18-20 May, BISHKEK.  One of the United Nations Development Programme's priority development sectors in Kyrgyzstan is sustainable economic development. The Aid for Trade in Central Asia project, which aims to support Central Asian countries in promoting inclusive and sustainable growth models, held a Global Export Business Strategy training in Bishkek for the private sector and other stakeholders. The training was attended by representatives of companies such as AZRA, Ecoproduct Asia, ProdImpex, Salih, AlaikuOrganix, Manyz KG, Partner KG, Kulikovskiy Confectionery House, Nomad Store, Dan Agro, Agroway Plus, as well as representatives of relevant state authorities and consulting companies.
    
The training is based on a game-simulation form of learning and running an export business in a globalised world. During the training, participants are divided into several groups - companies and each group develops its export strategy (short- and medium-term), as a result of which they have to defeat competitors in international export markets. In the course of the training, they manage a global company and identify the most important success factors. 

"A very practical and exceptionally impactful approach to training. The outcome of the simulation game made us reassess the current situation in our company and take a fresh look at the choice of the right development strategy. As a result of this training we will make important corrections to the real strategy of our company. 

During the simulation, participants compete with other companies/groups for customers, markets and resources, creating a natural and lively competition. Participants must make decisions regarding sales, finance, products, new product development, new markets, production and warehousing, while directly experiencing the consequences of their strategic and financial decisions. 

Based on the decisions made, the participants are confronted with the daily routines, management aspects of the company, live the life of the company management, learn how to succeed or experience the bitterness of failure.

In a business simulation, the participants draw conclusions from their own experiences and actively compete against other exporting companies/groups. During the training, they learn how a company's finances are allocated, how important liquidity planning and smart investments are for the entire company, and how R&D, marketing and sales are closely linked.

Our participants in this training have learned how to generate know-how ideas for market development and identify export strategies and put them into practice. Moreover, they learned about possible problems in export markets, the absorption process, production and financing. The training was not only theoretical, but the participants were practically able to learn analysis and segmentation tools and to apply these tools in the specific situation of global export markets and understand the importance of the implemented strategy for the real success of the company. 

This initiative takes place in the framework of the Aid for Trade in Central Asia project, supported by the Finnish government.