02.08.2010 - Sida representatives visited NERDA
Representatvies of Swedish Agency for International Development and Cooperation Sida were hosted by NERDA today and also made few visits in the area of Gračanica. Apart from meeting with the staff managing NERDAs subregional offices, the guests from Sida visited two companies, beneficiaries of the CREDO Development Fund: Bema Ba from Gračanica and Furnir Fix from Doboj Istok. A meeting with Gračanica Municipalitiy officials also took place, as this municipality is another beneficiary of the Development Fund and has been successfully cooperating with NERDA over the past few years.
24.06.2010 - Round table in ALPRO Company
As part of CREDO Project the company Alpro A.D. from Vlasenica hosted the round table on Quality Assurance on 24th of June. This activity is included in the project component “Raising awareness about Quality Assurance in SMEs in NE BiH”. The invitees were representatives from SMEs from metal processing industry as well as members of the Regional Board for metal processing industry. ALPRO Staff presented their experience in implementation of the system of quality assurance and gave recommendations about benefits from having such system.The participants had an opportunity to visit production site of Alpro.
24.06.2010 - Session of the Regional Board for metal-processing industry
Regional Board for metal-processing industry in NE BiH held the third session in 2010, on 24 June. The meeting took place in company ALPRO from Vlasenica. Local expert presented the website for NE BiH metal processing sector as well as sort of expected feedback from the Board members. The Board also agreed to have a study visit to Slovenia in September 2010.
23.06.2010 - Initial meeting on the Wood Testing and Quality Control Infrastructure held in GIT Tuzla
The initial round table devoted to the issues related to the wood testing and wood products quality infrastructure in BiH was held at the Tuzla Institute for Construction and Construction Materials on June 23, 2010. The event was organized under CREDO Project and it was attended by representatives from the Institute for Accreditation of BiH, Federal Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry, JP Šume TK Kladanj, Regional Wood Processing Industry Board and NERDA.
09.06.2010 - NERDA hosted "Regional Competitiveness" event in Tuzla
Today in Tuzla NERDA hosted a Regional Competitiveness event that brought together large number of representatives from local and higher instances of governments, as well as businessmen from the region. Keynote speakers were distinguished experts: Mrs. Jelica Minić, Deputy Secretary general, Regional Cooperation Counicl (RCC) for South-East Europe, and Mrs. Valentina Ivanić, Director of Centre for Strategic Economic Studies, Vojvodina, who presented regional initiatives of the RCC, and the Vojvodina Economy Competitiveness study. Some of the conclusions from todays meeting were that competitiveness of comapnies is the only real competitiveness, and therefore capacity building of businessmen and company managers to create development policies is called for. The participants evaluated this event as highly professional and responsive to real needs.
03.06.2010 - Regional Board for Wood-Processing Industry of NE BiH in session
On June 3, Regional Board for Wood-Processing Industry of NE BiH held the 2nd session in 2010 cycle. The session took place in NERDA premises and the Board discussed the current situation in the sector as well as tasks and activities to be implemented in the next 3-month-period, such as identification of Reference Centers and preparation of wood testing and control initial round table.
26.05.2010 - Regional Economic Development Board in Šekovići
The third session of the Board for Regional Economic Development took place in Šekovići on 26 May 2010. The Board discussed the April study visit and lessons learned, while they later on agred on the dynamics for realization of the Board activitis in 2010, with the focus on integration of economic development stakeholders and capacity building of municipalities.
19.05.2010 - Regional Board for Metal processing Industry meeting
Regional Board for Metal processing Industry in NE BiH held the second session in 2010, on 20th May. New Board members were introduced at the beginning of the meeting. The draft structure of the website linked to the metal processing industry was presented and potential study visit locations for autumn 2010 were discussed. NERDA also informed the Board members about current activities within FIRMA project, that NERDA is closely cooperating with.
09.04.2010 - Study Visit to Slovenia
The Board for Regional Economic Development that has been established by NERDA within CREDO project was in a study visit to Slovenia from 5 to 8 April 2010. The host of the visit was Kozjansko Development Agency seated in Šentjur, while the Board members also visited Chamber of Crafts in Slvoenske Konjice, the Municipality of Slovenske Konjice, Employment Bureau and Regional Chamber of Commerce in Celje, Entrepreneurial Incubators in Šentjur and Rogaška Slatina. This study visit was an opportunity for the Board members to exchange experience with Slovenian hosts, and also to acquire knowledge on absorption of EU funds, support to entrepreneurship, and actions to increase employment rate.
