1. Adela Sediva
Latvia
2008

2. General facts about Latvia
Locality of Latvia
Heart of Baltic and the biggest city agglomeration in Baltic region

3. Geographical- economical characterization
Location of Latvia - major influence on the country's diverse historical and cultural experiences;
Geographic location as an important East-West commercial and trading center;
Latvia's main exports - timber, paper and agricultural products;
Reforms implemented in Latvia and integration in the EU have left a positive impact on economic development of the country. Latvia has shown the highest economic growth rates in the EU.

4. Geographical- economical characterization II
Capital of Latvia-RIGA:
The largest city in the Baltic States;
most important centre of industry, finance and transport in the Baltic region- In the 14th and 15th century, Riga became one of the most developed centers of the Hansa Union;

5. Geographical- economical characterization IIa
significant role in the region being an important transport junction on the roads between Western and Eastern countries;
the dramatical change of industrial structure;
ideally located on the cross-roads between Eastern and Western Europe as well as between Russia and the Scandinavia;

6. Geographical- economical characterization III
Ventspils - Harbour in the Baltic Sea
one of the oldest cities in Latvia
one of Latvia's most important harbours through which passes a great deal of shipping transit

7. Geographical- economical characterization IV
Key Macroeconomic Data

8. Geographical- economical characterization V
Privatization in Latvia -
previously state-owned small and medium enterprises have been privatized;
have led to the development of a dynamic and prosperous private sector;
Still in state hands there is the electric utility, the Latvian railway company, and the Latvian postal system, as well as state shares in several politically sensitive concerns

9. Industrial structure of Latvia
The main industrial sectors:
the pharmaceutical industry;
food production;
wood processing and furniture production;
production of communication technologies;
the electronics and electrical engineering industry;
the sector of mechanical engineering and metalworking;
transport sector and transit;
the textile and clothing sector.

10. Industrial profiles I Biotechnologies Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals
The chemical industry accounts for 8.4% of total value added within manufacturing.

11. Industrial profiles II
Sector Exports
The leading export products are pharmaceuticals, comprising 40.6% of the sector's total exports, followed by plastic products (23%) and glass fibre (14.4%).

12. Industrial profiles III
Biotechnologies Chemicals and Pharmaceutical Sector Advantages:
established manufacturing infrastructure
geographical and cultural proximity to eastern markets.
Development trends within the sector include:
bio-tech lab equipment manufacture
bio-fuel production
generic pharmaceuticals manufacture
sub-contracting of research services, production and packaging

13. Industrial profiles IV
Food industry is the second biggest sector

14. Industrial profiles V Food industry Sector Advantages :
Latvia is at the heart of Europe’s fastest-growing region the Baltic Sea Region
Sector Exports
With Latvia becoming a member state of the EU, larger avenues are opening up for its exporters with the EU concluding preferential trade agreements with several countries where Latvian products did not previously benefit from any trade relief.

15. Industrial profiles VI
Wood processing industry profile
Sector Exports
most important export industry contributing as much as one third of export turnover and playing an essential role in rural and regional employment. Around 80% of total output is exported.
Sector Advantages
availability of large domestic and imported wood resources
skilled labour force in a historically traditional industry
established timber-processing sector

16. Industrial profiles VII
The ICT sector in Latvia
Mobile communication services
WAP and Internet services
Sector Exports

17. Industrial profiles VIII
Sector Advantages
favourable geographic location
availability of highly skilled ICT professionals with international project experience (including project management), good language skills and a combination of western-style working culture with knowledge of the Russian market
highly developed communications and logistics infrastructure
a high level of government support and attractive taxation policy

18. Industrial profiles IX
Electrical and optical equipment industry
VEF factory

19. Industrial profiles X Sector Exports Sector Advantages
Well-established traditions in engineering and electronics manufacturing
An educated, skilled, cost effective workforce, around technical staff and 100 qualified engineers entering the labour market each year
EU quality levels achieved
A strategic location between the east and west, ideally suited for targeting the Baltic Sea region and Russian markets
Well-developed professional services, telecommunications and IT, energy, financial, logistics and transport systems
Excellent foreign language skills

20. Industrial profiles XI
Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking
Sector Advantages
Competitive labour skill/cost ratio .
Short order-delivery time.
Computerised and on-line capabilities.
Educated and well-trained workforce.

21. Industrial profiles XII
Transit and Logistics
Sector Advantages
Latvia's geographical location between east and west
The quality and level of transport and logistics services
Quality of road, rail, and maritime infrastructure
Availability of skilled labour
Availability of high level IT in the transport industry
Government support for the development of the transit, transport and logistics sector
Taxation issues

22. Industrial profiles XIII
Light industry (production of textile and leather products)‏
Sector Exports

23. Industrial profiles XIV
Light industry Sector Advantages
Skilled and flexible workforce
Experienced engineering and design staff familiar with the industry's newest trends
Dedicated managers who have often become co-owners of the companies they lead
High quality production and design equipment
Substantial experience of working both in eastern markets and with customers and partners from western Europe

24. The Structure and supply of services to enterprise
LIAA
promoting business development by facilitating more foreign investment
increasing the competitiveness of Latvian entrepreneurs in both domestic and foreign markets
The Chamber
creating favourable business environment;
represent economic interests of Latvia's enterprises;
offer business promotion services
Commercial Consultancy bureaus-
Different commercial consultancy agencies, providing wide scale of services in order to full fill your ideas

25. WHO ARE WE? EuroFortis SIA is a new consulting center
Our activities started in 2006 as Stalex Horice filiale (branch of Czech company)
In 2007 we transformed and renamed company as an independent company Eurofortis SIA

26. THE MAIN ACTIVITIES European educational projects and consultancy
Business and management consulting for foreign and local companies
Marketing researches for foreign and local clients

27. EU PROJECTS
At this moment we are one few companies working in EU educational project field.
- Participation in 6 different projects with innovative content
We can professionally provide these tasks for the project:
Researches in a given sphere
Hing quality of promotion and dissemination activities
Cooperation with universities, regional development agencies, employment agencies, local social institutions

28. BUSINESS CONSULTANCY
Eurofortis helps to foreign businessmen entering Latvian market and supports their successful start in Baltic.
Full assistance service for foreign companies
Search of relevant business partners in Latvia
Search of distributors in Latvia

29. MARKETING RESEARCH
At the end of year 2007 Eurofortis is starting with providing of marketing researches for local and foreign companies.
Research on given sphere
B2B and B2C researches
Complex marketing research
Collection of data and analysis
Focus groups

30. CONTACT EuroFortis SIA Rupniecibas iela 52 LV-1045 Riga Latvia

31. Continous training services
Almost all continuous training services in Latvia are provided by private training institutions.
Professional courses
Educational centers
Language courses

32. Possibilities of blended learning
Benefit of blended learning- self studies combined with traditional learning
Possibilities of blended learning in Latvia- possible, but still not common in a field of professional education
Institutions offering blended learning programmes:
Language training centres
Computer training centres
Universities
University of Latvia and Riga Technical University- good examples of using a blended learning tool MOODLE
e-learning program „mysellingskills”

33. Possibilities of blended learning – Moodle tool
Moodle is a free open source course management system