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Who we are

Trade Promotion Europe (TPE) is the European association representing national and regional trade and agrifood promotion organizations. Our mission is to strengthen European trade by improving coordination, sharing knowledge, and fostering collaboration.

💡WHO ARE OUR MEMBERS?

Trade Promotion Organizations (TPOs) help businesses expand beyond their home markets by supporting their international growth within the EU Single Market and globally.

Agrifood Promotion Organizations (APOs) focus specifically on promoting national agri-food businesses, both within the EU Single Market and in international markets.

Both TPOs and APOs typically operate under the mandate of their national governments or industry stakeholders, ensuring their efforts align with broader economic and trade policies.

TPE members offer a variety of services to European companies, , including capacity building for internationalisation, information and competitive intelligence, promotion services, as well as investment services. In 2023, TPE members have served over 88.000 companies, with more than 50% being SMEs.

💡WHAT IS “TRADE PROMOTION EUROPE”

TPE unites TPOs and APOs to work together and strengthen Europe’s role in global trade. We provide a platform for collaboration, learning, and knowledge sharing, helping our members better support their stakeholders—from Europe’s 25 million small and medium-sized enterprises to EU policymakers.

Trade Promotion Europe connects its members with EU institutions to foster meaningful dialogue and drive Europe’s trade ambitions forward. Advancing commercial goals while supporting exporters requires a unified voice to turn ideas into action and policy into practice. Trade Promotion Europe is that voice.

What makes us unique?

Trade Promotion Europe is a unique network dedicated to the internationalization of SMEs. Our members focus mostly on helping SMEs expand into international markets through trade promotion activities, making this their core mission.

Many of our members have a dual presence, operating both in their home Member State as the first point of contact for SMEs and through a network of offices across the EU and in third countries. This structure ensures direct and continuous support for businesses looking to grow beyond their domestic markets.

Together, our members have over 80 offices in their home countries and over 600 offices abroad. Our network brings together more than 7,000 full-time professionals, working to strengthen European trade and support SME internationalization.

Objectives

01

Promote and represent our members across Europe

All TPOs and APOs in TPE share a common goal: driving the international success of businesses while tackling shared challenges.

To promote and represent our members’ interests at the European level, we actively engage with EU institutions and relevant authorities, conveying their perspectives, insights, and concerns.

Our core message is clear: Europe needs greater synergy in support instruments for SME internationalization. Through ongoing dialogue with key political and economic institutions, we work to streamline and enhance these support mechanisms across the EU.

02

Foster and enable ever-closer collaboration

TPOs and APOs play a key role in driving the EU’s economic growth through international trade. Their impact can be even greater when they collaborate—both with each other and with European institutions!

To nurture these collaborations:

💡We develop and carry out projects in the shared interests of our members. These projects include responding to EU calls for tender or proposal.

💡We organize internal and external meetings to share knowledge and boost networking. Initiatives range from seminars and conferences to any type of event capable of supporting both our purpose and our members’ interests.

TPE Members

Read more about our members here.

 

 

Structure

Vasso Kyrkou
Vasso Kyrkou
President
Enterprise Greece
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Vasso Kyrkou
President
Enterprise Greece
Vasso is the general director of communications, marketing & stakeholder relations at Enterprise Greece, where she has worked for more than 20 years. An experienced communications professional, Vasso has an extensive track record of designing and implementing international stakeholder engagement and communication strategies. Prior to joining Enterprise Greece, Vasso served in various communication roles in the private sector, mainly related to shipping, IT and education. She is also currently vice president of the ANIMA Investment Network.
Francis Baert
Francis Baert
Vice President
Flanders Investment & Trade
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Francis Baert
Vice President
Flanders Investment & Trade
Mr Baert joined Flanders Investment & Trade in November 2015. He was active as project coordinator for several ERDF projects, Strategic Planning & Knowledge Manager and Coordinator of the Strategic Committee before being promoted to head of the strategy department (CSO) in November 2023. Before Flanders Investment & Trade, Mr Baert was active in academia. He was a researcher at the College of Europe, an associate researcher in European affairs at Ghent University and held various positions on comparative regionalism within the United Nations University – CRIS.
Eckart von Unger
Eckart von Unger
Treasurer
Germany Trade & Invest
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Eckart von Unger
Treasurer
Germany Trade & Invest
Eckart von Unger is Managing Director of the Market Research Department at Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI). GTAI is the foreign trade and inward investment promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. Eckart’s department maintains an extensive network of correspondents around the world and reports on market opportunities and risks for German SMEs. Before joining GTAI in Bonn, Eckart worked for 20 years at the Federation of German Industries (BDI) in Berlin and Brussels, most recently as deputy head of the external economic policy department. In this role, he was responsible for international trade policy and representing BDI's respective interests vis-à-vis the EU institutions. Prior to this, Eckart held various positions at BDI headquarters, including Director Country Desk for the Asia-Pacific region and Coordinator of the North Africa and Middle East Initiative of German Business. He began his professional career in the press office of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) in the German Bundestag and worked in a strategy consultancy for public and governmental affairs. Eckart von Unger studied economics at the Free University of Berlin and business administration at the University of Cologne. He was a Research Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta while writing his dissertation on the economic and financial crisis in the ASEAN countries. Eckart von Unger speaks German, English, and French. He is married and has three children.
Anne Lanigan
Anne Lanigan
Board member
Enterprise Ireland
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Anne Lanigan
Board member
Enterprise Ireland
Anne joined Enterprise Ireland in 2003 and has held a number of management positions, including director of their Tokyo office and more recently head of Enterprise Ireland’s Brexit Unit. She has been a driver of change within the organization and a key architect of Enterprise Ireland’s proprietary Client Engagement Model. A mechanical engineer by training, Anne spent eighteen years in the private sector before joining Enterprise Ireland. Appointed regional director for the Eurozone in June 2018, Anne is responsible for Enterprise Ireland’s activities across the Eurozone, which are focused on increasing export growth into these markets.
Catherine Jurovsky
Catherine Jurovsky
Board Member
BusinessFrance
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Catherine Jurovsky
Board Member
BusinessFrance
Currently Project Director within Business France Department of Strategic Partnership in charge of International Cooperation projects, Catherine Jurovsky majored in Political Sciences at Sciences Po Paris and holds an MA in international Economics from the John Hopkins University, Washington, DC. She has a long record in communications, events and sales in both Private and Public sectors and has worked for the Stade de France, the AXA Group and the Viparis group (Venues in Paris) before joining UBIFRANCE in 2010 (to become Business France in 2015.

Flavie Guérin
Flavie Guérin
Secretary-General
Trade Promotion Europe Secretariat
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Flavie Guérin
Secretary-General
Trade Promotion Europe Secretariat
Céline Carrabetta
Céline Carrabetta
Project Officer
Trade Promotion Europe Secretariat
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Céline Carrabetta
Project Officer
Trade Promotion Europe Secretariat
Leire Etxebarria Bilbao
Leire Etxebarria Bilbao
Project Officer
Trade Promotion Europe Secretariat
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Leire Etxebarria Bilbao
Project Officer
Trade Promotion Europe Secretariat
Leire joined TPE from the Basque Country, Spain, as part of the BEINT Programme, organised by Basque Trade & Investment. She is a business administration graduate and holds a master’s degree in finance and accounting.