Since the 1990s, the Eurochile Business Foundation has played a strategic role in linking national SMEs and MSMEs with the Old Continent. With decades of experience and consolidated links with Europe, it has made available a great opportunity for tourism companies in the Coquimbo Region.

This is a mentoring activity with European counterparts whose main objective will be to open new markets and make tourism products and services of SMEs and tourism MSMEs in the Coquimbo Region visible in the European market, within the framework of the project “Reactivation of Regional Tourism with Circular Economy”, financed by the Innovation Fund for Competitiveness (FIC) of the Regional Government of Coquimbo.

In this regard, we spoke with Manuela Caruz, Director of International Networks of the Eurochile Business Foundation, who tells us about the world of opportunities that are opening up for companies in the Coquimbo Region and the quotas that are still available to access the important benefits of the programme.

He explains that the mentoring activity with European counterparts will allow companies in the Coquimbo Region to access new knowledge, trends and experiences free of charge. In addition, they will be able to join digital platforms to promote their products and services to new markets, in an increasingly globalised world driven by the use of new technologies.

Manuela Caruz highlights that the activity aimed at 200 SMEs and tourism MSMEs in the Coquimbo Region will allow entrepreneurs to connect through the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), to more than 60 countries around the world and more than 4,000 experts belonging to 600 organisations, all recognised for their excellence in business support. “A unique opportunity for growth and new business development”, he highlights.

Importantly, the EEN is the world’s largest network supporting small and medium-sized enterprises with international ambitions, providing the tools needed to innovate and grow on an international scale.

• What is the role that the Eurochile Business Foundation plays with tourism MSMEs and SMEs in our country?

The Eurochile Business Foundation has a very important role in the development and strengthening of MSMEs and tourism SMEs in our country and it is mainly based on the relationship we have with Europe through the various activities we carry out. This relationship with institutions of the most different indoles in Europe through the various networks with which we work allows us to be in direct contact and link with counterparts to learn first-hand about experiences, knowledge transfer and the latest trends in the European market.

• How does Eurochile’s link with European networks materialise?

Eurochile’s link with European networks is materialised through direct links with counterparts who can provide information, trends, knowledge and technology from Europe. To this end, various activities are carried out, such as virtual and face-to-face business rounds that are held in Europe and Chile, where MSMEs in the Chilean tourism sector can join. Also, mentorings are developed where European companies can support Chilean MSMEs in the different stages.

In addition, some of the services provided by the network are incorporated into the different projects developed by the Foundation, one of which is the “FIC Reactivation of Regional Tourism with Circular Economy” programme, which we are implementing in the Coquimbo region. In which the mentoring activity is included free of charge for the beneficiary companies of the project and will allow them to contact European companies and institutions for the exchange of experiences.

• How many tourism SMEs and MSMEs have benefited from the support of the Eurochile Business Foundation?

In the project that we are implementing in the Coquimbo Region, we have a total of 200 beneficiary companies. It should be noted that the participation form for this activity is available for those who still want to join.

• What are the direct and indirect benefits for tourism SMEs and MSMEs of access to European platforms?

Direct access to reliable European contacts, as they are made through the Enterprise Europe Network, which is a European network endorsed by the European Commission.

In addition, as the work is done through nodes, there are no language barriers, since the contact is made through Eurochile.

• What does the Mentoring Plan promoted by the Eurochile Business Foundation consist of and what are the benefits of this programme?

The “Mentoring” Plan promoted by the Eurochile Business Foundation with European counterparts allows the transfer of knowledge, experiences and the generation of alliances for business or projects from European to Chilean companies. Mentoring generates instances between Chilean companies or organisations and European counterparts for the transfer of knowledge. It works with partners of the EEN network for bilateral matching, according to the profiles of Chilean companies, a mentoring plan is developed to define the search for supply and / or demand with their peers in Europe. The profiles are distributed among the partners of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) to make a bilateral match and organise meetings with counterparts in Europe.

All these activities are carried out thanks to the fact that Eurochile is part, since 2008, of the EEN network, the largest support network for SMEs with international projection, which combines international business experience and local knowledge that helps to bring innovations to new markets.

Eurochile also has experience in carrying out dissemination and transfer activities through training and consultancy (business models, innovation management, associativity, value addition, marketing, exports, technology transfer and know-how), implementation and management of projects that seek to improve the competitiveness and productivity of SMEs through the strengthening of associativity, public-private dialogue, good environmental practices, digitisation and gender equality.

After the activity, a satisfaction survey will be carried out with the companies in order to obtain information to support them in different areas of action.