Two leading employers associations in Indonesia and Norway will conduct brand leadership training for small and medium scale entrepreneurs and facilitate exports of their products to Scandinavian countries.
The Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) and the Handels-og Servicenfringens Hovedorganisasjon (HSH) launched the "Next Move" program Friday with the signing of a Letter of Intent.
"The program is aimed at strengthening small and medium enterprise (SME) products in the Indonesian market, as well as opening up opportunities to bring them to Scandinavian markets," Apindo businesswomen, working women, gender and social affairs head Nina Tursinah, told The Jakarta Post here over the weekend.
"Indonesian products are well appreciated and adored in Norway. That's why the country, through one of its associations, initiated this agreement with us to promote the products," she said.
The program was the first Apindo project involving SMEs, Nina said. The program, she said, would focus most on the fashion industry, with at least 50 entrepreneurs from Greater Jakarta participating over five months (beginning in June).
"If this pilot project is successful, then we'll provide more training in other areas in Indonesia," she added.
The program is free of charge, Nina said, and associations will carefully select participants. There were more than 85 entrepreneurs already interested in joining the program, she said.
HSH Director Ellen Gdjeruldsen emphasized the importance of brand leadership for SMEs to win in the foreign market.
"A brand is not just about a logo or typography. It's about an identity which comes from inside you. It's important to signal to others about your products through a distinguished identity," she said.
"In the European market, it's also important to communicate identity through visual designs, so that's what we're going to focus on," she added.
Top Indonesian shoe entrepreneur Yongki Komaladi said entrepreneurs should also promote Indonesia through their brands and products.
"It's important to make our brands part of our country, or 'national assets'. This would also make them unforgettable because they would connect people with certain identities," said Yongki, who is supporting the training. (dia)
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