Business marketing of Lubelskie Voivodeship

By project CLUSTERS3

Published on 28 June 2018

Poland

About this good practice

The main aim of "Business marketing" project was to improve conditions for increasing Lubelskie region competitiveness and to create the economic image of the region. The issue of crucial importance was to create and strengthen the culture of cooperation between entrepreneurs, and this way to build critical mass of the companies to export. It was important to offer to the companies support and knowledge about new possibilities of sale, and this way to help them to change their business models and open them to new solutions, innovation and international cooperation.
"Business marketing" enhanced competences of entrepreneurs through their participation in:
1. Business Academy for Entrepreneurs - 14 thematic modules, i.a.: Brand Building and Management; Clusters; Internet marketing; ABC of business presentations; Cultural differences in business; Design thinking; HR; Export activities; Significance of the brand, Effective negotiator; Risk in export;
2. trade fairs and inbound business missions;
3. Export Academy (20 modules according to potential export destinations).
The main stakeholders were: entrepreneurs including co-operation networks and clusters operating in RIS3 domains (e.g. Lublin Eco-energy Cluster, Stryjno Sad Producers’ Group and LubApple), foreign investors, foreign co-operation networks and clusters. The success of the project resulted in continuation in project „Business Marketing of the Lubelskie Voivodeship, edition II" financed under Lubelskie ROP 201

Resources needed

The program was co-financed with the ROP Lubelskie Voivodeship 2007-2013 (ERDF) in the amount of PLN 30 mln (approx. EUR 9 mln) for all planned actions (including the aforementioned). Team of 16 people working in the region area was engaged at all level of the Program’s implementation.

Evidence of success

In the context of networks and clusters:
• Participation of 597 people in Business Academy
• Participation of 192 entrepreneurs in Academy of Exporters
• Organization of 47 outbound & inbound business missions – also with clusters and cooperation networks
• In program evaluation survey participants highlighted: finding new business contacts; getting to know the culture of other societies; opportunity to enter a new market; increase in production by 11%, of exports by 16%, of sales by 14%.

Potential for learning or transfer

Business marketing can be a useful tool for regions, where economy depends on micro and small companies. Such companies, even if they have a good products or services, do not have enough power to expand, especially abroad. Clustering and networking is an important factor to overcome those problems.
The main precondition for participation in business missions was to present application on behalf of a group of companies. This way clusters can have influence on destinations of the missions. Possibility to take part in fairs stimulated companies to re-define their business strategies and create a cooperation network.
Program contains elements raising general competences of entrepreneurs, but also specifically on internationalization.
Wide range of information channels and events provide broad access to information for stakeholders. The dialogue of regional authorities and stakeholders is important for entrepreneurial discovery process, that leads to specifying smart specialization.