On Monday and Tuesday in Vienna, Austria, the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) convened a forum on Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Central and Eastern European Competitiveness as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2009.

Coinciding with the anniversaries of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the “Velvet Revolution,” The forum brought together a cross-section of the region’s diplomats, policy makers, and established and up-and-coming entrepreneurs to discuss successful start-up sectors in Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe. The event provided a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs, senior officials and business leaders to network, share perspectives about new strategies for growth and gain access to mentoring and funding resources.

The forum’s welcoming speaker, The Honorable William C. Eacho, III, President Obama’s newly assigned Ambassador to Austria, tapped his deep entrepreneurial background of investing in alternative energy and technology companies while CEO of private investment company Carlton Capital Group, LLC. Ambassador Eacho was joined by a diverse cast of participants including  the U.S. Ambassador to Macedonia, U.S. Embassy officials in Zagreb, Skopje and Belgrade; pioneering Hungarian entrepreneur Gabor Boraj of Graphisoft; and executives from FedEx, Amgen and the World Bank. Leading fashion industry figures from London, including Percy Parker of PPQ, Alexia Somerville and FLUX Magazine Editor Amechi Ihenacho, mentored young Viennese designers.

Senior management and regional representatives from the following organizations participated in panels and roundtables, including the ArcelorMittal Foundation; the Polish National Capital Fund; the Billion Minds Foundation; the World Fashion Association; Atlas Venture from London; 3TS Capital Partners based in Budapest and Vienna; and the Small Enterprise Assistance Fund. Several regional entrepreneurs and start-up companies also participated.

BCIU forum participants were welcomed to Vienna at a reception on Sunday evening at the official residence of Ambassador Eacho in Vienna.