Dutch trade mission in Ternopil & Chernivtsi (25-27 June)
From 25-27 June a Dutch trade mission, headed by Ambassador mr Ed Hoeks, visited Ternopil and Chernivtsi. The embassy of the Netherlands is focusing especially on western Ukraine this year, a region with great interest for the Dutch companies and organizations joining. There are opportunities for cooperation in the field of agricultural and economic sectors such as logistics. During the trade mission a Dutch Ukrainian business forum was held and several companies were visited.
It was not the first time this year for representatives of the embassy of the Netherlands to visit Ternopil. The warm cooperation started during heavy snowfall in February when the Agricultural Counsellor of the embassy and the Honorary Consul to the Netherlands in Lviv got introduced to Ternopil while meeting local and regional administration and visited companies. It was easy to find mutual ground for possible cooperation with the opportunities that Ternopil region provides and the technologies and experience that the Netherlands can bring. This is especially true in foodprocessing, bio-energy, horticulture and planting materials and logistics. It was followed by joining the investment forum in May and a separate Dutch Ukrainian event in bio-energy in Ternopil in June. We were very happy to be back in файне місто тернопіл!
Governor Stepan Barna also referred to these recent visits of the agricultural team of the embassy during the official opening of the trade mission and expressed expectation that coperation for which we had in the recent months will soon lead to result with the implementation of joint projects. "the Ternopil administration is actively working in the direction of the involvement of investment. Today Ternopil oblast is a region in which foreign partners feel comfortable. And our cooperation is focusing on providing new jobs and opportunities for Ukrainian citizens to work for and with the best European and world standards.On June 15 in the framework of the PIB bio-energy we shared knowledge and experience in the field of bio-energy. A 100 participants of the event found out about the technology of obtaining energy from renewable resources. And today together with experts and representatives of business we discuss the possibilities of further cooperation between Ternopil and the Netherlands, particular in the field of foodprocessing."
The trade mission started on June 25 with a Dutch Ukrainian business forum, followed by a seminar on foodprocessing. This seminar was organized by the Dutch project PIB FoodTechLink, which is a consortium of Dutch companies active in the value chain of processing, including storage and packaging, with the support of the Dutch government. There was special attention for the worldwide trends in fruit & berries. All presentation are online
Study western Ukraine
In light of the trade mission the embassy of the Netherlands initiated a market study about the regions of western Ukraine with the purpose to raise the interest of the Dutch companies and to see in which areas there is the most potential to support the development of the private sector. Also the main obstacles for further development were identified, as seen by the local companies. Shortage of workers, outdated technologies and equipment and inaccesibility to funding scored high in the outcome.
“It is exactly here that we, as the Netherlands, can support”, says Ambassador mr Ed Hoeks. “The Dutch companies can provide long-term experience, knowledge, innovations and solutions to support the ambitions of Ukrainian companies in expanding their markets. In some sectors, specifically agriculture, a possible soluton is the introduction of modern high performance technologies and innovations, which can ensure a higher productivity and ensure higher salaries. This can lead to new perspectives for young people but also foreign investors when its combined with the necessary improvement of the business climate”.
The decentralization process also plays an important role and is being seen as a succesful reform. “ It makes it even more important for us and our companies to go out to the region” adds Ambassador mr Ed Hoeks. “Take for example bio-energy; decentralization means it will stimulate the demand for bioenergy solutions at the local level where there is a need for energy saving. That is also the reason that the Dutch project in biobased energy went on a roadtrip through Ukraine and organized a special event in Ternopil with the active support of the local administration, the State Agency for Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving (SAEE) and the embassy. It was about showing new technologies but also exchange of information from both sides about the developments in research and policies.”
Participants trade mission
For the trade mission to Ternopil and Chernivtsi 16 companies plus the Dutch Entepreneurial Development Bank (FMO) joined the embassy. They reflect the specific sectors which have high potential for cooperation with the partners in Ternopil: horticulture and planting materials (incl storage), foodprocessing, logistics, bio-energy, floriculture and solutions for industries. Read more about the participants here.
Company visit Elektrosvit
On Tuesday the delegation visited a number of leading companies in the region with links to the Netherlands. First stop was to the production facility of Elektrosvit (http://esv.te.ua) which is well known in Ukraine and in the Netherlands as long-term partner of Philips and Lionzlight. They invent solutions for the lighting products of #Signify - Philips Lighting Україна, supply to the local market and compete abroad. They make products for in the greenhouses, at the schools, in the streets and on the historical monuments, also in Ternopil at self.
Company visit dairy processor Molokija
It was followed by a company visit to Molokija, the leading dairy producer. Dairy processing provides the largest share in terms of sales in Ternopil region. The company Molokija is not only very important for the region but brings high quality products to all of us as consumers of dairy products.
From farm to fork, or in this case to your glass of milk. Recently the agricultural team of the embassy joined the opening of the new rotary milking parlor (80 places) of Dutch farmer Kees Huizinga. With the Dutch trade mission in Ternopil a perfect opportunity to see where the extra class milk of Kischenzi is being processed. Molokija is also proudly advertising on the Molokija dairy products with fresh milk that this is being produced with milk coming from 2 farms, among them Kischenzi. Recently the operation of a Dutch packaging line was started from one of the members of the PIB FoodTechLink (Lekkerkerker).
Company visit to greenhouse Edem-F (Synkiv)
Participants of the Dutch trade mission working in the horticultural sector visited greenhouse Edem-F (www.dfagro.com) where you can feel like being in the Netherlands. The greenhouse construction and technologies, including the vegetable seeds and biological solutions for crop protection are being supplied by Dutch companies. In the greenhouse, 10 hectares of bell peppers are being grown and supplied to the local market. Recently, the greenhouse received Global Gap Certification. It is always interesting to see how your food is being produced and in this case we were lucky enough to come in the harvest time. So both an impressive and tasty tour!
Company visit to Florium
A bit further than Chernivtsi, in the village Hlyboka, the days of company visits ended at Florium (https://florium.ua/). The company Florium is known to many flower lovers and growers, they can see the bright stands of Florium at the floricultural exhibitions representing the best planting material, flower bulbs and ornamentals. But not many cients of Florium see the heart of the company; highly efficient storage and logistics centre which can manage thousands of internet orders per season.
Great combination of floriculture, IT and logistics ensures that the Dutch plants and planting material you order online is delivered to you in the fastest way.
The embassy of the Netherlands in Ukraine would like to express their special thanks to the local and regional authorities for their valuable commitment and support to organize this trade mission and to the companies who welcomed the delegation and showed them the developments in the region. Following also the previous visit to Ternopil the office of the agricultural counsellor of the embassy , the trade mission proved to be a good base for further cooperation between the partners from Ternopil region and the Dutch companies.