The objective is to attract investment for the projects generated and to publicize the products.

The roadmap drawn up by theSantiago Chamber of Commerce for international promotion in the coming months will focus especially on the biotechnology sector. The entity will develop actions in four continents consisting of exhibitions and visits to international fairs, trade missions and participation in congresses within the framework of the export promotion plan, promoted by the Igape and co-financed by the EU. Biotechnology companies will have a special role in the activities planned with the aim of attracting investment for the projects generated and publicizing their products.

According to the head of the Chamber’s internationalization department, Fernando Pérez, the commitment to the biotechnology sector is “strategic”.

At the beginning of 2023, there were 50 entities with a combined turnover of 65 million euros and 350 employees. For all these reasons, “Santiago is a power in this field and has the capacity to increase its influence because the product and the technical capacity have been demonstrated. Now it is necessary to take it abroad, it is necessary to make it known”, indicates Perez.

The head of internationalization points out that this field is in continuous growth, especially as a result of the pandemic, “where the strategic importance of being at the forefront of research, not only for vaccines, but for all types of drugs, became much more visible”. Thus, he adds that “biotechnology is also very important in the field of new foods and the added value it supports is fundamental for us and for international promotion”.

Low financial capacity

The potential of the biotech companies in the Galician capital faces the problem that “despite having a very good product and very good technicians, the financial capacities are small,” Pérez points out. “The companies are small and a product needs a few years of research to become a reality. Getting enough financing to generate that product once it is finished is not easy when the companies’ financial backs are narrow,” he stresses.

For this reason, the chamber of commerce is clear that one of the ways to increase this capacity is to look for financing abroad. Pérez describes that “we work first in advising. We have to take into account that these technicians who are in the biotechnological field do not necessarily know about foreign trade, international contracting, product approvals, which are the most relevant fairs or where the best and largest financiers for this type of product can be found. And that is our job, to locate these forums and make it as easy as possible for them to get there with all the logistics and all the necessary information ready”.

Planned actions

Within this strategy, America and Europe will be the main destinations, without losing sight of other markets in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. In addition to the field of biotechnology, the Compostela-based organization will focus on the promotion of the contract sector. The Chamber has organized business missions in the American continent in North Carolina (USA) for the biotech sector. In addition, they will travel to Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Colombia and to a sectorial mission for pharmaceuticals and aeronautics in Mexico. They will also attend the Bio International Convention in San Diego (United States) and the Expopesca Fair in Manta (Ecuador).

In Europe, the company will approach the markets of Switzerland (Swiss Biotech day and Vita foods Europe); Brittany (France) for the biotech sector; Greece, Cyprus and Turkey. Also in Europe, participation in events such as the CPHI Fair in Milan (Italy), Bio Europe in Sweden (Stockholm) and Food Ingredients Europe in Frankfurt (Germany) will be organized.

Asian markets will also be another of the objectives of the Chamber’s international agenda for this year, with destinations such as Singapore and Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia (for the contract sector). Participation in the Big Five Fair in Dubai is also planned. In the African regions, trade missions were scheduled to expand into the Egyptian markets in November and participation in the Halieutis Show in Morocco in 2025, for the fishing sector.

Urovesa, a success story

Through these trade missions and attendance at international fairs, there are examples of success stories of Santiago companies that began to export more or that did not have the capacity to act abroad. Pérez cites the case of Urovesa, which “at international level began with the Chamber”.

Thus, he emphasizes that the brand of special vehicles, after taking its first steps abroad with this program, “was increasingly strengthening its internationalization capacity, set up a specific department, was increasing products and markets, and there comes a time when the company flies alone”.

For Pérez, this case exemplifies the idea of the international promotion plan, which he summarizes as “facilitating the first steps for companies until exports are stabilized. Then, the funds must be focused on those companies that are just starting out”.

Original news:El sector biotecnológico de Santiago busca proyectarse en el exterior para desarrollar todo su potencial – elCorreoGallego ( 8/04/2024).

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