More than 200 companies from Luxembourg and western Europe will gather in the principality for the first Lux-Asia 2000 event, scheduled for November 6-7. The business meeting, organised by the Chamber of Commerce of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is being held at the exhibition and conference centre of Foires Internationales de Luxembourg to help small and medium-sized European enterprises venture into Asian markets.
Organisers are hoping to connect European companies with Asian partners.
'For European companies, a partner in Asia offers a privileged access to a market. It allows a company to tap into local knowledge and experience and it constitutes a crucial factor in the diffusion of both European and Asian technology and know-how,' a spokesman for the show said.
For companies which do not have the capability or resources to identify a potential partner, representatives from the European Community will be in attendance to introduce its Asia-Invest programme. The European Commission initiative was launched in 1997 to encourage European and Asian companies to form long- term partnerships. It provides financial and technical support for meetings that promote direct contact between business managers.