ERFURT_ Central Asia offers great future potential for Thuringian companies and research institutes – this is the interim result of the business trip to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan that a Thuringian delegation is currently undertaking. Under the leadership of Dr. Arnulf Wulff, authorized officer and department head of LEG Thüringen, 25 Thuringian participants, including 17 entrepreneurs, are currently in the region. 25 participants – this is a comparatively large response to a travel offer from “Thuringia International“, the LEG team that organizes the trip. And the course of the visit to the two countries proves the participants right: the delegation was received with great appreciation at all its stops so far, and interest in Thuringian expertise and know-how was palpable everywhere. Against this backdrop, promising cooperation opportunities have already been explored. Companies such as Petkus Technologie GmbH from Wutha-Farnroda and Erfurt Bildungszentrum gGmbH successfully deepened existing cooperations; the Thuringian Institute for Plastics Research (TITK) from Rudolstadt found cooperation and business options, among others, at the Textile Institute Tashkent and at the Association of the Textile Industry of Uzbekistan.
High-ranking representatives took a lot of time for Contacte with the Thuringian visitors, so there were talks with, among others, Monika Iwersen and Dr. Tilo Klinner, German Ambassador to Kazakhstan and German Ambassador to Uzbekistan, respectively, Mario-Ingo Soos, Consul General at the German Consulate General in Almaty (Kazakhstan), Alischer Satybaldiev, Director General of the Almaty Industrial Zone, and Laziz Kudratov, First Deputy Minister for Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Contacte like these prepare the ground for lucrative business and cooperation from which both sides benefit – and that Thuringian companies and researchers can offer attractive products and services to Central Asian partners was evident at various meetings. The interest of the interlocutors in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan lies primarily in the areas of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, agriculture, and construction/building materials. This is reflected in the great satisfaction of the Thuringian delegation participants regarding the market opportunities that have become abundantly clear even in the short visit period so far. A concrete memorandum of understanding on future joint projects has already been signed with partners of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan ATAMEKEN – a first step that many more should follow. The trip, which brought participants many new Contacte and opportunities for entrepreneurial activities, ends on Sunday, October 2.
Background:
For several years now, “Thuringia International” has dedicated many activities to market development in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan; in the recent past, this included, among other things, information events as well as a digital business trip (“Online Business Mission”). The core of the travel program was and continues to be many business discussions, individually organized business Contacte for the companies in advance, company visits, and Contacte with local business associations. New options for economic cooperation – with a focus here on, among other things, mining and mechanical engineering – are just as central to the Contacte with Central Asia as research collaborations, for example in the field of textile technology.
Kazakhstan is considered the most powerful economy in Central Asia and is Germany's most important trading partner in the region. The country traditionally fulfills an important bridging function between Asia and Europe. With 35 million inhabitants, Uzbekistan is the third-largest country of the former Soviet Union and forms the largest consumer market in Central Asia. In addition to its wealth of mineral resources, the country has a considerable industrial base and great agricultural potential.
Further information at:
www.thueringen-international.de/kasachstan-usbekistan
