Lanit-Tercom Italia Srl, Lanit-Tercom’s Italian office, was the key driver behind a business mission to Bari, in Apulia, Italy, populated by Russian software developers and IT startups. The event was organized by RUSSOFT and supported by the Apulia regional government, the Trade Representation of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Italy, Confindustria Bari-BAT, and Distretto Produttivo dell’Informatica.
The Russian delegation was made up of top management from leading IT companies and promising startups based in four Russian cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, and Taganrog), not to mention two major structures occupying the IT space: RUSSOFT and the Skolkovo Foundation. Lanit-Tercom and twelve other Russian companies spent two days working closely with representatives of local government, industry associations, and businesses, all from Apulia. Among the key objectives set for the business mission were networking between the Russians and Italians there as well as exploring opportunities for joint research, software development, and IT projects in both countries.
The business mission lasted two days, the first of which saw the participants gather at Fiera del Levante, a local conference center. One session discussed strategies for entering the Italian and Russian markets, the nuances of doing business in Apulia, and possible areas with room for international IT projects.
Apulia government representatives in attendance expressed their hope that the bond between Russia and Italy in the IT business will continue to strengthen and expand. That goal is in both the countries’ interests, affecting education and joint research in addition to commerce. The Italian side also shed light on why the region is an attractive one for investment using Lanit-Tercom as an example. Back in 2015, the company opened an office there at Puglia Sviluppo, an incubator. Katherina Ufnarovskaia, CEO of Lanit-Tercom Italia Srl, explained that choice by pointing to how much easier it is for young companies to get their feet under them in Italy when they can rely on all the opportunities an incubator offers. “We went with Apulia because our key need was a strong and reputable engineering school that would play an expert role for the company, in particular for computer vision and software development. The Polytechnic University of Bari and the University of Bari have been excellent.” For Lanit-Tercom, Apulia has proven an excellent base from which to support European and American clients thanks to its location and the human capital provided by the local universities.
Having begun work at Puglia Sviluppo, the company grew from three to fifteen people, eventually finding its own office in Bari. Lanit-Tercom’s successful venture into Italy is a clear example for other Russian IT companies that demonstrates the international potential Apulia offers.
After the session, the Russian delegation got to work on several hours of matchmaking, during which participating companies presented their work and answered questions from everyone in attendance. The second day was spent visiting the largest local IT companies.
The meeting turned out to be critical for both the Italian and Russian sides. The hosts saw for themselves the caliber of the partners they could bring in to work on IT projects; the participants as a whole were able to match needs and find areas that promise to prove fruitful for everyone involved.
“I hope Lanit-Tercom’s success story is only the first of many. We’re already planning a visit by a delegation from Apulia to RUSSOFT’s event at the St. Petersburg International Innovation Forum, where they’ll be able learn more about their Russian partners,” said Valentin Makarov, president of RUSSOFT.