08.04.2010 - NERDA at GRAPOS-EXPO Fair
The first International Fair of Entrepreneurship and Trade GRAPOS-EXPO is taking place in Gračanica from 7 to 10 April 2010. NERDA has actively participated in the Fair both by providing assistance ot the organizers in preparation phase, and now as an active participant and exhibitor at the Fair. In the thematic session „Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness“ NERDA presented the results of CREDO project and Development Fund, while the members of NERDA Regional Sectoral Boards were presenters in sessions "Metal Processing - Opportunities and Threats" and "Agriculture and Food Industry".
22.03.2010 - Visit to Furniture Fair INTERIO 2010, Sarajevo
Upon the invitation of the organizers – Foreign Trade Chamber of BiH, Wood Industry Group, Ecos Education Institute and Sarajevo Fair Skenderija Center, NERDA representatives attended the seminar devoted to novelties in the forestry and wood processing industry, organized within the Sarajevo Furniture Fair INTERIO 2010 on Friday 19 March 2010. The seminar covered the topics such as: new business environment with focus on characteristics of the market of the certified forestry and wood processing, simplified customs procedures, CE marking; new technologies, new trends in furniture design, etc. This was also an opportunity for NERDA to visit the booths of the NE BiH CREDO wood-processing companies, and to establish contacts with other companies from NE BiH.
19.03.2010 - Contracts signing ceremony
On the 19th of March 2010 NERDA hosted a ceremony of contract signing with the most successful applicants to the second public call for allocation of grants from the Development Fund, which was made available through the CREDO Project. The ceremony was attended by My. Anders Hedlund, Director of Swedish International Agency for Development and Cooperation in BiH (Sida BiH).
Contracts were signed with 30 small and medium enterprises and 2 municipalities that successfully applied to the second public call for grant funds.
Through two public calls NERDA signed contracts with 55 SMEs and 10 municipalities, and the total value of contracted projects is ca 5.555.000 KM, with the total value of grant funds in the amount of ca 1.835.000 KM.
It is expected that by the end of 2010 all contracted project will have been completed with the creation of 156 new jobs, while 1800 existing jobs will have been sustained.
19.02.2010 - Presentation of NERDA and FARMA Project
On 19 February 2010, Zvornik hosted a presentation of NERDA Development Association and FARMA Project. The presentation was organized for representatives of farmers associations, agriculture cooperatives, and individual farmers from Birač sub-region. NERDA informed the audience of its activities aimed at the agriculture sector, with the focus on food industry, which is one of the priority industrial sectors supported through Sida funded project CREDO. Representatives of FARMA Project, funded by USAID and Sida, presented their program for development of agriculture and processing sectors, aimed at improving competitiveness of BiH agricultural producers and agricultural businesses. The same joint presentation will be held in Brčko on 23.02.2010.
19.01.2010 - Regional Economic Development Board in Session
Regional Economic Development Board held the second session on 19 January 2010 in Tuzla. The Board outlined the structure of Action Plan for 2010 and identified four priority areas:
1. Human Resources Development through cooperation of SMEs, education system and labor market. ;
2. Continuous cooperation of municipalities and local businesses;
3. Financing of development initatives/projects, and
4. Rural Development.
For each of the four areas the Board definied activities that it will initiate and/or realize together with NERDA and other regional sectoral boards durign the year of 2010.
28.12.2009 - Round table on "Creation of effective cooperation between metal-processing companies and scientific-research institutions”
NERDA hosted a round table on "Creation of effective cooperation between metal-processing companies and scientific-research institutions” in Tuzla on 28 December 2009, as part of CREDO project activities. The Round table participants were representatives of scientific-research institutions and SMEs from metal-processing sector. The aim of this Round table was to analyze the current situation and propose future activities and ways to support effective cooperation between the respective small and medium enterprises and scientific research institutions in North-East Bosnia and Herzegovina.
