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Thanks Welcomeurope

Frédérique Biston, Vice President Head of Volvo Group , Representation EU

1) Volvo Group is one of the most important world suppliers of solutions of Transport for the commercial sector. The group also offers services of financing?

Volvo Group gives for mission to use its expertise to conceive superior-quality products which assure the security of the users while respecting the environment. The values of the group Volvo express themselves in these terms: Quality - Security - Environmental protection .

The Group Volvo consists of following companies: Volvo Trucks (manufacturer of trucks Volvo) - Renault Trucks (Trucks Renault - France) - Mack Trucks (Trucks Mack - Market the American North)- Diesel Nissan (Trucks Diesel Nissan - Asian Market ) - Volvo Buses (Construction of Bus) - Volvo Construction Equipment (Conception of vehicles for the construction and the forest domain) - Volvo Penta (Conception of engines for the maritime sector) - Volvo Aero (Engines for the aeronautical sector) - Volvo Financial Services (solutions of financing)


As manufacturer of trucks, the group Volvo is classified in 2nd position on the world market and preserves its leader\'s position on the European market.
The group Volvo operates in the following regions of Europe:
B> The Region Benelux (Belgium - Holland and Luxembourg) - The Central Region (Germany - Austria and Switzerland) - The Region central East (Estonia - Latvia - Lithuania - Poland - Czech Republic - Slovakia - Hungary - Slovenia - Croatia)- The Region is (Albania - Armenia - Azerbaijan - Belarus - Bosnia Herzegovina - Bulgaria - Cyprus - Georgia - Greece - Israel - Kazakhstan - Kirghizia - Macedonia - Moldavia - Montenegro - Portugal - Rumania - Serbia - Tadjikistan - Türkiye-Turkménistan - Ukraine - Uzbekistan) - The Region FRANCE which contains 126 selling points with 36 centres Volvo Trucks, 49 retailers please and 35 studios(workshops) - The Region Italy With 16 salesmen please and 79 studios(workshops) - The Region Scandinavian (which includes countries such as Sweden - Norway - Finland - Denmark and Iceland) - The Region Spain with 10 selling points, 10 approved retailers and 66 workshops
The Region the United Kingdom and Ireland was created in 2008 and the Region Russia in 2009.



2) You sought the services of Welcomeurope for the elaboration of an inventory on the European funds accessible for your group during two consecutive years (on 2005 and 2006) accompanied with seminaries of information to optimize the obtaining of these funds.
Can you tell us what the benefits you got from the inventory were?







For the group Volvo, the first objective was to inform our Swedish co-workers, new entrants in the European Union. It was necessary for them to understand how all the European structures functioned and to present to them all the possibilities regarding European funding. The other objective was in association with the team of Welcomeurope to clear the undergrowth from the potentially exploitable funds.
Finally, our choice concerned structural funds and FP7.Other funding were available but not adapted to the projects we wished to develop. This entire step ended in the creation of a customized guidelines book.





3) You did a tailor made training course (FSM) on the FP7 (Framework program of Research and development) with Welcomeurope. What were your needs? Were they effectively targeted? According to this experience, what is the added value of such a ‘specialized’ training?




We did several training courses which were very well accomplished, in spite of a complicated situation. Indeed, it was not an easy task to convince the Swedish. To them Europe is far. Furthermore, they do not appreciate to depend on a third party. To be more accurate, the main challenge for Volvo Trucks Polska was to develop the employment. The challenge was successfully realized. It is indeed, the proof that European funding are accessible but the step is tether, it is thus necessary to be patient.
But all long Welcomeurope was ‘on the spot’. Answering our needs and allowing us to glimpse all the possibilities, it was a very advantageous collaboration with a ‘specialized’ added value. Working with Welcomeurope brought us an outside opinion, bigger benefits and a considerable addition of skills.







4) You wished to realize projects in Poland and in France. Which Funds did you seek? How did Welcomeurope follow you in the implementation of these two projects?



Volvo has actually developed projects in France and Poland but we can notice differences in both situations.

In France, we sue for the structural funds, Welcomeurope’s accompaniment was very advantageous, and the team was very close to our team, answering present at every difficulty. It did not fail in its mission of consulting, of accompaniment and guidance.

In Poland, our step was a little different. We developed our plans in 2004 when the country entered the European Union. At this moment, we had to find the appropriate funds. Even if the implementation was directly accomplished in Poland with the Swedish’s Team, Welcomeurope was present step by step.
It is difficult to give general instructions, everything depends on the organization. However, some points need special attention: targeting needs inside and performing a job of information within a structure is a necessary stage because the step must come from need and not the opposite.
A second important point is to surround the nationality of the partners . The Union counts 27 nationalities and just as much of a manner of thinking.

A last advice to any person interested in European funding is to be rigorous. It is necessary to identify European projects and European funds precisely; chance does not have its place.

To finish with a positive note, I can say that I will be happy to re-collaborate with Welcomeurope, if it is possible.