Expert
Meeting on how to Become a Supplier
of Large Enterprises and Transnational
Corporations
20-21 March
2003
(Palais des Nations, Geneva)
Geneva, 17 March 2003 - Small
and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)
are deeply affected by the rapid progress
of globalization; it is essential they
are prepared to meet both the challenges
posed by the new emerging market economies
and the associated risks.
Promoting
linkages, subcontracting relations
among large enterprises, transnational
corporations (TNCs) and SMEs, in particular,
are effective ways of diffusing skills,
knowledge and technology. Linkages offer
great benefits to both TNCs and SMEs,
as well as to the economy, in which
they are forged. The local procurement
of TNCs potentially offers a range of
benefits: lower production costs in
host economies; greater specialization
and flexibility; and better adaptation
of technologies and products to local
conditions.
The main goal of the
UNECE Expert Meeting "How to Become
A Supplier of Large Enterprises and
Transnational Corporations" to be held
on 20-21 March 2003 is to help SMEs
to acquire a better understanding of
the global markets and the process of
internationalization in both transition
countries and advanced market economies.
To achieve this the meeting will review
best practices in the UNECE region in
becoming suppliers of large enterprises
and TNCs.
In addition, the meeting
will:
-
discuss the
requirements and standards of large
enterprises, TNCs and co-operatives
to be met by the SMEs that would
make them more partnership-ready;
-
review the reasons
why quality has become an issue
of paramount importance and a pre-requisite
to enter the world market and become
a supplier of other companies; and
-
learn from the
best practice of Government policies
and TNCs experiences in providing
special support programmes for SMEs
to meet the requirements of suppliers,
in outsourcing, subcontracting,
franchising and in the creation
of supply chains.
The Forum will be chaired
by Mrs. Signe Ratso, Deputy State Secretary
of the Ministry of Economic Affairs
and Telecommunications of Estonia. Key-note
speakers include: Joseph Smolik, Senior
Economist, UNECE, who will highlight
how to create spillover in the European
economy; Professors Marie-Laurence Caron-Fasan
and Humbert Lesca from the Grenoble
Ecole Supérieure des Affaires,
Réseau des I.A.E., who will analyse
the environment of SMEs in order to
be a supplier of large companies and
TNCs; Iain Macdonald, Director General
of the International Co-operative Alliance
will argue how to do business in a democratic
way and also discuss co-operative values,
ethics and globalization; and Marc Hochuli,
Vice President of Société
Générale de Surveillance
(SGS) will explain how to respond at
the local level to the requirements
of global standards.
The meeting will also
involve a Round Table on Corporate Philosophy
and Social Responsibility at which top
managers from IKEA, LUKOIL, MAGMA, MIGROS,
PRONOVA, SIEMENS, VOLVO and UNILEVER
will participate. Further, there will
be a special session focussing on the
issue of why quality is considered as
key in a contractor-supplier relationship.
Professors from Denmark, Russian Federation
and Ukraine, together with experts from
Croatia, Hungary and UNIDO, will present
their experiences and methodology in
developing quality management systems
in enterprises in order to meet the
requirements to be a supplier.
For further information
please contact:
Antal Szabó
Regional Adviser on Entrepreneurship
and SMEs
United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe
Palais des Nations, Bureau 440
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: + 41(0)22 917
24 71
Telefax: + 41(0)22 917 01 78
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.unece.org/indust/sme/supply.htm