Walter Goruppi, INFORMEST Italian Festival in Bulgaria 2010 Forum economico “Bulgaria-Italia: insieme per uscire dalla crisi” Sofia, 7 giugno 2010

4. 4 RECENT CHANGES Since January 2008, INFORMEST has incorporated the former ISDEE – Institute for Studies and Documentation on East Europe countries (Trieste). Since January 2010, all INFORMEST commercial activities (i.e. assistance, consultancy, and information services) have been broken up to a new commercial company named Informest Consulting s.r.l. (at present 100 pc. owned by INFORMEST ). At present, INFORMEST is fully eligible to all European Programmes for cohesion and territorial cooperation .

5. 8 THE AGENCY ROLE On behalf of its shareholders, INFORMEST has been playing the following key roles: 1. ‘I mplementing agency ’ of bilateral international co-operation projects financed by national programs (L. 84/2001 - Italian support to the development of Balkans, one of the only 6 implementing bodies at national level) 2. ‘ Technical assistance provider ’ in the framework of European projects of regional interest financed by the EC 3. ‘ Mandated body ’ of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto Region in several programmes and activities related to East Europe.

8. 8 THE AGENCY MISSION KNOWLEDGE  With expertise in the socio-economic, legal and financial fields, Informest is a unique observatory . Informest possesses insight into the human and productive geography of its focus countries by monitoring their political and economic growth. By knowing and understanding how the East and Far East work, Informest facilitates contact with these countries. Informest imparts knowledge and as such is a point of reference for training projects and the exchange of skills. Informest expertise in, and knowledge of, its field and the countries it works with, is constantly evolving through the acquisition of information which it spreads through its network , website www.Informest.it and newsletter. Knowledge is the means to understanding different cultures, recognizing their potential, redefining borders, geography and above all the goals of the Informest mandate. DEVELOPMENT  Informest supports the economic growth of countries in new scenarios by analyzing international development trends and building territorial partnerships with enterprises by providing advice on the “where” and “how” of investing. Informest promotes workforce development, entrepreneurial initiatives and exchanges between Italy and other countries and vice versa. Informest generates development by creating and realizing projects on a European, national and regional level. Informest promotes the relationship between resources and skills, analysis and action with the aim of identifying opportunities for development both within the projects it supports and the regions it covers, thereby showing its commitment to understanding economic context. Informest stands for a different approach to development which is broader, more creative and makes a bigger impact. COOPERATION  Informest has developed a wide and diversified network which includes the national and regional government bodies of Italy and Informest focus countries, the European Union, international bodies, field associations, and research centers. Competitive professionals, good rapport with governmental bodies and high-level government contacts: Informest is always looking for new strategic alliances and strong relationships. Through networking, Informest makes internationalization processes faster and supports the acquisition of information and the spreading of knowledge. Informest has the skill to carry out the delicate task of mediating between different sides and facilitating the convergence of interests and strategies . The Informest network foresees and supports cooperation activities at a local and national level bringing to positive results and fostering an environment open to exchange, development, prosperity, and quality of life.

9. 9 SOME AGENCY DATA INFORMEST staff is made of > 30 people , supported by a network of more than 50 highly qualified professionals located in 30 countries. Headquarters are in Gorizia, close to the Italian border with Slovenia, plus a branch office in Padua. In the last 5 years, INFORMEST has generated from 2.5 to 3.7 million € of revenues per year, mostly coming from the acquisition of European projects and from the management of national and regional programmes.

11. 8 AGENCY INSTRUMENTS INFORMEST CONSULTING s.r.l. The company capitalizes the long experience in the field of internationalization of the business in various industrial sectors assisting the Clients offering a vast range of services and personalized solutions to satisfy their needs. Dispose of a foreign network of 70 specialists in 30 countries, provides business solutions for the companies which intend to develop programs of commercial penetration and investment projects in the Eastern markets (Central and South-Eastern Europe, Russian Federation and CIS, China and Central Asia) and in the emerging countries. tel. + 39 0481 547328 e.mail: [email_address] web: http://www.informestconsulting.it

12. 11 THE EUROPEAN ENTERPRISE NETWORK INFORMEST hosted for years the EIC IT-388 Friuli-Venezia Giulia, a node of the European network of Euro Info Centres (EIC), one of the most qualified means to provide SMEs with information and assistance on EU policies and programmes, working in strict cooperation with the DG Enterprise of the EC. Since January 2008, the EIC network has merged with the IRC (International Relay Centers) network to form the world biggest network in support of SMEs. INFORMEST is part of the consortium which manages the EEN in the ‘Triveneto’ regions.

13. 12 Thank you for your attention ! Walter Goruppi INFORMEST ANALYST e-mail [email_address] tel. +39 0481 597441 mob. +39 338 7059054 http://www.informest.it