A Number of Partnership Agreements Reached During HTP Visit to the USA

Heads of the largest HTP companies together with Director of the Hi-Tech Park Valery Tsepkalo visited the United States to promote HTP products and services to the U.S. market.

In 2014, HTP services exports to the USA exceeded $240 million, which is twice as high as Belarus’ exports of goods to the United States. HTP exports to the USA accounted for 40% of overall HTP exports of computer services. Considering its size, the U.S. market is of great interest to the Hi-Tech Park – many HTP companies have partners and offices in the USA to implement their projects.

HTP representatives visited Miami-Dade County, Florida in late April. There are over 26,000 IT companies in Florida, one of the most active markets in the United States. Florida ranks third by the number of high-tech companies and is the third largest U.S. exporter of information technology. Still, not many Belarusian IT companies have business relations in this fast-growing and promising region.

During the visit, Valery Tsepkalo met with North Miami Mayor Joseph Smith, North Miami Beach Mayor George Vallejo and Coral Gables Mayor James Cason. The parties discussed promising areas of trade and economic cooperation between Belarus and the United States in the field of high technology, joint activities and educational programs and a possibility of establishing sister city relationship between American and Belarusian cities.

Members of the city councils, heads of departments of the city administrations and chambers of commerce, and business owners participated in the meetings. Representatives of the Hi-Tech Park shared their experience of working with American customers, presented HTP capabilities and defined some solutions that could be interesting and useful to Florida companies. Due to the presidential decree expanding the list of HTP activities, Belarusian companies can offer their U.S. partners joint projects in various high-tech fields, including micro-, opto- and nanoelectronics, communication, IT consulting, etc.

George Vallejo, North Miami Beach Mayor: "We are actively developing the IT industry, and Belarus has a good chance to work together with us. Then we will also share the success."

HTP representatives took part in the award ceremony of the Technology Leaders of the Year Awards held by the Florida Chamber of Commerce in Miami. They also met with members of the International Committee in Fairfax County, Virginia. The county is home to more than 10,000 IT companies. During the meeting, representatives of Fairfax business community showed strong interest in partnering with the HTP and setting up development centers of technology companies in Belarus.

David Baron, Chairman of the U.S.-Belarus Business Cooperation Council: "Currently, Belarus is taking right steps in high technology development. Developing at this rate, the country can make an enormous leap in 5-7 years and become the undisputed European leader in the IT sphere."

The Hi-Tech Park presented Belarus` technological capabilities in Washington, D.C. in early May during a special workshop for U.S. companies to discover IT Belarus. The success and progress of the Belarusian IT market impressed the participants; they were surprised to learn that many computer programs they use daily in the United States were developed by Belarusian software engineers.

With a number of partnership agreements being reached, the visit proved that both Belarusian and U.S. organizations and companies are interested in developing fruitful cooperation in the field of high technology.