In an age where AI can produce market reports in minutes, how can trade promotion organizations stay relevant? Top leaders in the field say the answer is to focus on building relationships, lobbying for a political voice, and taking action on the ground.
Jointly hosted by the International Trade Centre and South Africa's Department of Small Business Development last July, the Global SME Ministerial brought together over 700 participants from 70 countries. It was a rare convergence of trade promotion organization (TPO) leaders, ministers of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), and business representatives.
At the Ministerial, the TPO Leadership Dialogue produced a pair of strategic Roadmaps. The first – a Roadmap for TPO Excellence – addresses the urgent question of relevance. As artificial intelligence now enables any entrepreneur to generate market research or devise market entry strategies in minutes, what is the unique value a TPO brings?
Alberto Silini, Senior Regional Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE), says the answer lies in accumulated expertise and trusted global networks.
‘TPOs must keep sharpening their competencies. AI can produce a market report – but it can't replace the relationships, judgment, and on-the-ground intelligence that a seasoned TPO brings,’ said Silini, who contributed to various panel discussions.
The second Roadmap focuses on aligning TPOs with SME ministers. Silini is direct about what this demands: TPOs must improve their ability to anticipate economic disruptions – tariff shifts, border policy changes, material shortages, geopolitical realignments – and arrive at ministerial tables with concrete recommendations, not just data.
AI can produce a market report – but it can't replace the relationships, judgment, and on-the-ground intelligence that a seasoned TPO brings.Alberto SiliniSenior Regional Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Switzerland Global Enterprise
Critical areas for trade promotion
For Peter Shivute, Executive for MSME Development and Export Promotion at Namibia's Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), the conference crystallized the need for political champions. ‘You need someone who will carry your voice into the necessary rooms,’ he says.
NIPDB has chosen green transition as one of its priority areas. The country is already a world leader in green energy and is globally competitive in the area of green iron, explained Shivute.
‘Our second area of focus is our digital and tech ecosystem. The Prime Minister’s office is already holding a public sector innovation summit. It is this kind of political leadership to bring the public sector to focus on digital innovation that we take very seriously in Namibia,’ Shivute added.
NIPDB will also focus on resilience, supporting small businesses to recover from unforeseen shocks through the use of social safety nets, financial resources, and responsive policies. ‘Resilience is the bedrock of our action, it is built into whatever we do,’ said Shivute.
Turning words into action
Internally, NIPDB plans to institutionalise the Roadmap for Excellence through dedicated focal points, clear accountability structures, and incentivized deadlines.
Switzerland takes a complementary approach. With 99 percent of Swiss companies classified as small businesses, S-GE has made structured dialogue with government a cornerstone of its strategy with scheduled roundtables where TPOs and industry associations discuss issues and co-develop solutions. The Roadmaps now feed directly into S-GE’s annual and triennial strategy reviews.
Silini is candid about the risk of inaction: conferences that produce only concept papers erode institutional credibility and, more seriously, national competitiveness.
Shivute grounds his approach in the day-to-day reality of relationship management: ‘My priority is not necessarily someone else's priority,’ he acknowledged. Sustained progress, he argued, depends on persistent presence and genuine relationship-building across government and small business. 
22 July 2025, Johannesburg, South Africa – At the TPO Leadership Dialogue, a Roadmap for TPO Excellence addressed the urgent question of relevance. As artificial intelligence now enables any entrepreneur to generate market research or devise market entry strategies in minutes, what is the unique value a TPO brings? Photo by ITC