Sixth Intangible: The need for gateways to large markets

New businesses need markets to be tested and proved successful. Densely populated areas are a natural laboratory for testing and introducing new ideas cost-effectively [Venkataraman]. Smaller and less densely populated areas have to find a way to overcome the lack of counting on a natural laboratory. In our global world, interconnections are easier to achieve, but they have to be established first. A small area that is willing to enter into a virtuous cycle has to establish bridges to near and further markets all around the world.

The access to external markets depends primarily on the intangible social network infrastructure, more than on the physical one. The quantity, quality and density of the social and economic connections (the ones that business and government leaders of the aspiring region have with the leaders of gateway cities), and their willingness to use it on behalf of the local citizenry will make the difference [Venkataraman].

But, leaders’ capabilities to connect with different regions, depends strongly on the education they have received. If we want our community to develop itself as a cosmopolitan area in the future, some questions have to be addressed at the early University stage. These are actions that have a long-term effect, but we cannot ignore them in the present if we look forward to a future virtuous cycle.

University has a great role in developing horizontal skills in the students such as working in interdisciplinary and international workgroups, or being capable of managing to make good contacts with people from different cultures. In Europe, we have experienced the significance of promoting international relations during the University period in order to make a real European market. Exchange programmes are a strong tool to achieve this goal. Living in another country and developing relations within another culture during the University period is the beginning of feeling like doing international businesses. Apart from the laws that simplify commercial relationships between European countries, the real Europe can only be constructed on the basis of personal and professional connections of people.

When I studied at University, twenty years ago, the working environment was basically nationwide. Nowadays students are used to study at least one year in another European University, so most of them develop this kind of skills. The result is their working environment is Europe and they develop easily personal relationships with other people across the continent.

An area that has to enter in a virtuous cycle, needs educate the new generations in fostering the ability to understand and relate with different cultures. Actions aimed at achieving this goal, will bring in the future the desired gateways to other markets.

And, as a personal reflection, they will bring something far more important: a peaceful world. The more people of the world know each other, the less it is likely to fight for anything.