Creating an international network of managers working in different economic activities who are available to provide with information to Italian SMEs about management practices for their internationalization process, building up a cluster of Italian SMEs ready for internationalizing their business, fostering dialogue among MENTOR and Italian Institutions, Trade Associations and all bodies supporting SMEs in order to improve performances and identifying critical issues and opportunities to work on, promoting this network and going deeper with feedback of all experiences acquired with MENTEES: these are the main objectives of the project “Chamber Mentoring for International Growth”, promoted and co-financed by Unioncamere within InterChamber Fund 2016, in straight cooperation with Assocamerestero and Chamber of Commerce of Turin, thanks to its experience with the project Meet@Torino.
The project aims at creating and activating a network of managers, researchers and/or entrepreneurs connected to Italy for different reasons, nationality, study, work or interest, and living abroad who are available to become a MENTOR by offering their experience to Italian SMEs (MENTEE) interested in increasing their competitiveness on international markets.
An assisting and guide path that it was born from a strong action of Italian Chamber of Commerce in Italy network and Italian Chambers of Commerce Abroad one, in favor of Italian SMEs.
Forty-two proposals were submitted to Unioncamere and only 29 Italian Chambers of Commerce Abroad gained the project “Chamber Mentoring for International Growth”: Aarhus, Barcellona, Belo Horizonte, Bruxelles, Bucharest, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Florianopolis, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, Madrid, Marseille, Montreal, Moscow, Mumbai, San Paolo, Sharjah-Dubai, Sofia, Vancouver, Zurich and Czech Republic.
Italian Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria, together with Italian Chamber of Commerce of Crotone, Genova, CESP-Centro Servizi per le PMI-Azienda Speciale CCIAA Matera, Perugia, Salerno, Varese e Verona, project partner, will implement the first phase of the project that is identification and selection of MENTOR, manager, researchers and/or entrepreneurs residents in Bulgaria who are holding TOP positions in companies or Universities, closely to Project Team and with teh network of Italian Chamber of Commerce in Italy that it will select MENTEES.
Apart from identification activity, Italian Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria will implement promotion, matching mentor-mentee, relationships monitoring and mentoring plan for the whole duration of the project.
MENTOR Profile
It is a manager, researcher and/or entrepreneur resident abroad with following requirements:
- Italian origins, or attending a training course in Italy, working with Italian market, knowledge or interest into Italian market;
- at least 10 years working experience or 3 continuing years in cmpanies at high innovation levels;
- management position in innovative and main sector for the upgrading of Italian SMEs;
- motivation to be available to share working experience and contacts;
- availability to provide with expertise free of charge (30 hours in 8 months for each mentee)
- available to join @chambermentoring;
- holding management position (business development department; R&D) or a standing position in a Institute for research or University.
MENTEE Profile
It is an entrepreneur or manager of Italian company respecting following criteria:
- managing director or holder of a key position within a company
- founder of innovative start-up based in Italy
- interested in increasing his own entrepreneurial culture and developing business in international markets;
- part of a potential exporting company (belongs to criteria of Unioncamere);
- strong motivation to changes and innovation (also with regards to market);
- interested in extending his personal competencies.
For further information, www.chambermentoring.it