PARIS, DECEMBER 29 (ONASA – OTS) – In the pulsating city of Paris, where business, research and culture intersect, the World Trade Center (WTC) Paris Region has played a key role in empowering local business communities since obtaining its WTCA license and membership in 1987. . years. In this exclusive interview with Pierre Mongro, deputy director general of the Paris Region Chamber of Commerce in charge of international activities, we talk about the multi-decade growth path and the importance of the WTC brand for both this organization and the local community.
Paris is a colorful city that is a meeting place of business, research and development and culture. With over a million established businesses accounting for 30% of France’s GDP, there is much work to be done to support entrepreneurs who are expanding their businesses and strengthening the local economy. WTC Paris, together with the Chamber of Commerce of the Paris Region, has been a key service provider in certain strategic areas for decades. For example, we help entrepreneurs to raise funds, improve their HR capacities, participate in digital and ecological transformation and develop their international activities.
For more than ten years, WTC Paris has been developing a whole range of services dedicated to foreign companies that want to do business in the Paris region. We help them understand the French business environment and find potential French trade partners. For example, in the agri-food sector, we facilitated market access for Brazilian chocolate producers by organizing business meetings with French customers. In 2024, as part of its development plan, WTC Paris will launch a new WTC business club that will bring together the entire international business ecosystem in Paris.
How companies benefit from the integration of the WTC Paris Region team within the Department of International Affairs of the Paris Region Chamber of Commerce, given the availability of over 100 international trade specialists covering various domains such as regulation, formalization, export capacity assessment, business matching and support for foreign markets and fairs?
The teams of WTC Paris and the Chamber of Commerce of the Paris Region are very well connected and complement each other. Depending on the needs, WTC Paris can turn to any of over 100 international trade specialists covering various domains such as regulation, formalization, assessment of export capacity, linking of firms and support for foreign markets and fairs.
A dedicated five-member team located in the International Trade Department of the Paris Region Chamber of Commerce oversees coordination with the global WTCA network, so we can quickly respond to any inquiry, especially when it comes to organizing business events, coordinating study visits for comparative assessment, business meetings during international trade fairs and trade missions.
The “Business in Paris” service is specially designed to respond to the requests of foreign companies, WTCA members or international trade agencies. During 2023, our teams supported 5,350 companies in their international development and issued over 250,000 international documents.
Over 30 chambers of commerce worldwide also hold a WTC license issued by the WTCA, including WTC Helsinki, WTC Turku, WTC Rennes in Brittany, WTC Poitiers Futuroscope, WTC Lille, WTC Marseille, WTC Nantes, WTC Brest, WTC Grenoble, WTC Genoa , WTC Moscow and WTC Sofia (AF). What, in your opinion, would be the key operational advantages that the WTC license can provide to the Chamber of Commerce? How does the global WTCA network help your organization and your local community / local companies? Can you share a story or example?
Our state of mind is directed towards continuous progress in order to increase the efficiency of our services. In this sense, being part of a global network always brings tangible advantages. An opportunity is created for comparative evaluation, as well as the identification of innovations and original initiatives. The global WTCA network gathers chambers of commerce, but also different profiles of licensees. This diversity of business models gives us the opportunity to identify different practices and share experiences with other World Trade Centers (WTCA members) around the world.
Regular WTCA regional meetings, the annual WTCA Global Business Forum (held every spring) and the Member Forum (held every fall) are very important platforms for sharing best practices and connecting with other members. WTC representatives can also play a key role in the European Regional Advisory Committee (ERAC) and be part of new initiatives and projects aimed at further activating the network and greater engagement of members in the European region through the harmonization of their regional priorities. WTCA has also recently launched a Francophone initiative that invites WTCA members from French-speaking business communities around the world to collaborate and expand the presence of francophone delegations of WTC member companies. The WTCA Francophone Initiative is currently organizing a joint Francophone business delegation to attend the Global Business Forum (GBF) 2024, hosted by the World Trade Center (WTC) Bangalore from March 3-6, an opportunity for companies to be part of a large delegation and explores the economic potential in India, particularly in Karnataka, which is referred to as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’. Organizing this global trade mission for India is easier when we pool resources.
What challenges in multilateral business relations would you highlight during your 36 years of working with the WTC license and how has membership in the WTCA helped you overcome them?
We in France have a saying that life is not a long calm river. You cannot expect to make constant progress in life. Behind every activity are people, and the quality of relationships and availability are essential. We regularly participate in WTCA activities and meetings. It is important to maintain a relationship based on dialogue and trust. It’s been the same with WTCA over the years. You benefit from the experience of WTCA members and get useful tips on how to improve the World Trade Center (WTC) brand or use it more effectively. You belong to a unique global network of business professionals from around the world.
What message do you have for the Chamber of Commerce considering a WTCA license?
The local economic and business environment differs from country to country, but the common goal of all chambers of commerce is to represent, advocate and support local business communities, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. The WTCA license creates new business opportunities for member companies of the chamber of commerce both locally and internationally, thereby strengthening the role of the chamber of commerce as a mediator of economic development through complementary services and as a key component of the international ecosystem. Thanks to our WTCA license, the Chamber of Commerce of the Paris Region expands its global connection and strengthens its position as an important factor in encouraging multilateral trade and economic relations. (end)