The CraftsNet Project

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The CraftsNet Project
Capacity-building Network for Intermediary
Organizations in the Crafts Sector in Asia
Europe
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CraftsNet Project Environment

• 4 key ideas
• Craft Sector is a driving force of local
  employment and economic development in Asian and
  European economies
• Intermediate organizations act as important
  catalysts and support crafts sector participants
• Networking is a crucial component for capacity
  building and a foundation for collaboration on an
  international basis
• New technologies provide the means and
  support necessary to achieve networking and
  collaboration more efficiently in terms of time
  and resources
• Strategic objective
• Create a permanent network structure supporting
  institutional capacity building of Asian and
  European crafts intermediary organizations and
  allowing them to collaborate in the future

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Project Basic Data
Project Title Capacity Building Network for
Intermediate Organizations in the Crafts Sector
in Asia and Europe Contract Number TH/Asia
Invest II/03 116021 Duration 18 Months Start
Date 1 March 2006 End of the Project 31 August
2007 EU Program Asia Invest II Alliance
Program DG EuropeAid Budget EURO 391.746,69
Funding 75
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The Consortium Partners
EGNATIA EPIRUS Foundation, Greece Non-profit
development organization Former International
Secretariat of WCC International
Beratungsstelle für Formgebung, Germany Advisory
Center for Design of Chambers of Crafts of
Rhineland-Palatinate National Delegate of German
National Entity of WCC Europe
ASEAN Handicraft Promotion and Development
Association, Thailand Affiliated member of ASEAN
and WCC Regional forum of ASEAN Member States for
crafts related issues
National Crafts Council of Bangladesh, Bangladesh
Bangladeshi National Entity of WCC Asia Pacific
Region Currently hosts the vice-presidency of
WCC-APR, South Asia
National Chamber of Handicrafts of Sri Lanka, Sri
Lanka Private crafts association with 140
members Member of the Federation of Chambers of
Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka
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EGNATIA EPIRUS Foundation www.egnatiaepirusfoundat
ion.gr
Private-non-profit (NGO) Founded in Ioannina in
1991 5-member Board of Directors Metsovo
Conference Center Athens Branch
Office Personnel-associates 40 Metsovo Conference
Center Regional Information Portal
www.epcon.gr ICT-advanced Crafts Platform
www.easycraft.org
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EGNATIA EPIRUS Foundation

• OVERALL OBJECTIVE
• Support of Innovative Activities compatible with
  the Environment and the Cultural Heritage of the
  Region of Epirus, N.W. Greece
• MAIN ACTIVITIES
• Projects aimed at sustainable development of the
  Region
• Tourism, crafts, traditional occupations,
  cultural heritage
• Applications/products and services involving
  advanced ICT
• Selected infrastructural interventions
• Former International Secretariat of WCC
  International (2000-2004)

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EGNATIA EPIRUS Foundation
RECENT EU-FUNDED PROJECTS Crafts related
Projects in Europe and Asia EASYCRAFT
www.easycraft.org CRAFTSNET www.craftsnet.org
CRAFTSMATCH www.craftsmatch.org Tourism,
Culture and Environment related Projects in
Europe PROHERBS www.proherbs.eu HERITOUR
www.heritour.com Development Integrated Projects
in Latin America LINK-ALL www.link-all.org
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Project Objectives

• Overall Objective
• Support institutional capacity building and
  reinforce networking of Asian intermediary
  organizations with European counterparts in the
  crafts sector
• Specific Objectives
• Support international collaboration
• Enhance ability of the crafts intermediate
  organizations to establish lasting networks
• Organize thematic workshops of interest
• Enable exchange of experience and best practices
  
• Offer a set of tailored, state-of-the-art IT
  tools especially designed for crafts intermediate
  sector
• Build new synergies between the crafts sector
  and related sectors

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Methodology
A carefully designed workprogramme Progressive
and integrative approach based on the needs of
the intermediary crafts organizations Exchange
of experience and partnership opportunities fully
supported Easy and friendly technological
environment with appropriate functionalities,
tools and services
SubProjects
Horizontal Activities
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Capacity Building Framework

• Objectives
• Establish a theoretical backdrop
• Assess the needs of the Asian intermediary
  business organizations in the crafts sector
• Capture and map detailed user requirements
• Continually assess the Project implementation,
  monitor the quality of the CraftsNet IT platform
  and evaluate the CraftsNet network

