Romanian Diaspora is very important for the future of Romania
Mr Valentin PREDA – the CEO of the RBE Connect, has been invited to present his paper: “Increasing the Romanian Diaspora ‘s cooperation and project’s promotion through Business Diplomacy and Digital Business Platforms” to the “Romanian Scientific and Business Diaspora Symposium” organized by the Romanian Embassy in Australia – August 1-2, 2016
Below is his speech, via SKYPE, on the 2nd of august 2016.
Good morning Australia and to all participants to this second day of the Romanian Scientific & Business Diaspora Symposium.
My name is Valentin PREDA, I am the CEO of the Romanian Business Exchange – a business matchmaking company, and I will speak to you this morning about the way that Business Diplomacy and Digital Platforms can increase the Romanian Diaspora’s cooperation and project promotion.
First of all, I would like to congratulate the organizers – especially our Ambassador Ms. Nineta Barbulescu, for this initiative and to thank for allowing me to open – via SKYPE – this second day of the Symposium. I am honored to do that.
Romanian Diplomatic Service and Skype technology, made possible during these days that the Romanian Diaspora, officials and other stakeholders from Australia and New Zeeland, business people like me living in Romania – to be all together, connected and share different kind of opportunities, ideas, researches and projects.
You see — nowadays – Diplomats, Business People, Scientists and other international players like NGO’s, need to interact, make alliances and work closely at international level, in order to reach their objectives. Both – interactive communication platforms and Diplomacy, play an important role in this respect.
When a business utilizes diplomatic channels and methods to expand internationally, we find the meaning of business diplomacy concept – which is different from economic diplomacy. Economic diplomacy is, when a diplomat represents and promotes exclusively, the interest of the state. However, there is a very thin border between economic and business diplomacy, as any state interest’s nowadays is for their citizens to have jobs and welfare in a global economy.
I will not go deeper in the business diplomacy concept, but just point out that Business Diplomacy can be a very important tool for Romanians to communicate and collaborate effectively – irrespective where they are, and help them achieve their business or scientific goals at international level.
In this respect, we have organized in March this year the first Business Diplomacy conference in Romania. The excellent feed-back we received from the participants, determined us to consider the opportunity to develop a dedicated training program for Business Diplomats in order to increase the Romanian’s, and Romanian companies international presence.
I believe that in the 21st century every executive shall be a Diplomat or, it will be outside the game.
Shortly, business diplomacy can give you access to some of the resources and methods used until few years ago, exclusively by diplomats to negotiate and deal with state issues. Business diplomacy knowledge help you reach high level of contacts, get a good reputation and have success in opening new markets, to find partners and other resources needed for the project implementation.
Regarding the way that Digital platforms – on the other hand, can help Romanians to promote their projects at a global scale, and strengthen the cooperation inside our Diaspora, I would like to inform you that we – at the Romanian Business Exchange, have developed during the last years, a digital matchmaking platform that connects, people to companies, to capital, ideas, new markets and last but not the least to other business people.
Through the bilingual on-line business platform www.rbe.ro, the users can promote their projects and collaborate with other potential partners from any part of the world, to achieve their common interests.
The platform is Intuitive, interactive, project oriented and most important – free of charge. There is not hidden tax, And what we offer for free today, will remain for free.
We have even launched last month a dedicated section for Romanian Diaspora.
If you allow me, I can share the screen with you for few minutes and present you the most important features of the RBE Connect platform. — do not worry, I do not disappear, you can still see me on the corner side.
It is all about business and project matchmaking, businesses for sale, joint – ventures, business ideas, financing and development.
Our users are: Business owners and other people interested to start a business, consultants, investors, banks, business associations, Universities but also Authorities like City Halls and City Councils.
Let’s see how it works: every user can create its own professional profile as well as an organization profile (can be a company, governmental or non-governmental body, a university, city hall etc.).
Once you have your account ready – that will not take you more than a minute; you can promote your projects, ideas or any other business or scientific proposals and find the partners or solutions, based on user profiles and preferences.
The users can communicate directly one-to-one, on a project base, and they can see each other professional profile, so they know whom they speak and cooperate with, and what other synergies they have in common.
Let’s have a look on a listing posted today, for instance.
I would like to quickly present you also what RBE Connect platform can offer to Romanian Diaspora:
- Existing business and investment opportunities, projects and ideas already listed on the platform plus the possibility to promote your own requests and project interests.
- You can Get in touch with other business people, not only Romanians, and collaborate on a project base, find partners and solutions for your ideas – we even have made available a Business Idea Testing Centre.
- Stay informed with the latest trends in business, with the available non-refundable EU funding lines and get in contact and with the experts in writing the applications for plenty of project types.
- Have direct communication with municipalities from Romania – who are now able to promote their investment projects, PPP, and incentives that they can offer to investors, including to Romanian Diaspora members interested to return to our home country.
Now let me come back in the big picture.
We decided to develop this dedicated section for Romanian Diaspora, a year ago, when I first heard in the media here, lot of officials who were inviting the diaspora to return and start a business in Romania. I realized at that time, that there is a lack of integrated information and useful resources for Romanians living abroad but interested to do something in relation with their home country, so we developed that for you. I do not necessarily call you to return to Romania, as we can efficiently collaborate now through the platform and that can be even better on a case by case basis.
Romanians are well known for working hard and being very creative. It is in my strongly belief that using digital platforms – in order to increase our interactive international online presence, combined with the use of the off-line techniques like Business Diplomacy, we – Romanians from all over the world, will improve our communication and collaboration on a project base – at a global scale, and in one day we will make a difference. Such Symposiums have definitely a great contribution in this respect.
Finally, I encourage you to use for free our matchmaking platform rbe.ro, but also stay close to our Diplomatic Service and get as much support and know-how from them and from our Business Diplomacy Program – once will be available on-line.
I take the opportunity to launch the public invitation that all the papers and projects presented in this Symposium, to be promoted through our digital platform, so other Romanians interested on the topics to get informed and enter in direct contact with the authors.
Thank you all very much for listening to me and, please do not hesitate to ask any questions either now or by email: [email protected]
Thank you Ambassador Barbulescu – again – and good luck in all your initiatives.
