In March 2007, Opora, the Russian organization for small businesses, opened a bureau in Zurich. Its main goal is to create a link between Russian and European small businesses, so that every one of them can reach their full potential abroad. The Zurich bureau director, Irina Gayduk, answered questions for
Does Opora have many representatives abroad? Two: one in Asia, in Shanghai, and the other in Europe, in Zurich.
Why exactly did you choose to set up your European bureau in Zurich? We wanted to get a foothold in Switzerland because it’s a neutral country not part of the European Union. From that starting point we chose Zurich because, economically, it is the most dynamic city in the country, because, geographically, it is at the heart of Europe, and finally because it is close to Germany, which counts among Russia’s most important economic partners.
What is Opora’s goal in Europe? To create a link between Russian and European small businesses, to give them support and to help them optimize their growth in countries they have chosen as partners. It must be said that this support goes both ways - from Russia to Europe and from Europe to Russia. We could in a way compare Opora Europe to a matrimonial agency: it’s the expert you enlist to help you find the partner with whom you can forge a lasting, fruitful partnership.
What will Opora be doing in Zurich? A number of different things: we’re doing market research, looking for adequate partners for the companies that contact us and doing extensive research into legislation, quality control, customs and fiscal issues in force in Russia and in the different European countries. This is a rather large task considering these measures differ from country to country.
As the coordinator for Opora Europe, I’m working to create a network of contacts with people who can answer these questions in each country concerned. We also work hard to link up the various professional associations from each country. Finally, for the member companies part of Opora, we publish a monthly bulletin with regional news from Russia.
What is the scale of exchange between Russia and Europe? In 2006, mutual trade turnover grew by 14,7 %, yielding $13,3 billion. Russian exports increased by 12% and reached $12 billion, while imports increased by 40% up to $1,3 billion.
What are the Russian small businesses present in Switzerland? In most cases they’re small companies looking for commercial partners. Increate deed, 80 per cent of Russian small businesses have a commercial bent, compared to the 6 to 9 per cent that are in technology and innovation. For the time being they’re not numerous, but there is a lot of potential.
Speaking of which, what parts of the Swiss market offer the most potential for Russian small businesses? High tech, business incubators as well as the health sector, which interests Russians a lot, as many come for treatment in Switzerland. We can add agriculture to that list, too. Organic products are increasingly popular in Russia, something that has already led to partnerships between the two countries, because the organic food sector is already quite well developed in Switzerland.
And, in Russia, what are the areas of interest for Swiss small businesses? I’d say construction, which is still lagging behind in Russia.
