On March 2 – 3, 2021 another edition of the Annual Investment Meeting 2021 (AIM 2021) took place. With the subtitle Eurasia Chapter, this year’s congress was dedicated mainly to presenting the Eurasia countries' strengths in terms of potential investment destinations and connecting relevant private and public sector stakeholders.Given the circumstances of the current situation, the event took place in digital form, which, however, did not detract from its importance, on the contrary, it highlighted the meaning of cooperation and the creation of partnerships across territories even during this unprecedented situation.During the first day of the event, Róbert Šimončič, SARIO CEO of SARIO, participated in a panel discussion on the “Role of IPAs During and Post COVID”. The discussion was hosted by David East, Director of the FDI & Economic Products Section of the analytical company Bureau van Dijk, part of the group of the prestigious agency Moody’s.Róbert Šimončič discussed the current trends in foreign direct investment, cooperation between the state and private companies, and future plans, together with the representatives of investment promotion agencies of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, and Tatarstan.Part of Róbert Šimončič’ speech was dedicated to the presentation of SARIO activities related to the ongoing pandemic. One of the tools with which SARIO actively contributed to the fight against the crisis was the creation of a platform of webinars of the Diversification Services.The webinars provided an opportunity to connect important players from a wide range of sectors, using their technologies and know-how in the health and medical sector (3D printing as first aid in crisis situations; Perspectives of application of engineering and electrical companies in the healthcare sector; Use of ICT in crisis situations).Due to the accelerated trend of supply chain localization part of the discussion was focused on the new Localization Services. These combine the expertise and experience of the Investment Projects Department with the support of incoming as well as established investors, associated primarily with identifying local suppliers of products, services, and innovative technological solutions.
