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                   E-Trade Bridge Program in Hubei Province of China 

“E-Trade Bridge Program in Hubei Province of China” funded by Enterprise Management Development Section, International Trade Centre (ITC), UNCTAD/WTO, Geneva, Switzerland, 2004.

Since the early 1990s, the accelerated development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), coupled with the effects of globalization, have had drastic implications on the global issues of development, trade and competitiveness. Understanding and using the new tools of the information age has become a big determinant of competitiveness of enterprises, particularly the small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Based on a thorough assessment of the needs of stakeholders in developing countries in relation to trade in the digital age, and in consideration of ITC’s comparative advantage in providing solutions, the International Trade Centre (ITC) has identified bridging the “digital divide” between the developed and the developing world as a priority activity.

 The e-Trade Bridge Kick-Off Meeting

The e-Trade Bridge Kick-Off Meeting provides a national platform where strategy and policy makers, multiplier organizations and enterprises can discuss and plan for practical actions needed to take advantage of the new opportunities created by information and communications technologies.

The objectives of the meeting are:

•  Raise awareness and develop a shared understanding of the state of e-trade in a country amongst strategy makers, multipliers and enterprises.

• Support the development of new networks and facilitate dialogue amongst the stakeholders.

• Enhance the ability of the parties concerned to a) carry out national assessment of e-trade; b) identify national priorities and develop concrete actions to improve the country’s e-trade capability.

The e-preparedness report includes a country’s e-balance sheet. This identifies the country’s assets and liabilities relating to information and communication technologies (ICT), and assesses the e-facilitated trade risks and opportunities. The report also draws a map of a country, identifying who is doing what in terms of ‘e’, and suggests action points for the improvement of ICT usage in the country.

 Following the meeting, the report is finalized, the website updated and information about the event and follow up activities disseminated

 Strategists' Training

Strategists' Training is a workshop for strategy designers and implementers, as well as beneficiaries, to discuss the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the business processes of enterprises.

The workshops help national governments, private sector bodies and SMEs examine their international trade strategies and assess the extent to which these respond to the challenge of trading across borders using ICTs. A key objective is to promote an exchange of views that leads to the formation of practical policies and programmes to assist SMEs in competing internationally.

The topics discussed include: trade for development, the role of enterprises in trade, enterprises and ICTs for competitiveness, resource needs for utilizing ICT, e-trade strategy.

The overall purpose of the programme is to create awareness of the role of government e-trade strategy makers and implementers in acquiring and allocating the necessary assets and resources to help enterprises compete more effectively and efficiently by using ICTs. The programme aims to show how national e-trade strategies can be developed from the bottom up to meet the needs of enterprises aspiring to use ICTs to trade internationally.

The Country e-Preparedness Reports and the e-Trade Bridge Resource Book and DVD are used to facilitate the discussions.

The National e-Trade Strategy Training is aimed to individuals responsible for the design of national trade strategies and programmes as well as their implementation. Workshop participants may include policy makers, business solution providers, Internet service providers, legal framework stakeholders, SME managers, and strategists.

More information of E-Trade Bridge Program          

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