Enterprise Estonia named gold award winner for Best Export Promotion Agency.
The International Trade Council (ITC) awarded Enterprise Estonia with the first-place, Gold Award, recognizing EAS as the leading Export Promotion Agency in the world, during their annual Go Global Awards ceremony, which was held on 14 October.
Over 6000 organisations from 178 countries took part across a variety of different categories. Kristal Parcon, Head of the Awards Committee, said that during the global pandemic, the winners have demonstrated great leadership, resiliency, and innovation when adapting to changes as well as supporting their own employees and clients.
“Throughout the crisis, Enterprise Estonia’s export team have been innovative and proactive,” said Peeter Raudsepp, Head of Enterprise Estonia. “We adapted rapidly and managed to provide excellent service to Estonian exporters. The international community has taken notice of our high level, and in this regard, I would like to take a second and salute our team who have fully earned this award.”
The Estonian Investment Agency of Enterprise Estonia has recently won the title of best foreign investment agency in the Eastern and Central European regions, and last year, they were also named the world’s leading investment agency by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. “For us, measurable objectives and tangible results are important, and all of that is confirmed by great feedback from entrepreneurs as well as the international recognition,” said Raudsepp.
“While innovating export throughout the pandemic and travel restrictions, we have noticed how important it is to have our own people on-site, people who know the local companies, people and conditions. This is how I recommend businesses to think of us – Enterprise Estonia’s export advisors are on-site and ready to assist,” added Raudsepp and emphasised that Enterprise Estonia’s international sales team is equally crucial. They support companies via export programmes and organise joint stands at international trade fairs for our companies.
With the assistance of Enterprise Estonia’s export advisers, companies increased their export revenues by 83 million euros in 2020. Altogether, export advisers advised companies on almost 1100 occasions, which is 25-40 percent more than in 2019 depending on the destination country. “According to the numbers so far, we are moving at a similar pace this year,” said Head of Enterprise Estonia and added that they will be taking 140 companies to 16 different joint stands in international business fairs this year, and in recent years they have redoubled their marketing in various sectors in destination countries.
The ITC was established in 1956. It is a non-profit international trade council whose network encompasses 79 national export and investment agencies as well as over 400 chambers of commerce. The ITC has been organising the Go Global Awards events since 1989 with the objective of acknowledging organisations that have a beneficial effect on the world’s economy through innovation, technologies and strategic leadership. The awards ceremony assembles hundreds of CEOs from the world’s most innovative companies, export agencies, international service providers, venture capital firms and financial institutions.