The new export programme for estonian design agencies will start on March 5

The Estonian Design Centre is organising, for the second time, a training programme for design agencies belonging to the Network of Estonian Design Agencies in order to develop and improve exports. The full name of the programme is ‘‘How to create international growth for Design Services‘‘ and it’s been led by Sissi Silván. The contest was tough, resulting in five design agencies participating in the full programme: Neway, BYNEW, DF, Mobi Lab, and Valge Creative.

NB! Some of the Export Programme seminars are open to participate for all the members of EDC design agencies network. Check the schedule HERE.

The export programme, already starting on March 5, offers plenty of inspiration and specific instructions for design agencies for growing on an international level, as well as personal mentorship by professionals with an agency background from the Nordics. Among other matters, the export programme will allow design agencies to review their business models, prepare for entering external markets, and acquire primary knowledge and experiences in three foreign markets. It must be noted that the managers of design agencies will also be sharing experiences and knowledge, which allows them to learn from one another.

Participating in the programme will create unique opportunities for creating contacts with potential partners, clients and financiers. The programme will conclude in autumn 2021 with the presentations of the participants regarding their expected growth plans and export strategies. The multi-faceted programme has been prepared by Sissi Silván, a finnish business booster who has lived and worked both in Sweden and Singapore. For the past ten years she has lived and in Denmark – a small country with a great resume in internationally successful business concepts. She has helped numerous businesses to grow and enter international markets. Her clients have been, for example, Fysios, Reima, Viru Keskus, Mehiläinen, Tiimari, L-Fashion Group, Friitala, and Miraculos. Sissi is also a member of Finnish Business Angels FIBAN. 

Photo: Sissi Silván ©Sandra Luks

Agency-specific coaching is being supported by Antti Eklund, based in the US since 12 yrs. Antti has background as an architect, designer and professor at Aalto University in Helsinki, and as a great business mentor.

Photo: Antti Eklund

Tiia Vihand, Manager of the Estonian Design Centre, believes that the export programme will provide Estonian design agencies an excellent opportunity to take the next step in the development process of their business. “We are conducting the export programme for the second time. The previous export programme showed us that design agencies do need training at this level. This programme is dynamic and full of opportunities as the programme coordinator Sissi Silván who is one of the mentors and has a notable international background and a vast package of experience. There are also other very experienced international high-level specialists participating in the programme with extremely interesting backgrounds,” notes Vihand.

As a result of participating in the programme, design agencies will focus their export strategies and test their sales in a realistic situation on the target markets provided by the programme in Finland, Germany and Sweden or Denmark. The objective of conducting the programme is to create the necessary preconditions for smaller agencies providing design services in order to improve their export sales and increase the market turnover of the design sector, including the proportion of exports, in the entire creative sector in Estonia.

On behalf of the Estonian Design Centre, we wish the participants all the best and heaps of initiative!

The programme is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund via Enterprise Estonia.