On Tuesday 17 October, the Eurochile Business Foundation held the “Bilateral Meeting with Commercial Attachés of the European Union countries in Chile”. The main objective of this meeting was to provide Chilean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), from all sectors, the opportunity to enter the various European markets, understanding the trends, regulations, certifications and other relevant aspects that influence these markets.

During this meeting, we counted with the participation of the Chilean-German Chamber of Commerce; the Chilean-Italian Chamber; the Embassy of Belgium in Chile; Flanders Investment & Trade; the Agency for Business Competitiveness of Catalonia (ACCIO); the Spanish Chilean Chamber of Commerce (Camacoes); and the Chamber of Commerce of the Embassy of Denmark and Business Finland.

The event was designed to be accessible to the entire national innovation ecosystem interested in acquiring knowledge on European market trends and exploring possibilities for collaboration with Europe. In addition to SMEs, Chilean entrepreneurs, chambers of commerce and representatives of European embassies have joined in a space for networking and collaboration that has resulted in a valuable synergy.

In this regard, Sacha Garefulic, representative of the Danish embassy in Chile, said: “I found this meeting interesting, we have been able to establish contact with Chilean businessmen and entrepreneurs who are looking to approach the Danish industry. We have also identified a great potential and possibilities for Danish companies to offer services, solutions and products to their Chilean counterparts, which could generate opportunities for collaboration. We have observed companies dedicated to sustainability, circular economy and recycling, areas in which we believe there is great potential for Chilean SMEs and the Danish market to work together“.

Likewise, Jorge Reyes, representative of the Belgian embassy in Chile, highlights the importance of these meetings to establish connections with Chilean companies, to which they do not always have access. “This initiative gives us the opportunity to engage in conversations with companies to which we normally do not have access, and the format was ideal, precise and very interesting. I think this is an initiative that should be continued, as it is of the utmost importance for us to be able to maintain this kind of contact with Chilean companies, to whom we will probably be able to offer assistance in the near future“.

The Bilateral Meeting has been a unique platform for the exchange of ideas and the creation of strategic alliances. Participants had the opportunity to learn first-hand about the opportunities that European markets offer and how to adapt their business strategies to make the most of them.

In this sense, Valentina Veloso from Yaku Biofiltro, a startup dedicated to innovation for the circular use of water, highlights the initiative carried out by Eurochile. “It has been a very profitable instance because we have been able to connect with different partners and collaborators to develop our internationalisation model. These alliances are essential for us as a Chilean startup, as we need to establish contact with key people and partners to start our internationalisation process towards Europe, which is the market we are targeting for next year”, says Veloso.

On the other hand, Carla Olguin, Entrepreneurship Advisor of the Sercotec Santiago – Providencia Business Centre, expressed that, “the activity allowed us to generate several links that will help us to look for collaboration opportunities for our current and future entrepreneurs that approach our business centre network“.

In summary, this event reflects the commitment of the Eurochile Business Foundation to strengthen business ties and promote innovation in SMEs, both in Chile and in the European Union, so that they can continue to grow and contribute to mutual development in the future.