COTTONET is the portal that gives information about the PROJECT of COOPERATION between Italy and Egypt in the textile sector, clothing, accessories and home linen, co-financed by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development. Italian proposer: Ciem S.C.p.A. of Palermo. Egyptian partner: Ministry of Trade and Industry

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

1. Creation of a buying preferential channel of the Egyptian cotton.
2. Development of a new product that mediates the styles of the two countries Italy and Egypt for a better positioning on the market. In particular the transfer of technology will put its basis on the mix between the two styles, the Arabian style and the Occidental one, on the line of the common Mediterranean culture, on the search of efficiency and competitive productions through the improvement of spinning, weaving, and dyeing more advanced techniques and of a different way to imagine and to realize the fashion products.
3. Opening of a Services Center in Cairo, by the Fashion Design Center, and in Palermo, by Ciem S.C.p.A., for the technical assistance to the companies in order to offer services to the Egyptian companies in Italy, and to the Italian companies in Egypt, regarding any managing aspect related to the development of united projects of commercial nature between Italy- Egypt and Egypt-Italy.

OPERATIVE INSTRUMENTS

COTTONET represents the informatics desk of the Services Center, easily accessible and consultable, periodically updated by the resources involved in the project.

The Sicilian and Egyptian companies will find on line a complete and detailed instrument that includes a wide range of services and provides financial tools for the internationalization and also a guide to choose commercial and investments partners.

The portal is divided in six interactive sections in order to provide a competent informative service always updated for what concerns the instruments in support of internationalization:

Mission - project objectives and site map

Who we are – all the information regarding the Italian proponent and the Egyptian partner

Ask to..- detailed information about the country, investments, collaborations, with the support and the specific consulting of the Italian and Egyptian resources involved in the project and also with the help of qualified experts

Forum – to ask information and clarifications, to propose suggestions and to point out situations. The comments approved will be available both in Italian and English for the users registered

Companies – dedicated to the virtual exhibition of the products of the Sicilian and Egyptian companies. The section is divided by sectors. The presentation of the company contains information, who we are and the products catalogue

The user registration consents to get in the reserved areas as the forum and detailed information sections, while the company registration allows to be listed in the companies section and to be involved in the project of industrial collaboration with Egypt.

Next step is the organization of meetings with local entrepreneurs in order to transfer the information acquired during the study and share the operative guidelines. It will be important to encourage the companies to consider the orientation impact of the instruments available on the value components.

To reach the real result it is necessary that the collaboration between “research” and companies is continuous.