1. Company LOGO Cluster Development in ICT sector in the Baltic’s (LATVIA) BALTIC IT&T FORUM 2007 Janis Bergs IS Cluster, Chairman of Board janis.bergs@fms.lv

2. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster2 Agenda Background Latvia ICT sector Industrial Cluster Concept Development Latvia Information System Cluster

3. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster3 About Speaker Enterpreneur, interests in IT business  Latvia IS Cluster, Chairman of Board  CEO of FMS (from 2006)  CEO of Lattelecom Technology (2005 – 2006)  CEO of MicroLink Group (2004 -2005)  CEO of MicroLink Latvia (2000 – 2006)

4. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster4 Latvia ICT sector (1) Source: Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, 2006

5. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster5 Latvia ICT sector (2) Source: Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, 2006

6. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster6 Latvia ICT sector (3) Source: Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, 2006

7. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster7 Industrial Cluster Concept Development CLUSTER is a TOOL to: -improve international competitiveness -make better use of knowledge resources facilitating development and implementation -to build critical mass for joint projects of common interest -to foster inter-sector operations to develop new products and services

8. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster8 Latvia Information System Cluster (1) TARGET To promote economic growth supporting IS products and services development, increasing collaboration and export in global market

9. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster9 Latvia Information System Cluster (2) Objectives of Latvia Information System Cluster:  form a collaborative network of export oriented IT companies and educational institutions  provide development and implementation of reliable software solutions for global markets  provide reliable application services  provide testing and quality assurance services

10. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster10 Latvia Information System Cluster (3) Support nationally important priorities:  Educated and creative human resources  Technological flexibility and distinction of enterprises  Development of R&D (NDP, 2007.-2013 1.edit, p.13- in Latvian)

11. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster11 Latvia Information System Cluster (4) R & D Collaboration Quality and Reliability Competencies Innovation VALUES ! Main are the

12. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster12 Latvia Information System Cluster (5) “PPP” “ One-Stop-Shop” Training PR Marketing Resource consolidation

13. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster13 Latvia Information System Cluster (6) 15 companies

14. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster14 Latvia Information System Cluster (7) Basic data on IS Cluster companies in 2006:  Number of employees – 1,8 th.  Turnover – 67.2 mln. LVL  from those Export – 23.8 mln.LVL

15. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster15 Export of IT software products in 2005 (12 Cluster companies) Source:IS Cluster USA 48% Canada 3% CIS 17% Australia 1% Estonia&Lithuania 6% Europe&Scandinavia 21% Other 4% Latvia Information System Cluster (8)

16. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster16 Latvia Information System Cluster (9) Established “Latvian Software Testing Qualification Board” (LSTQB):  Provide high level certification according to ISTQB® standards in software testing  Develop testing certification in Latvia  Promote testing as a profession in Latvia  Exchange ideas and concepts with international software testing experts

17. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster17 Latvia Information System Cluster (10) - Trans-national cooperation Participation in the PRO INNO EUROPE - Baltic Sea Region (BSR) Innovation Network Project 1) A joint conceptual framework for cluster policy formation and evaluation across national borders in the BSR 2) Trans-national innovation programmes among the countries in the BSR  Beyond exchange of best practice, focus on trans-national policy cooperation  European challenge – global competitiveness  Regional, national and trans-national actors – all are needed in trans- national value crains and value creation  How to gain positions – critical mass beyond regional and national positions?

18. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster18 Latvia Information System Cluster (11) CONCLUSIONS Cluster is like a puzzle! Need to develop: Awareness-raising on cluster concept and arguments for why government (and others) should be interested Awareness-raising regarding clusters’ needs for support International links and “ best practice” models

19. Company LOGO April 19, 2007Baltic IT&T Forum 2007,IS Cluster19 THANK YOU! PLEASE CONTACT LATVIA INFORMATION SYSTEM CLUSTER Janis BergsLilita Sparane Chairman of the Board Executive Director IS Cluster GSM: +371-29215555GSM: +371-29180042 E-m: janis.bergs@fms.lvE-m: Lilita.sparane@is.lvjanis.bergs@fms.lvLilita.sparane@is.lv