Information for your business
Devnet Association is an international network with 16-year experience in providing business information and management assistance services to enhance the competitiveness of micro, small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) worldwide.
Its capabilities are in two major areas, among others:
SIGMA trade, technology and business information consolidation, and SIGMA customized research and business matching services.
Devnet's 31 national bureaux gather information directly from enterprises information, which is regularly checked and updated.
They assist in establishing business-to-business contacts, link buyers and sellers of technology, services and products through the Internet.
Available in English, Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish, over 40 Devnet information services cover areas of interest such as technology, products, services, finances, economics, trade and technology policies and regulations, quality and clean production technologies and processes, and environmental management system, focusing specifically on conservation and protection.
There are 500.000 SMEs linked directly to the network as of 2001, and more than 2 million of them are networked with over 300 chambers of commerce and industry, and business organisations that signed co-operation agreements with Devnet.
Devnet organises training courses and designs technology-based products and services tailor-made to the needs of its users.

The institutional origins of Devnet
Devnet is a non-profit international NGO, with consultative Status Category 1 granted by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Its activities date back to 1986 when the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Science and Technology Fund (UNFSTD) entrusted the execution of TIPS to Devnet, by channelling a considerable contribution made by the Italian government.
In succeeding years, the European Commission through its AL-Invest and Asia Invest programmes, provided substantial funding for the development of the TIPS network in Asia and Latin America.
In Latin America, Devnet has 19 national bureaux and more than 40 provincial or regional extension offices.
It has agreements with over 150 business institutions (chambers of industry and commerce), and with regional and international public and private organisations.
In 1985, Devnet set the basis in China for the establishment of one of the most developed commercial and investment network within that country.
Such major step was made possible through agreements signed with the Ministry of Foreign Trade & Economic Co-operation and the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Devnet China has its headquarters in Beijing with more than 30 local offices in major Chinese provinces and cities.
A further Italian contribution, through the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), gave birth to WINNER, an international programme focusing on women entrepreneurs.

Devnet's main areas of activity
��Business intelligence:tailor-made research on potential business partners, assistance for business missions, drafting agendas, organising meetings, fair trade participation, business contacts, foreign trade statistics, import tariffs,
sectoral profiles, products and country profiles, consulting services for single companies and related organisations.
��Devnet Communication and Information Centre:design, development, implementation and maintenance of computerised internal information management systems for companies, organisations and institutions.
It includes the Devnet's Computerised Training System (CTS) and Telematic Integral Business System (TIBS);
Intranet and Extranet services;
and the Business Internet Through TIPS (BIT), which designs, produces, places and updates Web pages, portals, data bases on the Internet, and multimedia applications.
Training.
��Devnet holds on-site and long-distance training programmes for enterprises and institutions on information management and full use of the network, using the Computerised Training System (CTS) technology.
Information and communication networks:
design, management and maintenance.
Main systems developed by Devnet are:
European Commission Informatic Access System;
Venezuela Industrial Information Network;
Fepale (Pan American Dairy Federation);
Arpel (Latin American Oil Business Reciprocal Assistance);
Infopesca (Fishery Information), the United Nations Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Uruguay, Peru Eurocentre, Venezuela Eurocentre, EC Delegations for Paraguay and Uruguay, Colombia and Ecuador and Chile;
Italian Chambers of Commerce in Rosario (Argentina), and Uruguay;
Global Technological Network/Environmental Technology Network
for the Americas (ETNA/GTN linking USA and 10 Latin American countries);
and IADB (Infoambiente), among others.
E-commerce.
Development of e-commerce systems with on-line business opportunities.
Mass media service:
promotes offers and demands of member companies of DEVNET in newspapers and specialised publications.
Environmental Information Service:
promotion of proper use of natural resources, clean production technology and compliance with standards and quality regulations concerning environmental issues.
Within Devnet, there are two main international programmes:
Tips (Trade and Technology Information Promotion System) and Winner (Women into the New Network for Entrepreneurial Reinforcement).
The TIPS Programme
TIPS elaborates and disseminates offers and demands collected directly from the companies that are part of the network.
The information, regularly checked and updated by Devnet bureaux, covers the following production and service sectors:
agro-industry, food, construction, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, fishery, biotechnology, machinery, packaging, tourism, leather, energy, electronics, transportation, textiles and environment.
TIPS portals in Internet also provide policy papers and analyses on regional integration, information for environmental management, systems for production activities, technical standards and quality regulations, calendar of fairs and congresses, international co-operation, financing and projects.
The WINNER Programme
WINNER focuses on the training of women entrepreneurs in the application of information and communication technology instruments to promote international business partnerships.
Devnet has produced CDroms, organised courses on e-commerce, international trade and entrepreneurial management, as well as created an Electronic Market Space in the Internet to showcase and promote women entrepreneurs' products and services in the Internet.
It also provides post-training support to the women entrepreneurs.
The ALPYMES Programme
Granted by the European Commission and UNDP, ALPYMES is a programme executed by Devnet providing to the Latin American small and medium size companies the tools and instruments needed (training, web site, e-commerce) to facilitate their own direct participation in the regional and international trading.
The Devnet network
North America Canada
United States Latin America Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba
Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Uruguay Venezuela
Central and Eastern Europe Albania Romania Africa Angola South Africa Zimbabwe Asia
Bangladesh China
Philippines India Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka
International Headquarters Rome
Regional and Sub-regional Co-ordination Centres Manila (Philippines) Montevideo (Uruguay)
DEVNET in Internet
Business opportunities, news, database and consultancy services 24 hours a day.
Africa
www.tips.co.za (South Africa)
Asia
www.tipsasia.org (Asia Portal)
www.tipschina.gov.cn (China Portal) www.winner-tips.org (Philippines portal) Eastern Europe
www.tips.ccir.co (Romania portal)
Latin America
www.tips.org.uy (Latin American portal)
WINNER
www.winner.devnet.org (links to WINNER national bureaux)
DEVNET nodes provide links with organisations for which it has designed web pages, and other affiliate institutions.
International Headquarters and Europe Via Panisperna 203 - 00184 Rome - Italy tipsioc@tips.org
tel ++39 06 482 69 67 - ++39 06 489 03 741 fax ++39 06 482 69 28
Asia Regional Centre
3/F Department of Foreign Affairs Building 2330 Roxas Boulevard, Passay City, Philippines tipsmnl@skyinet.net
tel ++632 832 75 95 / 834 46 11 / 834 42 98 fax ++632 832 22 84
Latin and North America Centre Juan C. G�mez 1437 - Montevideo - Uruguay tips@tips.org.uy
tel ++5982 916 24 98 / 916 24 99 / 916 25 17 fax ++5982 916 24 95