NGlobal Magazin 01-2010

Interview with Jörg Bode

Niedersachsen Global www.nglobal.de 52 Initiatives omy benefit from growth in emerging markets? But of course—there are already very successful busi- ness models in South Africa and other threshold coun- tries that offer shining examples for other Niedersach- sen enterprises to invest there — also in the light of the football World Cup. Brazil, especially, got through the global economic crisis virtually unscathed, so there are still fine business opportunities for Niedersachsen enterprises there. For this reason I’ll be taking a busi- ness delegation to Brazil in March, and Prime Minis- ter Christian Wulff will be travelling with representa- tives of the Niedersachsen business community to the threshold countries of China and India in the course of this year. In the light of all this, what impulses do you expect for the state’s economy from the Foreign Trade Forum at Hannover Messe? There’s no other event in Europe that attracts as many medium-sized industrial enterprises as Hannover Messe—so it’s the perfect place for our companies to tap into the latest know-how and sense the trends of the future. Hannover Messe is also, with the interna- tional ‘Global Business & Markets’ showcase, one of the most important foreign trade events in Germany and the perfect platform for sharing experience and networking between business and economic policy- makers. In this framework, Niedersachsen Foreign Trade Forum is crucial to trading relations between our state and other countries (this year the focus is on South Africa). Furthermore, events like the Foreign Trade Forum deliver the basic information for entering the showcased markets and provide a setting for ini- tial contact discussions. This year, the Niedersachsen Foreign Trade Prize is be- ing presented for the first time at the Foreign Trade Forum in recognition of and to publicise exception- al achievement by a medium-sized enterprise from Niedersachsen. The prize is sponsored by the Foreign Trade Forum organisers: Niedersachsen Global GmbH, Niedersachsen’s chambers of industry and commerce, NBank, the Niedersachsen employers and industrial- ists association UVN, the chambers of craft trades and Deutsche Messe AG. At Hannover Messe you’re encouraging craft trade companies to look abroad for business—what’s behind this initiative? Currently there are around 50,000 German craft trade companies working in foreign markets. Sixty percent “There’s no other event in Europe that attracts as many medium-sized industrial enterprises as Hannover Messe.” Jörg Bode, Minister for Economics, Labour and Transport of Niedersachsen Photo: Ministry for Economics, Labour and Transport of Niedersachsen ›