Doing business with SME Aisle companies
Upcoming events
Due to the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the SME Aisle team has made a decision to postpone the delegation trip of Spring 2019. The updated schedule will be published on the website later this year. Stay safe!
Currently on SME Aisle
News
SME Aisle project met Namibian high-level delegation
The Vice President of the Republic of Namibia Dr. Nangolo Mbumba visited Finland, Estonia and Latvia in September 9–15, 2019. He was accompanied by a delegation of 30 representatives of various ministries and enterprises. SME Aisle project team members had a chance to meet the Namibian delegation. Read the article.
Blog posts
Namibian flavours and business networking
Cosy atmosphere, a sumptuous dinner and great business networking. Read more about the Namibian business delegation trip to Central Baltic on 10th of November in Stockholm. Read the blog post.
Publications
Heading for Southern Afican markets
Feasibility study on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) and on the resources
required in the Southern African markets. Check our publication: http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2019120946316 (open access).
More news
Read the news about the business trip in Southern Africa in April 2019 in English and in Finnish.
More blog posts
More publications
Want to know more about Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) markets? Check our publication (open access) about business environment in Namibia, South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, Botswana and Zambia. Themes are maritime and ports, ICT, automation, renewable energy and machinery.
Project info
Duration:
01.03.2018-31.08.2021
Total budget:
1 731 850,31 €
(ERDF: 1 358 178,06 €)
SAMK: 578 802,33 € (ERDF: 422 525,70 €)
Our objective in SME Aisle project is 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 focus on companies from Central Baltic area i.e. Finland (incl. Åland), Estonia, Latvia and Sweden.
Themes are shipbuilding, maritime, renewable energy, automation and ICT.
Videos and presentations
What is SME Aisle?
See the presentation about the project SME Aisle and its partners. Check the slideshow (click to open the presentation as PDF) or click the link below.
Previous
Next
Click to play videos or open presentations (pdf). More videos in SME Aisle YouTube channel.
Partners
SME Aisle on social media
Sunny memories from a year ago! We were with our business delegation in Walvis Bay, Namibia having a successful workshop with Namport. 🇳🇦
Koronan vaikutukset keskeisillä vientimarkkinoilla -webinaari
Keskuskauppakamari, Rauman kauppakamari ja Satakunnan kauppakamari järjestävät yhteistyössä keskiviikkona 15.4. klo 10-11 webinaarin aiheesta koronan vaikutus vientimarkkinoihin. Yritykset ja muut asiasta kiinnostuneet tervetuloa! Tilaisuus on maksuton, mutta vaatii ilmoittautumisen. Linkki ilmoittautumiseen ja ohjelmaan: raumankauppakamari.fi/?action=eventregistration&id=185&aid=d0eaf969
Greetings from the SME Aisle meeting! 👋 The whole SME Aisle team with partners from SAMK - Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (Finland), Prizztech Oy (Finland), TalTech - Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia), MASOC - Mašīnbūves un metālapstrādes rūpniecības asociācija (Latvia) & Latvijas Tirdzniecības un rūpniecības kamera LTRK (Latvia) and also Central Baltic Programme Joint Secretariat Tiina Keinänen joined our meeting. A lot of changes for our international project but we keep going!
Today, a year ago 2.4.2019, we had a great business workshop in Windhoek, Namibia with our SME Aisle delegation! 🇳🇦 Workshop was held with Namibia University of Science and Technology - NUST, Embassy of Finland in Windhoek - Suomen suurlähetystö Windhoekissa and Business Finland. House full and a lot of good business negotiations! We would have been in Namibia this spring also with our Central Baltic Programme companies, but as we know the coronavirus has changed the situation. However, we will be back with the business delegations when the situation is back to normal! ☀️
SME Aisle -hankkeessa mukana oleva Risutec kansainvälistää liiketoimintaansa.
"Teimme ensimmäisen järkevän vientikaupan vuonna 2016, istutuskoneita Etelä-Afrikkaan" kertoo Jussi Aikala, Risutec Oy:n toimitusjohtaja.
Lue koko juttu Satakunnan Yrittäjät ryn lehdestä (s.12): www.lehtiluukku.fi/lehti/satakunnan-yrittajalehti/_read/23.3.2020/241158.html
Celebrating #Namibia30 in Finland, even though I should be with @SMEAisle team in #Namibia. https://twitter.com/FinEmbWindhoek/status/1241242132456673280
Delegation trip to South Africa, Namibia and Zambia (15.3.–4.4.2020) POSTPONED
Due to the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the SME Aisle team has decided to postpone the delegation trip of Spring 2020. Stay safe! #COVID2019 #coronavirus #cbresults #mysamk
Past events
Namibian delegation travels to Central Baltic area 9.-17.11.2019.
The program includes B2B meetings, site visits and events with the Embassies.
Open program in pdf https://sub.samk.fi/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/travelling-plan-SMEAisle20191011.pdf
Follow the delegation in SME Aisle social media!
Tervetuloa tapaamaan ja keskustelemaan namibialaisdelegaation kanssa businesstilaisuuteen SAMKin Merimäen auditorioon (Suojantie 2, Rauma) pe 15.11.2019 klo 13.00–14.45.
