During the last few years, Kaunas saw an increasing number of international companies moving into the city. Kaunas is internationally gaining a reputation as a technology hub and this status was further emphasized by the visit of the Dutch minister of Foreign Trade last month.
The visit of the Dutch minister of foreign trade was a remarkable event for the city. Perhaps not so much for the visit itself as for its consequences. It brought together the community of international investors for the very first time and this has led to the establishment of the International Business Community of Kaunas. Its founders are Paulius Samoska (Country Manager, Centric), Adriaan Hoogduijn (Country Manager, Hyarchis), Tadas Stankevičius (Director, Kaunas IN) and Andrius Rimdeika (CEO, Rego Group).
For Paulius Samoška to be a part of the foundation of the international business community was a very logical step. “As an international company we want to be a part of Kaunas city business ecosystem and social initiatives. We will have focus on creating high value jobs in Kaunas, attracting top talent and strengthening the city’s economic infrastructure. Furthermore, after establishing our IT company in Kaunas we are planning to do some local pilot projects in Retail, Public sectors, that way establishing our business locally. Our community will dedicate itself to these type of objectives”
Adriaan Hoogduijn continues: “Kaunas can only retain its attractiveness as an investment location as long as it can boast a healthy economic infrastructure and a good quality of life. The community of international investors not only has an interest here, but also a clear social responsibility. Therefore, we want to unite international investors interests around topics such as how to promote the city internationally, how to attract and retain top-tier talent and how to make the city friendlier both for international employees and employers”.
Tadas Stankevičius and Andrius Rimdeika are glad to have stumbled upon like-minded investors such as the representatives of Centric and Hyarchis. Both of them were already looking to unite the international community for a longer period of time and the minister’s visit gave their idea the kind of push that it needed. “With Kaunas IN we are in contact with all international investors individually and I’m glad that we have been able to create a meaningful platform for them to join forces. The interest in the platform seems to be equally big among the early enthusiasts too, such companies as Devbridge, Hella, Continental, Transcom, GeoPhy, Festo and OAG Aviation. Additionally, the platform will be joined by important stakeholders such as the university, free trade zone and the municipality”- said Tadas Stankevičius.
Andrius Rimdeika added: “As a community we will not only focus on our own interests, but on topics that will have an impact on the city as a whole. Our agenda will therefore be public and we will actively invite stakeholders to join our network”.
It is the community’s aim to expand its circle of members during the summer and kick off their activities on 20th of September. They will be meeting bi-monthly rather than just networking. They strive to work on an agenda that will have an impact on the city. Unlike other business communities, they’re not going to retreat behind closed doors.
