SIPPO Bosnia and Herzegovina: Excellent collaboration with Foreign Trade Chamber of BiH and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of RS

SIPPO’s main partners in BiH are the Foreign Trade Chamber of BiH (FTC BiH) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of RS (CCIRS). FTC BiH and CCIRS are non-profit, member-based organizations that provide a wide range of services to their members, including representing members' interests, showcasing the country’s economic potential abroad, offering training and education, and providing export promotion services. Well-motivated and dedicated staff, excellent facilities, and extensive networks of partners make these chambers highly valuable partners. FTC BiH and CCIRS collaborate with SIPPO in the following sectors: Value-added Textiles, Technical wood, and Natural ingredients.

Cooperation based on mutual trust, respect and dedication
Years of cooperation with our partner organizations are based on mutual trust, respect, and dedication to providing high-quality services to their members. Joint analysis of the gaps and needs of our partners and their members, detailed planning of interventions and activities, regular evaluation of achievements, and SIPPO’s support during the implementation of activities are conducted throughout the year. Once a year, we gather with representatives of the Swiss Embassy in Sarajevo for a Country Coordination Committee meeting, where we discuss achievements, challenges, future plans, and new ideas.

SIPPO’s core support: Enhancing the capacities of FTC BiH and CCIRS
SIPPO’s core support to BSOs has been in enhancing the capacities of FTC BiH and CCIRS for participation in trade fairs within the Value-Added Textile and Technical Wood sectors. In the NI sector, SIPPO’s focus was on strengthening the capacities of FTC BiH in providing market information and improving the process of preparing companies for trade fair participation.   

The networking of FTC BiH and CCIRS with BSOs from the EU in the sector Value Added Textile during international trade fairs has enhanced the exchange of market information and knowledge, leading to improvements in their services.

Central focus: Sustainability
Sustainability has become a central focus for our partner organizations. Consequently, the latest EU regulations related to sustainability have been integrated into SIPPO’s capacity development efforts. SIPPO has conducted several training courses for FTC BiH, CCIRS, and their members on the EUDR, CSRD, and HRDD directive.

Intensive use of social media
The use of social networks to promote BSOs' services and achievements was a key focus of SIPPO’s capacity development interventions related to digitalization. The latest developments in AI provide us with new opportunities to further support BSOs in online promotion and organizational strengthening. SIPPO also supported the improvement of in-house online communication and web management projects as an integral part of the organizational strengthening of CCIRS.

BSOs help companies to overcome crises
Running a business during constant crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, high energy costs and inflation in a highly volatile international market has become a major challenge for companies. As a result, one of the biggest challenges for Bosnian BSOs has been to define exactly those services that will help companies overcome these crises.  

Need for flexible solutions and profound knowledge
Rapid digitalization, the increasing importance of sustainability, and related regulations further influence and transform international markets. BSOs must be able to react swiftly to the needs of companies and provide export promotion services that can adapt to the constantly changing business environment.

Therefore, SIPPO’s knowledge about market trends, the latest EU regulations related to sustainability and expertise in digitalization are of great importance for BSOs and their continued improvement of export promotion services. These areas of SIPPO support are very much appreciated by BSOs and thus will be used in the future to improve the quality of BSOs export promotion services.

Mrs. Dragana Kokot, General Secretary of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Republika Srpska

"Our cooperation with SIPPO was focused on export promotion activities in two main sectors – value added textile and technical wood, and primarily aimed to support and prepare our members – companies to participate and exhibit on international trade fairs in a best possible manner. The consultancy provided through this program was valuable for our companies and development of its capacities in export and promotion activities. Additionally, the Chamber improved its own services, and its own staff skills in providing the support to the export-oriented companies.

Our cooperation is growing and widening also, so we started with new activities related to the training and education for the Chamber’s employees as well as for the Chamber’s member–companies. In the last period we were supported by the SIPPO in the area of gaining new knowledge regarding the sustainability request, ESG business models, project management and communication improvement. We hope to continue our cooperation and successful activities.”

Enes Alisković, Director of the BHEPA – Bosnian and Herzegovinian Export Promotion Agency within FTC BiH.

"The Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Swiss Import Promotion Programme have been cooperating since 2006. Through this collaboration, the FTC BiH has had a unique opportunity to develop and enhance export promotion services, which are executed through BHEPA, the Bosnian and Herzegovinian Export Promotion Agency. During the current mandate, the cooperation with SIPPO has been particularly fruitful in the value-added textile sector, where we have developed and improved our capacities by participating in prestigious international trade fairs such as A+A and Munich Apparel Source."