Tilaisuuden ohjelma:
13.00-13.05 Welcome and introduction, project leader Minna Keinänen-Toivola, SAMK
13.05-13.15 SME Aisle: Promoting trade between the Finland and Namibia, captain Heikki Koivisto, SAMK
13.15-13.30 Words from Namibian delegation members
13.30-13.45 Investment plans in Logistic Hub of Namibia – Future business opportunities and projects (Maritime, ICT, Transport – road and rail ,Energy and Water, Mining) Mr. Clive Smith Walvis Bay Corridor Group
13.45-14.00 Short introduction of Finnish companies
14.00-14.45 Speed networking and negotiations between businesses
Tilaisuuden järjestävät Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu ja Prizztech osana CB SME Aisle projektia.
Tilaisuus on ilmainen ja englanninkielinen.
CONNECTING SOUTHERN AFRICA WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD seminar
Time: Monday 11 November, at 9.00-12.00 followed by a networking luncheon
Venue: World Trade Center, Klarabergsviadukten 70 Stockholm
Hosts: Business Sweden and Central Baltic SME Aisle in collaboration with the Swedish-Southern African Chamber of Commerce (SSACC)
3rd SMEAisle Business delegation to Namibia 22.9 – 5.10.2019!
The program includes business meetings, speed networking event and site visits.
Open program in pdf https://sub.samk.fi/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SMEAisle_delegation-program-autumn-2019.pdf
Follow our business trip in SME Aisle social media!
Namibia-Sweden Business Forum in connection with the Namibia-Sweden bilateral working group in Bankhalle, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Stockholm in 25.6.2019 9.00-12.00. Organized by Business Sweden in co-operation with Central Baltic SME Aisle project and others.
Registration to: https://www.business-sweden.se/en/Trade/Seminars-and-events/EventsSeminars/namibia-sweden-business-forum/
Click to open the program.
Welcome!
Where? Namibia, South Africa & Zambia.
When? 1st to 13th of April 2019.
Who? SME Aisle team and 31 Central Baltic SMEs from Finland, Sweden, Latvia and Estonia.
Take a look of the business delegation and check photos from our social media accounts!
Welcome to the SME Aisle workshop!
Time: Thursday 13th of June from 13.30-15.30 at SAMK Campus Pori, Finland (also online). The workshop is organized simultaneously with the Match Industry 2019 event.
The workshop concentrates on the delegation trip in April 2019 to Namibia, South Africa and Zambia. We present some interesting and successful business cases of SMEs from Finland, Sweden, Latvia and Estonia in Southern African markets so far. We also discuss about lessons learned and the upcoming events of the project.
Where? Namibia, South Africa & Zambia.
When? 1st to 13th of April 2019.
Who? SME Aisle team and 32 Central Baltic SMEs from Finland, Sweden, Latvia and Estonia.
Take a look from program and events our SME Aisle team organized! Detailed program for registered companies was provided separately.
What?
The webinar is targeted to the companies who are interested in business opportunities in the Southern African markets as well as to the companies who already have registered to the business delegation of April 2019 to Namibia, South Africa and Zambia. In the webinar, we share updated information on the business delegation and on opportunities for the Central Baltic SMEs in the market.
When?
On 15th of February 2019 at 10-12 (at 9-11 Swedish time)
Where? Online HILL room
Workshop on 23.1. in Stockholm, Sweden
What?
Workshop about Business opportunities in Southern African markets for Swedish SMEs
When?
Wednesday 23rd January
Where?
Business Sweden, World Trade Center, Klarabergsviadukten 70, Stockholm (metro station T-Centralen)
Workshop on 29.11. in Riga, Latvia
What? Workshop about Business opportunities in Southern African markets
When? Thursday 29th November
Where? Kipsala International Exhibition Centre, Ķīpsalas street 8, Riga, Latvia. Workshop is in room number 105 (near entrance between both halls).
Programme & registration: Check the programme (click to enlarge) and register by 26.11 to dainis.racenis@masoc.lv. Welcome!
Read more about the international trade fair from Tech Industry website.
Sambian energiasektorin liiketoimintamahdollisuudet –työpaja ti 27.11. klo 10.30-12.30 Helsingissä.
Tule kuulemaan tiistaina 27.11. klo 10.30-12.30 Sambian liiketoimintamahdollisuuksista Ulkoministeriöön (Kanavakatu 3, Helsinki).
Ilmoittautumiset ilmaiseen työpajaan ja lisätietoja: nina.savela@samk.fi ke 21.11.2018 mennessä.
Työpajassa yhteistyössä Suomen Sambian Lähetystö, NIRAS ja SME Aisle -projekti. Työpajan jälkeen on tarvittaessa mahdollisuus lyhyisiin yrityskohtaisiin tapaamisiin.
Doing business through SME Aisle: Business trip to Namibia in September-October 2018
The first SME Aisle business trip to Namibia is organized in 16.9-5.10.2018.
SME Aisle project’s areas for business are shipbuilding, maritime and logistics, renewable energy, automation and ICT through infrastructure, shipbuilding, retrofitting, training or expert services. The business trip will consist of business to business events, site visits, seminars and a fair. Check the programme (click to enlarge).
Business seminar “Doing business through SME Aisle” was held on 25 September in Windhoek, Namibia. Seminar focuses on shipbuilding, maritime & logistics, renewable energy, ICT and automation. Check the programme (click to enlarge).
Workshop on business opportunities on markets of Southern African area was organized in Pori, Finland 13th of June (you can participate also online). All companies interested in Southern African markets are welcome! Workshop is side event of MatchINDUSTRY 2018 event. Check the workshop programme (click to enlarge).
Smart Urban Business
SME Aisle is part of the international multiscientific Smart Urban Business research work in Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Finland.
Contact:
Minna Keinänen-Toivola, Ph.D.
+358 44 710 3063
minna.keinanen-toivola(at)samk.fi