Businesses can forge friendships across the channel with their European counterparts thanks to a new high-tech service.

'Europartners' has been set up to help Bradford's small and medium sized businesses find partners in Europe where they can develop and expand their operations.

The service was developed by Business Link Bradford & District and Bradford Council and will be based in the West Yorkshire Info Centre in Mercury house in Bradford's city centre. Linked by E-Mail to over 200 Euro Info Centres throughout the continent, the centre receives enquiries from European firms who are looking for potential partners in the UK.

Councillor Tony Cairns, Bradford Council's economic strategy sub-committee chairman with responsibility for European issues, said: "The new service will help local businesses to identify partners across Europe and improve competitiveness.

"The daily information exchange between centres will enable them to make vital contacts in order to maximise business opportunities.

"For example companies locally will be able to find out details on a firm in Spain interested in forming a joint venture, or a distributor in Germany offering to sell their product range."

Each month a Europartners bulletin, sponsored by Leeds law firm Garretts, will be published containing up to date information on fresh opportunities available from Business Link Bradford & District. Europartners coordinator Jill Kenning said: "The idea of the service is to take advantage of existing opportunities in the European market.

"If a Bradford business gives us a description of what sort of business partnership it's looking for abroad we will send a message worded by them to the appropriate Euro Centre in Europe and wait for a response."

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