner of Biotechnica Cie, Vilnius
Dr. Ulrich Daldrup, Chairman of GFE Consulting Worldwide, Germany

EXPO 2000 in Hanover/Germany: GFE designed and constructed in the Africa Hall of the World Exposition EXPO 2000 the country presentations of:

German Chancelor Schröder visits GFE Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Madagascar, Djibouti, Eritrea and the IGAD.

It was a pleasure to receive the German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder at the opening of the EXPO 2000 visiting GFE-made Kenya stand.

EXPO 2000 in Hanover/Germany: GFE, in association with Formvielfalt GmbH (Frankfurt) has been contracted by the Commissioners General of the following countries to assure their participation at the EXPO 2000 - World Exhibition of the year 2000 in Hanover, Germany:

Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Madagascar, Djibouti, Eritrea, IGAD.

Environment is a major issue, both in Africa and in the rest of the world. Africa´s EXPO 2000 participation shows innovative concepts for environmental protection and for eco-tourism which take into account those people who are at the centre of environmental protection programmes.

On 2.500 m² GFE has realized perfectly designed and individually designed stands in the Africa Hall of the EXPO 2000. Millions of visitors of the EXPO 2000 have enjoyed to visit the Africa Hall, the third most frequented hall of the EXPO 2000.

Financial budget was allocated by German GIZ

Since 1979 - GFE organizes all "Industrial Forums" and the "EU Business Meetings" of the European Union to promote Trade and Investments in the ACP countries.

The leading European Union - Africa Meeting and Conference for the promotion of the industrial investments and trade promotion is the Industrial Forum EU - Africa. This annual meeting of European and African industrialists and businessmen brings together every year more than 500 entrepreneurs from the 15 EU countries and African regions. In 1976 the first Forum was sponsored jointly by UNIDO and the European Commission in 1976 in Dakar. This first attempt to create a Forum to bring European investors to Africa and to open European markets to African products.

The first Forum was an un-attended success. Since 1976 this Forum is repeated every two years in Dakar and since 1985 every two years also in Central-Africa (Yaoundé or Libreville). GFE is contracted every year since 1979 to organize and to promote this event. In 1995 the Forum became sector specific, as for the mining sector, the construction sector, the agro-business-sector etc.

GFE has gained in these years professionalism with the organization of Forums conferences and exhibitions. The European Commission contracts GFE also for very specialized conferences, such as Mining, Food industry, construction industry, wood and timber etc.

GFE is able to organize complex conferences in many places of the world thanks to a flexible and experienced international team of conference and marketing experts.

Gulf Cooperation Council - Partner of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, UAE and Qatar
GFE wins contract from EU for first EEC Trade Mission to the Gulf Countries

When in 1985 the European Commission and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council where seeking closer liaison, the Commission decided to realize a first EEC - Trade Mission to the Gulf Countries.

GFE Aachen was contracted by the European Commission to organize this important mission. Former commissioner of Directorate I (External Relations), Cheysson, headed the mission. 30 European entrepreneurs had been selected and invited to join this mission, that started in Jeddah and continued to Riyadh, Muscat, Manama, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Kuwait City.

The delegation met representatives of the Governments, heads of the Chambers of commerce and industry and investors. All major newspapers granted attention to this first show-up of the European Commission in the Arab countries of the Gulf region. Television broadcasted the event and gave interviews. Major issues had been the politics of the European union to the Gulf countries, trade barriers, investment incentives and the chemical and food sector.

This first EEC Trade mission led to close cooperation agreements and a political dialogue.

Today the European Union has its own Delegations in all Gulf countries and the cooperation is very close.

Slovakia
Since 1995 GFE is contracted by German KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) to advise the Slovakian shoe industry. 10 shoe manufacturing companies have benefited from this assistance, including product development, design, organisation, marketing, pricing and participation on international shoe fairs. With one shoe-model one of GFE´s clients one the Italian Shoe Design Award of 1998.

Indonesia (1990 - 99)
Delegation of a long term expert to identify investment opportunities for companies from the EU. Sector studies, conferences, comparative cost calculations, PR and missions of entrepreneurs. An important number of joint ventures and investments resulted from this project, funded by German DEG, Cologne.

Thailand (1990 - 1999)
Delegation of a long term expert to identify investment opportunities for companies from the EU. Sector studies, conferences, comparative cost calculations, PR and missions of entrepreneurs. An important number of joint ventures and investments resulted from this project, funded by German DEG, Cologne.

India (1990 - 1999)
Delegation of a long term expert to identify investment opportunities for companies from the EU. Sector studies, conferences, comparative cost calculations, PR and missions of entrepreneurs. An important number of joint ventures and investments resulted from this project, funded by German DEG, Cologne.