• Deliverables
• Conceptual Framework led by NCHSL
• User Requirements led by AHPADA
• On-going evaluation and assessment activities led
  by EEF

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Capacity Building Activities

• Objectives
• Organize a series of workshops
• Contribute to the creation of a long-term and
  sustainable European Asian crafts related
  network
• Encourage the participation of craftspeople in
  international crafts European and Asian crafts
  related events and promote cross-cultural
  exchanges
• Implement an integrated IT platform
• Elaborate a European-Asian Capacity Building
  Handbook

• Deliverables
• 4 workshops held in Kandy-Sri Lanka,
  Rhineland-Palatinate-Germany, Dhaka-Bangladesh
  and Bangkok-Thailand
• Participation of 15 crafts persons in exchange
  visits
• Creation of CraftsNet IT Platform
• Setting-up of CraftsNet Network
• Elaboration of a Capacity Building Handbook

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Workshop Crafts IT
Place Kandy, Sri Lanka Date July 3-5,
2006 Organizer NCHSL Topic Crafts
Information Technologies Attendants 52
persons Key issues discussed Uses and impact of
technology in craft sector Considerations for
Craft E-Commerce Platforms Critical Success
Factors for Websites
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Workshop Crafts Tourism
Place Mainz, Koblenz, Neustadt, Germany Date
September 20-24, 2006 Organizer BF Topic
Crafts Tourism Attendants 82 persons Key
issues discussed New Tourists and the Craft
Sector Crafts and Tourism in a Globalizing
World Building Design Capacity for Local Identity
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Workshop Crafts Marketing
Place Dhaka, Bangladesh Date April 21-24,
2007 Organizer NCCB Topic Marketing
Promotion of Crafts in Asia Europe
Attendants 50 persons Key issues discussed
Preservation of traditional heritage in South
Asia Promotion of traditional crafts Development
of new designs Design Management and
Marketing Craft Development Issues Seal of
Excellence for Handicrafts
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Final Workshop
Place Bangkok, Thailand Date August 1-4,
2007 Organizer AHPADA Topic Results and
Formation of Euro-Asia CraftsNet Network
Attendants 60 persons Key issues discussed
Presentation of the results of the
project Formation of the CraftsNet Network
Launch of the CraftsNet IT Platform
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Dissemination Sustainability

• Objectives
• Elaborate a comprehensive dissemination strategy
• Ensure post-Project, self-sustainability of the
  CraftsNet Network and IT Platform
• Expand the CraftsNet Network

• Deliverables
• Dissemination Plan led by BF
• Memorandum of Collaboration amongst the Founding
  Members of the CraftsNet Network including
  operational structure and 2-year Action Plan
  coordinated by AHPADA
• Action Plan for Euro-Asia Trade Facilitation in
  the Crafts Sector prepared by NCCB
• Future of the CraftsNet IT Platform secured
  through the CraftsNet Network

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Project Results

• Founding of the CraftsNet Network with 7 Founding
  Members (5 Project Partners SUPPORT Art and
  Crafts International Center of Thailand World
  Crafts Council Europe)
• Development and operation of the CraftsNet IT
  Platform dedicated to the Asian and European
  crafts intermediate organizations and crafts
  actors
• Exchange of experiences, best practices and
  information in a Euro-Asian context
• Establishment of new contacts leading to new
  avenues for collaboration
• Awareness on IT and tourism issues in relation to
  crafts promotion and export
• Improvement of trading/promotion opportunities in
  the global marketplace

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IT-assisted Matchmaking of Crafts Producers and
Crafts Trade Professionals in an Asian-European
Context www.craftsmatch.org
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Project Basic Data

• Project Title IT-assisted Matchmaking of Crafts
  Producers and Crafts Trade
  Professionals in an Asian-European
  Context
• Contract Number TH/Asia Invest II/07 139434
• Duration 24 Months
• Start Date 1 September 2007
• End of the Project 31 August 2009
• EU Program Asia Invest Program DG EuropeAid
• Budget EURO 445.354,60
• Funding 75

