As a supplementary programme to the 3rd China (Guangzhou) International Small and Medium Enterprise Fair (CISMEF), the Sino-Italian SMEs Summit Forum will help domestic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) forge closer co-operative ties with their Italian counterparts, while boosting the independent innovations of domestic SMEs.

The forum will run between 14:30 -18:00 on September 15, the first day of the fairs, at Dongfang Hotel.

According to the organizing committee, the forum will centre its theme on independent innovations among SMEs. Senior officials, renowned specialists and scholars, SME representatives and those from different chambers of commerce and associations will exchange ideas on the theme.

"Italy has numerous successful SMEs, which account for over 98 per cent of its total number of enterprises and many of them have done a good job in their innovations," Guan Weiping, an official with the organizing committee said during a recent news conference.

China encourages its SMEs to play a more active role in independent innovations, he said, domestic SME representatives should make good use of the opportunity to exchange opinions with their counterparts from Italy.

In China, SMEs have contributed to 65 per cent of the inventions and patents, over 75 per cent of technological innovations and over 80 per cent of new products, official statistics say.

He said that China could learn a lot from the Italian Government in its supports of SMEs, in terms of policy system establishment, financial aid, tax incentives and public platform construction.

And the keynote speeches to be delivered by both Chinese and Italian senior officials will benefit the audience tremendously.

According to the official, the forum will highlight Sino-Italian co-operation, especially among SMEs.

"The forum is an important step in carrying out the agreement between Chinese and Italian governments in supporting and boosting SME co-operation," he said.

Chinese and Italian governments agreed to set up the China-Italy Government Committee in May 2004, and SME co-operation became a key topic at the first joint meeting of the commission held in Rome in March 2005.

About 1,000 guests will be present at the upcoming forum, with 700 from Italy.

Other supplementary programmes worth mentioning include a tailor-made training programme for SMEs and a seminar on global procurement.

The training programme, in which senior officials and renowned experts will give lectures, is expected to enable the attendants to get direct access to the nation's industrial policies, macro-economic situation, import and export policies, as well as quality, technological and environmental protection standards.

The training programme will be available between 14:30 and 17:30 on September 16 at the Lion College, a training base for Guangdong's SMEs.

And at the global procurement seminar, retail giants from home and abroad including Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Metro, Vanguard and A. Best will discuss procurement requirements and procedures.

The seminar will be held at Dongfang Hotel from 9:00 to 12:00 on September 16.

Editor: Yan