With the advent of the internet and the development of Information and Communication technology, new reinvented forms of Trade Promotion Organizations have emerged. The globalization of today’s trading environment has forced economies to prioritize the development of the export competitiveness of their SMEs sector, as to be able to survive amidst the fierce global competition. The digital economy has created new means and channels of overcoming barriers of trade faced by SMEs due to their size and limited resources. To this end the International trade center has launched the Global Trade Point Network in 1993. The objective of this new electronic form of TPO is to assist firms in developing countries to explore business opportunities effectively by providing them with targeted market information and facilitating exporting procedures at a relatively low cost. With the expanding number of interconnected Trade Points, The GTPNet is rising to be the main global network for trade-related information streams. This study explored the extent of usefulness of these trade points in providing SMEs with real export opportunities as well as boosting their export competitiveness in Egypt, due to it being the one country with the highest number of operating trade points. The study used a mixed sequential methodology, combining both a semi structured interview based qualitative analysis followed by a questionnaire based large scale survey. This study was built around the theory of stages of internationalization, to reflect the fact that SMEs in the new evolving digital environment, are still in need of acquiring export market knowledge throughout the different stages of the internationalization process through secondary sources. Export market-knowledge as a firm resource boosts its competitive position and in turn to increased commitment to the export operation. On a theoretical level, a perceived usefulness construct for International trade points has been developed using exploratory factor analysis that paves the way to empirical tests of the different recommendations in the export promotion literature. The domain incorporates a new factor pertinent to the unique nature of International trade points, as being dependent on an electronic matching system supported by a global network, the proposed definition and usefulness of International trade points provides a conceptual framework in an area where little prior research has been conducted. Based on the findings, Egyptian Small and Medium Enterprises did not appreciate this new developed service due to their lack of e-readiness and resilience to engage in this process. From a practical perspective, the study has supported the findings of previous empirical studies, that pointed out that Export promotion Organizations are not targeting the real potential disadvantaged firms as committed exporters with high export intensity were the main recipients of successful trading opportunities through International Trade Points, as well as the ones that perceived these governmental sponsored organizations to be more useful. Moreover, the study revealed the shortcomings in the performance of International trade points, which are to a great extent attributable to their inefficient governmental organizational and managerial structure.

由於國際貿易有助於一國的經濟福祉，故各國政府為促進對外輸出而紛紛設立以促進輸出為目的之貿易推廣機構。各貿易推廣機構並在國外設立辦事處以執行其任務。 　　應如何評估貿易推廣機構之績效，目前尚在萌芽階段；至有關貿易推廣機構應如何評估其國外辦事處績效，目前則只有UNTAD/ITC曾作過研究。不過它的建議只能用為績效評估的輔助方法，而不能引為績效評估的依據。因此本研究之目的即在為貿易推廣機構國外辦是處的績效評估指標建立，發展一個可以遵行的方法。 　　經參酌營利事業、非營利機構、多國藉企業國外分支機構等的績效評估理論與實務，本研究為貿易推廣機構國外辦事處績效評估指標之建立，發展出下列五個命題； 　　命題一：貿易推廣機構國外辦事處，有關達成目標的績效評估指標，應以其工作項目中，有關促進貿易之項目為對象，作為建立之基礎。 　　命題二：貿易推廣機構國外辦事處，有關善用資源的績效評估指標，應以其運用可控制資源的效率，作為建立之基礎。 　　命題三：貿易推廣機構國外辦事處，有關使所屬貿易推廣總部滿意的績效評估指標，應以所屬貿易推廣總部決策人員，對於「何謂有效達成目標」的主觀價值，作為建立的基礎。 　　命題四：貿易推廣機構國外辦事處，有關使本國廠商滿意的績效評估指標，應以本國廠商利用其與促進貿易有關工作後的評價，作為建立的基礎。 　　命題五：貿易推廣機構國外辦事處，有關使駐在國進口廠商滿意的績效評估指標，應以駐在國廠商利用其與促進貿易有關工作的次數增減比率，作為建立的基礎。 　　為驗證前述五個命題在實務上的適用性，本研究續以我國的駐外商務單位為對象，初步發展出23個績效評估指標，再繼以駐外商務單位主管、國內總部決策人員、出口貿易廠商為對象，進行間卷調查之實證研究。 　　調查結果顯示本研究為貿易推廣機構國外辦事處所建立的績效評估五項命題，其有適用價值。貿易推廣機構可據以發展績效評估指標，以對其國外辦事處，進行績效管理。

The companies are operating in complex, dynamic and uncertain environments that it difficult to compete. The e-economy each time has a major presence in business world, then, the small entrepreneurs must design strategies based on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), particularly the use of Internet, to improve company performance. Thus, the efficient implementation of websites is a mechanism that should exploit exporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or with export potential, of the handicrafts industry, to communicate desired company image and optimize customer service, this it has implications who require to be analyzed to make an effective use of the ICTs. / Las empresas actualmente se desenvuelven en entornos complejos, dinámicos e inciertos que hacen difícil competir. Ya que la economía digital cada vez tiene mayor presencia en el mundo de los negocios, entonces, los pequeños empresarios deben diseñar estrategias basadas en las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC), particularmente el uso de Internet, para mejorar el desempeño de la empresa. Así, la implementación de sitios web eficientes es un mecanismo que deben explotar las PYMES exportadoras o con potencial exportador del sector artesanías para comunicar la imagen deseada de la empresa y optimizar así la atención al cliente; esto tiene implicancias que requieren ser analizadas para hacer un uso eficaz de las TIC.

This master's thesis deals with the comparison of export support systems in the Czech Republic and Austria. In the first chapter, the terms "export support" and "export credit agencies" are defined and instruments of export supporting policies as well as their positive and negative aspects are listed and EU regulation and policies in this field are briefly described. A short description of the Czech Republic and Austria follows. Special attention is paid to the following analysis of export strategies and export credit agencies in both economies. This descriptive theoretical part is complemented by a practical case study carried out in cooperation with TOSHULIN, a.s. -- a successful producer and exporter of machinery. Both systems of export support are evaluated from the point of view of the company's sales department. The thesis concludes with an evaluation of the topic, a comparison of the effectiveness of both export support systems, and the author's suggestions for potential innovation and improvement in this area.