EUCCK President Hampsink

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea (EUCCK, www.eucck.org) is pleased to announce the launch of SME Support Services to reinforce Korean exports and outbound investment to the EU.

The services will be available through its "Industrial Cooperation Division" which promotes collaborative projects between the EU and Korea.

The support services are divided into three major categories: Individual SME support, Support with Industrial Associations and Support with trade promotion divisions of local governments.

These services for Korean SME's, which also include match-making (helping them locate suitable business partners), facilitating their search for European buyers, conducting face-to-face business meetings and leading trade delegations for buyer seminars, will be valuable for their overseas marketing.

To kick off the service, the EUCCK plans to organize various meetings with SME Support Divisions of Provincial Government's across Korea, starting at the end of March, as well as providing support to SME's in the provinces. Practical support will be provided by the EUCCK and its liaison office in Brussels, EUKICA (EU-Korea Industrial Cooperation Agency).

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Jean-Jacques Grauhar, Secretary General, EUCCK, noted that while the Chamber has been at the forefront in inducing foreign direct investment from the EU companies, and facilitating their business in Korea, there has been a growing demand for increasing its support to Korean SME's who want to expand their activities in the EU.

"EU companies are the largest investors in Korea and bilateral trade between both the regions is amongst the highest. However, there still remain huge opportunities for Korean SME's seeking to expand their activities in Europe. EUCCK will provide all the support it can to help them in this regard," he said.

The SME Support Services provided by the Industrial Cooperation Division will bridge the gap, and lead to mutually beneficial cooperation between EU and Korean SMEs.

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea, a non-profit organization, is made up of around 800 members from the EU, local as well as overseas business community. The purpose of the Chamber is to help in any possible way to develop trade, commercial and industrial relations between the EU and Korea. It paves the way for and fosters contacts between interested business circles of the 25 EU member states and the Korean peninsula.