Georgia enhances business relations with US SME sector
Georgia hosted a US Trade Mission consisting of small and medium sized companies from Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland on September 12–14th. The tour was organized by the Embassy of Georgia to the United States in cooperation with the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development, and supported by the US Department of Commerce. US companies met with Georgian governmental institutions and private sector representatives in order to familiarize themselves with the country’s business opportunities and explore the possibilities for cooperation and partnership with local companies. The Export Development Association of Georgia connected the trade mission participants with up to 50 local companies and organizations within the format of B2B meetings and multilateral seminars, which focused on discussions of partnership, joint ventures, and exports of goods and services. In addition to the meetings, a Maryland-based company, West Coast Connections, carried out a seminar for Georgian export-oriented companies. The seminar focused on procedures, regulations, and marketing tools necessary for the export of goods and services to the US.
US companies also witnessed the development of Georgia’s innovative ecosystem by visiting the largest technology park in the region, which serves as the hub for innovation and technology development in the country and provides access to incubators and accelerators for talented innovators. There, representatives from the Georgian Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA), the Entrepreneurship Development Agency, and the Partnership Fund, the largest state-owned investment fund in the country, gave presentations to the participants of the trade mission about the existing opportunities in Georgia, including assistance programs and subsidies for entrepreneurial enhancement and the development of start-ups and SMEs.
The trade mission was hosted by the Mayor of Tbilisi, the City Council, and the Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development.