ISSUE 3/2003

Today, multinationals are partnering with governments and local groups to provide seed money and skills, and to improve the policy environment for small firms to take off with technology.

National strategies need to concentrate on real e-issues facing small firms, so that they can benefit from information and communications technologies.

Small firms in developing countries can be more competitive using ICTs - by participating in new export sectors, streamlining business activities and linking with trade development partners more effectively. This article provides recommendations to firms and governments on integrating ICTs for trade.

© International Trade Centre, International Trade Forum - Issue 3/2003 Left to right: Eduardo Pizarro, ITC Senior Trade Promotion Officer, Sandra Morales de Duje, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of El Salvador, J. Denis Bélisle, ITC Executive Director, Maria Brizuela de Ávila, Minister of Foreign Relatio

Since 2001, print readers of Forum have been able to turn to the online version of the magazine for trade development news and issues. After two-and-a-half years of steady development, Trade Forum's trilingual web site has a lot more to offer, with web-only features providing greater interaction and user-friendliness.

Interview with Vinod K. Aggarwal, University of California at Berkeley To create conditions for innovation, governments should promote e-literacy and capital markets as well as set the right legal and technological infrastructure in place.

Small firms in Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam are sharing online costs to widen visibility to foreign buyers and increase exports.

BooksCoffee: An Exporters Guide (2002)Executive Forum 2000: Export Development in the Digital Economy (2001)Successful Services Exporting: A Handbook for Firms, Associations and Governments (2001)Business Guide to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (rev. 2001)Secrets of Electronic Commerce: A Guide for Small and Medium-sized Exporters (2000)The SME and Information Technology: A Practical Study of SMEs at the IT Frontier (2000)Offshore Back Office Operations: Supplying Support Services to Global Markets (2000)Trade in Information Technology Products and the WTO Agreements (1999)Information Technology Services: A Handbook for Exporters from Developing Countries (1998)

Public and private sector trade trainers from eight Central American and Caribbean states formed a new trade training association for the region. This is the result of an ITC trade training project funded by the Governments of Norway and Sweden.

Whether it is in processes, products or markets, exporters who do not keep up with technological innovations in their field may fall behind. A solid investment strategy in "e", however, can help SMEs enter new markets and overcome or sidestep many traditional obstacles they face while competing internationally.

Across the developing world, pioneering small firms are taking advantage of new information and communications technologies to improve their business processes and expand their export markets for traditional products and services. They are also supplying high-tech goods and services themselves.

If communities in developing countries are to benefit from technology, we need to 'put "e" to work'. Technology is one thing. Applying the benefits of technology to boost exports, jobs and income, is another.This issue of Trade Forum is part of ITC's contribution to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), taking place in Geneva in December 2003 and Tunis in November 2005. ITC's contribution aims to help small firms improve their competitive position by using information and communications technologies. From agriculture to industrial products, consumer goods and business services, technology matters. Whether companies manage traditional exports in new ways or exploit opportunities in new export sectors, they are 'putting "e" to work' to sharpen their compet

For multilateral trade negotiations to be relevant to developing and transition economies, there must be a greater focus on supply-side issues. To help countries become more competitive in global markets, there is a greater need than ever for practical, trade-related technical assistance. We also need to encourage South-South trade, currently the most promising area for trade growth among developing countries.