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The Consortium Partners
EGNATIA EPIRUS Foundation, Greece Non-profit
development organization Former International
Secretariat of WCC International
Beratungsstelle für Formgebung, Germany Advisory
Center for Design of Chambers of Crafts of
Rhineland-Palatinate National Delegate of German
National Entity of WCC Europe
ASEAN Handicraft Promotion and Development
Association, Thailand Affiliated member of ASEAN
and WCC Regional forum of ASEAN Member States for
crafts related issues
National Chamber of Handicrafts of Sri Lanka, Sri
Lanka Private crafts association with 140
members Member of the Federation of Chambers of
Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka
Cambodian Craft Cooperation, Cambodia Private
crafts association with 140 members Member of the
Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry
of Sri Lanka
Lao Handicraft Association, Lao PDR Private
crafts association with 140 members Member of the
Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry
of Sri Lanka
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Project Objectives

• Overall Objective
• Strengthen Asian and European mutually beneficial
  trade relations in the crafts sector and
  facilitate long-term business partnerships
  between Asian and European crafts SMEs through
  the use of new technologies
• Specific Objectives
• Enhance skills and abilities of crafts SMEs to
  better organize and internationalize their
  business strategy through the use of ICT
• Provide crafts SMEs with the opportunity to
  collaborate in a structured context and to
  enhance their international collaboration
  potential in an Asian-European context
• Enhance the ability of crafts SMEs to establish
  long-lasting network amongst themselves and with
  crafts trade professionals
• Enable exchange of experience and best practices

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Expected results

• Formation and operation of 3 IT-assisted Crafts
  Virtual Incubators in Cambodia, Lao and Sri Lanka
  
• Organization of 3 Asia-Europe Trading
  Matchmaking Events in Thailand, Cambodia and
  Germany (product exhibition and presentation,
  business meetings)
• Development and operation of the IT CraftsMatch
  Platform that will offer tools and services for
  virtual incubating and matchmaking activities
• Networking of more than 200 crafts related SMEs
  and professionals
• Number of new business opportunities and
  commercial agreements
• Specific cooperation to be developed with the
  CraftsNet Network

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Workprogramme
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Preparatory Activities

• Planned Activities
• Setting-up of the Expert Advisory Board
• Training Activities for the creation and
  operation of IT-assisted Virtual Crafts
  Incubators
• Specifications of the IT CraftsMatch Platform
• Expected Deliverables
• Expert Advisory Group Recommendations
• Training Manual
• User Interfaces and System Specification
• System Prototype

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Matchmaking Activities

• Planned Activities
• Organization of 3 Matchmaking Events in
  Thailand, Cambodia, Germany
• Setting-up and operation of 3 IT-assisted
  Virtual Crafts Incubators in Lao, Cambodia and
  Sri Lanka
• Operation of the IT CraftsMatch Platform
• Expected Deliverables
• Common Methodology for the creation of
  IT-assisted Virtual Crafts Incubators
• Minutes of the Matchmaking Events
• Reporting on experiences and best practices
• Local Sustainability Plans

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Dissemination and Follow-up

• Planned Activities
• Dissemination Material (logo, website, brochure,
  etc)
• Dissemination Plan
• Evaluation and Follow-up Activities
• Expected Deliverables
• Dissemination Plan
• Evaluation and Assessment Report

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SWITCH-ASIA PROGRAMME CRAFTS-SWITCH PROPOSAL
Concept Note submitted to the European
Commission Based on the results and outputs of
previous Euro-Asian crafts related
projects Overall objective Support framework
that will help Asian craft SMEs increase use of
environmentally friendly technology and practices
as well as to reach appropriate markets with
relevant marketing strategies and tools.
Addresses both components of sustainable
consumption and production Target sector In the
broad sector of eco-friendly products and green
eco-fashion, action and activities to focus on
Eco-Fibres and Natural Dyes Targeted countries
Asia Lao, Cambodia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka,
Malaysia, Thailand Europe Germany, Greece
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SWITCH-ASIA PROGRAMME CRAFTS-SWITCH PROPOSAL

• Proposed Activities
• 24-months project
• SCP Knowledge Framework and Policy Enabling
  Actions in the Crafts Sector
• Background research on crafts related SCP issues
• Action Plan for the Enabling of the Policy
  Environment in the Crafts Sector related to
  Sustainable Production and Consumption Patterns
• SCP Capacity building and networking activities
• Regional Conferences
• Training Activities
• Information System
• Dissemination and Follow-up activities
• Dissemination Material
• Evaluation and follow-up