07.12.2009 - Second round of the Improve Your Business training programme
In the year of 2009 NERDA continued with organizing the training programme Improve Your Business. The second module of the training programme took place 3-5 December 2009 and the attendees of the second round are not only companies from North-East BiH, but from other parts of BiH too. The second module was marketing and the attendees were joined by representatives of NERDA, who shared their experience with the Improve Your Business programme and those with marketing actions.
Today NERDA launched the 2nd Call for Proposals for the Development Fund. Eligible applicants are small and medium enterprises, municipalities, cantons and labor market actors. Guidelines for Applicants and complete tendering documentation are available at NERDA website. The deadline for submission of applications is 30 December 2009 at 16.00 hrs. Applications are to be submitted to NERDA address: M.i Ž. Crnogorčevića 5, 75000 Tuzla.
26.11.2009 - Press Conference in Bijeljina
Today in Bijeljina NERDA held a press conference and presented its key development projects and results achieved over the past years. The media representatives were addressed by NERDA Management Board President, Mr. Svetislav Stevanović, and by NERDA Director and staff members. Special attention was paid to the SME development instruments, such as Guarantee Fund and Development Fund, as well as to other activities aimed at capacity building of municipalities in NE BiH. The support of Bijeljina Municipality was underlined as very important for successful functioning of NERDA Office in Bijeljina.
05.11.2009 - Study visit of Regional Board for industry of plastics and tools
Regional Board for industry of plastics and tools participated in a study visit to Slovenia from 02 to 04 November 2009. Goals of this visit were to establish contacts, and to exchange experience in the field of application of modern technologies, specialization and linking with leading companies and institutions from the sector of plastic and tools from Slovenia. Board members visited Alatnica Gorenje in Velenje, TECOS (Center for Tools Development Slovenia) and Cluster of plastic producers of Slovenia in Celje. Best practices from Slovenia were presented together with challenges and problems that Slovenian hosts were faced with. This was a good bassis for the Board members to better plan their future actions in the sector of plastic and tools in NEBiH.
27.10.2009 - Quality Assurance Round Table
As part of the CREDO project “Herceg” Company from Srebrenik hosted a round table on Quality Assurance on 27.10.2009. This round table was realised within one of the CREDO project components. Participants came from metal-processing SMEs and from the Regional Board for Metal-Processing Sector. “Herceg” Managers presented their experience in the introduction of Quality Assurance system and gave recommendations and views on the benefits of this System. This was an opportunity for quality discussion, while the participants also had a guided tour of the Herceg Company and facilities.
04.10.2009 - Study visit of the Regional Wood Board of NE BiH to Croatia
In line to the 2009 Plan of Activities and decision from the Third Board session held end of August 2009, the Regional Board for Wood Processing Industry of NE BiH carried out the two-days study visit to Croatia in period September 30-October 1, 2009. During the first day of the study tour, visits to the Euroinspekt –Drvokontrola Laboratory for testing and quality of forests and wood products in Slavonski Brond and furniture factory DD Spin Valis in Požega were carried out. The second day, wood board had a meeting with the Wood Cluster of North-west Croatia seated in Varaždin, reception in the Varaždinska županija Hall and visit to the wood processing company Hrast export Puklovec. The study tour , in which 7 out of 10 members of Regional wood board took part, is highly evaluated by the participants and presents valuable input for the future activities of the Board.
24.09.2009 - Forum of Integrated Economic Development in Tuzla
NERDA and Swedish Agency for International Development and Cooperation (Sida), under the auspices of the Embassy of Sweden to BiH organized the Forum of Integrated Economic Development in Tuzla. Over 150 stakeholders of LED and RED from the country and wider Region took part in the Forum. Besides the introductory speeches by Swedish Ambassador in BiH, Tuzla Canton Prime Minister, and Tuzla Mayor, the presentations were also given by distinguished professors, Mayor of Koprivnica, Director of Center for Strategic Economic Studies from Novi Sad and many other guests. Forum participants adopted the Integrated Economic Development Declaration, which, among other things, underlined the importance of integrated approach to RED, regional cooperation in SE Europe, and the significance of coordination among local and international actors in design of economic development and support programs. The participants also stressed the need to have more similar events organized by NERDA.
