The Second mission from the Province of Milan to Silicon Valley was successfully completed on November 16th 2006. See details and coverage

The "Digital Hub in the Great West" (DHGW) project is an internationalization initiative promoted by Business Innovation Center (BIC) La Fucina, sponsored by the Province of Milan, and locally organized by Project4U. DHGW aims to offer tools to innovative milanese SME's that operate in high technology industries (ICT, multimedia, biotech, nanotech, agritechnology, new materials in fashion and design) with the goal of assisting them in the development of partnership opportunities with entities in Silicon Valley California.

DHGW - which will take place between February 2005 and March 2006 - is the natural continuation of a series of activities that have taken place to promote the milanese entrepreneurial spirit to the the US west coast. Strong interest has been expressed by institutions as well as enterprises in both corners of the world. The latter has been further proved by the success of the 2004 trade mission: Digital Gate to the Great West.

PROJECT TARGET
Project "Digital Hub in the Great West" is for innovative milanese SME's that operate in the following sectors:

• Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Multimedia,
• Biotech,
• Nanotech,
• Agritechnology,
• new materials in Fashion and Design

GOALS AND ACTIONS
The primary objective of the DHGW project is to assist milanese small to medium size enterprises in target industries in their internationalization efforts towards the Californian market. The project will offer various activities of different involvement and participation levels.

In detail:

SWOT Analysis
The initial phase of the project involves selecting the local companies and analyzing their internationalization needs in detail: this will make it possible to identify the Californian companies interested in developing new business relationships on the basis of predefined objectives. Subsequently, a detailed report will be drawn up concerning the strengths and weaknesses of the selected companies, as well as the opportunities and threats of the new market of reference. Through SWOT Analysis, next-steps are detailed to clear way for a successful internationalization path towards the competitive and complex californian market.

WebCast
Interactive online webcasts on strategic topics directly from San Francisco: an opportunity of in depth analysis on current business and technology trends with high ranking speakers.
Each WebCast will be transmitted live in San Francisco via internet and will be followed by group discussion from academia and entrepreneurs in Milan.
All WebCast's are recorded and available online on-demand.
The topics for each webcast will be based on california market trends as well as feedback from institutions and enterprises involved in the project.
WebCast's will be transmitted once a month from March 2005 to February 2006.

San Francisco HUB
A fisical "information point" in San Francisco where all companies from the Province of Milan can refer to for information on the Californian market.
The office of Project4U will offer information by request for partnership opportunities, trade shows and other events, local trends, industry opportunities, and local business culture. The "San Francisco HUB" represents a first point of reference for local assistance in the Californian market. The HUB will be active until March 2006.

San Francisco Incubator
The San Francisco Incubator was created specifically for the DHGW project for it's target companies that have initiated contacts in California and that require a more stable fisical presence in the territory. The San Francisco Incubator is strategically located in the Financial District of San Francisco California. The incubator offers office space and services such as fax, telephone, receptionist, and conference rooms on a custom and flexible basis. The Incubator will be open from May 2005 to March 2006.

Brochure DHGW