MobiliseSME brings EU funding to Agribusiness

Paolo Sospiro is the director of a Belgian organisation that supports SMEs in the search for projects and tenders at European level, and Mauro Picardo is the representative of a pomegranate cooperative in Italy. These two professionals have been collaborating through the MobiliseSME programme since April 2021.

In March this year, Paolo registered his association EUAbout in the programme managed by the Chamber. He was looking forward to sharing his experience and expertise in European tenders and projects with other SMEs and to expand his network of contacts in the agribusiness sector at European level.

In the framework of the MobiliseSME programme, he decided to join forces with Mauro Picardo, head of Melograno Vita, a pomegranate cooperative in the Marche region that uses innovative technologies to harvest, process and produce pomegranate in the most environmentally friendly way.

At the beginning of their exchange, Melograno Vita was interested in developing a methodology for collecting data from the cooperative’s members and finding out how to enter EU projects.

Thanks to the collaboration with Sospiro, they have successfully submitted two calls for proposals at European level and one at national level, as well as partnering with the Polytechnic University of Marche to work on bio-packaging. As a result, Melograno Vita, the Polytechnic University of Marche and SIPREM decided to become the shareholders of the new spin-off of the cooperative, Melograno biotech, a start-up dedicated to R&D activities for the production and transformation of pomegranate.

In addition, they have met with regional authorities and companies in the value chain to prepare for new regional agricultural calls for proposals.

On the other hand, to meet the EuAbout objective of expanding its professional network in Agribusiness, Melograno Vita has shared its Italian contacts in the sector while supporting Paolo to improve his knowledge on the specific systems of organic circular economic production of pomegranate.

Paolo Sospiro and Mauro Picardo are great examples of a successful collaboration focused on innovation and the development of new products and services.

Click here to find out more about the MobiliseSME programme.

Contact us to register in the programme by sending an email to mobilisesme@e-camara.com

New 2021-2022 Communication Pack of the Chamber

The Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg has already available its new 2021-2022 Communication Pack that includes the advertising rates for this year, as well as the information about its media. You may also find the form you need to fill in for contracting advertising space.

Through this Pack, the Chamber aims to present a perfect multichannel ecosystem to boost the image of your company in 2022 and to provide tools that will allow you to reach your target audience in Belgium and Luxembourg.

You can check the Communication Pack here.

Second edition of the SFF Magazine

The second issue of the SFF Magazine, a publication produced by the Chamber in the framework of its Committee “Spanish Financial Forum”, focused on the financial sector, is now available.

The SFF Magazine is a sectoral publication targeted towards all those professionals working in the financial services industry who wish to be informed of legislative news, trends and business development opportunities between Spain and Luxembourg within this sector.

This publication is quarterly published both in Spanish and English, and it is distributed for free in digital format. The contents are provided by members of the SFF and financial stakeholders in both countries.

The second issue contains:

  • An opinion section focusing on unit-linked life insurance as a wealth planning solution.
  • Interview with Luis Alberto Aguerre Enriquez, Counsel at VANDENBULKE.
  • Quarterly dossier dedicated to Fintech companies and digitization of the financial sector, with a comparative view of the Fintech ecosystem in Spain and Luxembourg. It also highlights 10 Fintech & Insurtechs to watch in 2021, and includes a section with expert views on the role of technology companies in the financial services industry. The dossier is completed with a best practices article on digital innovation carried out by the RBC I&TS financial team.
  • A section with current information from SFF members and collaborators.
  • Current legislative articles:
    • Taxonomy: how a financial market tool becomes the backbone of the EU Green Deal.
    • Alternative investment in Spain: regulatory framework and financial sector.
    • Private Equity: awaiting development and steps towards democratization.

View HERE the second edition of the SFF Magazine

You can subscribe HERE to the SFF Magazine

 

Interview to Esther Pisonero, Hotel Avenue Louise Brussels Trademark Collection by Wyndham

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The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg elects new president

After its annual general meeting, the new board of directors of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg today unanimously elected Pablo López-Alvarez as president for the next three years. Pablo López-Alvarez, director of the consulting group FTI Consulting and currently vice president of the Chamber, succeeds Juan Rodriguez Villa (Aspro Parks Group), who held the presidency for the last 11 years.

After his election, the new President expressed his “gratitude and honor for the appointment” and his commitment “to, together with the renewed Board of Directors, ensure continuity of the great work carried out by the Chamber under the leadership of my predecessor.”

“My priority is to continue promoting the dual role of the Chamber, as a facilitator of investment and commercial flows on a bilateral level, and as a platform for dialogue between Spanish companies and European institutions. All these activities will be pursued in an environment that is  constantly evolving as a result of the acceleration of digital transformation, decarbonisation and new hybrid work models,” said López-Alvarez.

“Belgium has traditionally been one of the main destinations for Spanish exports, but given its dynamism and openness, it is a market that offers room for growth and new opportunities for our companies, which we must take advantage of. The same can be said of Luxembourg, which, after Brexit, has seen its leadership as a financial hub strengthened”, highlighted the new President.

“On the other hand, we cannot ignore the fact that the Chamber is located in the capital of Europe and that far-reaching and transformative initiatives are currently being developed in Brussels such as the Green Deal, the revision of digital regulations, the redefinition of trade relations with the United States and China, and the development of environmental and social taxonomies or recovery plans. It is crucial that Spanish companies contribute actively. The Chamber is already channelling that contribution, but there is no doubt that we can do more. We must also serve as a transmission belt to help Spanish companies anticipate new trends and opportunities that may arise from political or regulatory decisions at the European level,” added López-Alvarez.

In his farewell Juan Rodriguez-Villa, who has served as president for 16 years, during two different stages, declared: “It has been a great honor to be president of this Chamber and to be able to defend and promote the interests of Spanish companies in Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as to project the Brand Spain (Marca España) in the capital of Europe. I leave with a feeling of duty accomplished. Thanks to the great work of our board of directors and our team, I think I can say, with all modesty but also with special pride, that I am leaving the Chamber at the best moment in its history and with great potential for development ahead”.

The Chamber’s management team counts with two new vicepresidents: Abelardo García (BBVA), representing Belgium and Joseba Arriortua, representing the Delegation in Luxembourg. The Board of Directors is completed by representatives of the following companies: ArcelorMittal, Aspro Parks Group, Atrevia, BBVA, everis (NTT Data), GA-P, Iberdrola, Indra, LaLiga, Mercadona, Meteora, One Life, Racine, Santander or Telefonica.