Kick-off meeting of the European project START

On the 29th of March took place in Brussels the kick-off meeting of  START – Strategic ParTnership to Improve InternAtionalization skills of SMEs in ReTail sector, project coordinated by the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg.

After a first online consortium meeting, shortly after the attribution of the project, which served to identify the first steps to be followed in the implementation of the project, as well as the persons responsible for the daily management, this second face-to-face meeting in Brussels, organised by the Chamber, has served to motivate the collaboration and create links between the partners.

The main objective was to start the project activities, to identify the different work packages and the partners responsible for each of them in order to achieve the first result: the development of a mobile report (App) on the competences needed by retail SMEs that decide to internationalise, according to representatives of this sector.

START is a 24-month project that aims to promote the internationalisation of SMEs in the retail sector, stimulating economic growth and development. To assist entrepreneurs and professionals in the retail sector (both future and active) in the development of an international strategy for their business, thanks to an adequate training able to guide them in the internationalisation process and its successful implementation.

In addition, the project will seek to:

  • Support the development of the figure of the “internationalisation manager” for SMEs.
  • Train entrepreneurs, start-ups and decision-makers in the sector.
  • Train young people and unemployed people looking for new job opportunities in this sector.
  • Increase the digital literacy of learners to facilitate the distance learning process and to optimise the use of e-commerce technologies to further develop small retail businesses.

We will keep you informed about the evolution of the project!

14/09 First ham cutting workshop in Luxembourg

On September 14th, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg will organise a first edition of the ham cutting workshop in Luxembourg, in collaboration with The Cortador Academy, the first school in BeNelux to learn how to cut this delicatessen. The workshop, successfully organised already two times in Belgium, will be held under the direction of Master Cortador José Cristóbal Álvarez García, who obtained his renowned diploma at the Spanish school “Escuela Internacional de Cortadores de Jamón”. 

The workshop is open to professionals in the horeca sector and other citizens who wish to deepen their interest in this art. During the day, attendees will be able to study the different types of existing ham and their characteristics as well as the regulations that concern the sector, and will learn, in a theoretical and practical way, the main techniques to professionally plate and slice from the meat to the bone. 

The training will be offered in English, Spanish and French, and will take place at Cité Henri Dunant 10, L-8095 Bertrange (Luxembourg). 

You can get more detailed information about this training in the following link.

If you are interested in participating, please fill out this form. 

In collaboration with:
Diagrama Descripción generada automáticamenteImagen que contiene dibujo, alimentos Descripción generada automáticamente

11/06 2nd Edition doubles paddle tennis tournament in Luxembourg

On 24th September 2022, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg in collaboration with Letz Make it Padel is organising a second edition of the paddle tennis tournament in pairs that will bring together the expat community in Luxembourg with the aim of promoting networking among its network of contacts.

Each participant will receive a sports T-shirt and will be part of a raffle of Spanish products. After the tournament, participants will be able to enjoy a networking cocktail as well as to attend the trophy ceremony.

You can register via the following link.

Networking meeting among entrepreneurs

Last Thursday 24th of March, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organised a networtking meeting among entrepreneurs in Brussels, for Spanish entrepreneurs in Belgium. The event, with more than fifteen participants, was organised in the framework of the EmprendeBelux programme, which aims to support Spaniards who have recently created or are interested in starting an entrepreneurial project in Belgium, and in the framework of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) programme, which offers transnational exchanges to young entrepreneurs and people who want to start a business.

During the meeting, the Chamber first presented the services they offer, as well as the European projects they coordinate and that could be of interest for the professional activity of the attendees. Then, the participants had the opportunity to present their entrepreneurial projects and exchange experiences. Among them, there were entrepreneurs from the translation, politics, technology, art, and beverages sectors.

If you are a Spanish entrepreneur in Belgium or Luxembourg interested in joining the Chamber’s network of entrepreneurs, please send an email to info@e-camara.com.

Training on “Social Media Management for Businesses”

On the 24th and 25th of March, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organised a training on “Social Media Management for Businesses“, in collaboration with Philippe Schifflers, digital marketing consultant and online trainer. The webinar was attended by more than 15 participants from different companies and organisations. 

Social media has established itself as a fundamental tool for any business or organisation and therefore, it is now more important than ever to manage these channels correctly and intelligently in order to maximise opportunities and prevent crises, regardless of the size of the industry or company. The course was designed for profiles looking to improve their corporate social media skills. 

The course started by highlighting the important and essential role of the Social Media Manager, as well as the relevance of social media auditing, the elements behind a communication strategy or a social media calendar. This session covered elements of marketing and best practices on Twitter and Facebook. Participants had the opportunity to learn about real cases of best practices from companies and get insights and tips on how to manage these different aspects.

Visibility

The last session also explained the huge relevance of events, stakeholders, influencers and reputation management on different channels as a way to enhance the impact and visibility of any organisation or business. Crisis management in social media and the importance of GDPR and privacy compliance were also covered.  Best practices, examples and tips on Linkedin, Youtube and Instagram were also presented with special emphasis on the different target audiences and profile of each social network. And finally, the speaker presented a wide range of useful online tools for social media management. 

During the training, participants were able to ask questions and see some examples of practical European projects. 

From the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg we would like to thank Philippe Schifflers for his presentation and dedication, as well as the participants for their attendance. 

Kick-off meeting of the European DGVET project held in Granada

Last 17th and 18th of March took place in Granada the kick-off meeting of DG VET, Erasmus+ project coordinated by the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg.  The aim of the meeting was to initiate the activities of the project and to establish both the lines of work and the future actions for its proper implementation.

In addition, the meeting served to create synergies between the project partners and to identify the persons responsible for each organisation. The fact that the meeting was held in a face-to-face format also made it possible to create links and generate an atmosphere of trust that will allow the collaboration of the partners to be strengthened.

DG VET is a 24-month project which aims to develop innovative training material and methodology, together with an online learning platform to support the development of marketable digital and green skills of NEET youth from rural areas to empower their employability, especially women between 18 and 30 years old.

DG-VET project partners recognize the important contribution of the Digital and Green economy (DaGE) sectors to creating job opportunities for young people living in rural areas.

Furthermore, the project will aim to tackle:

  • The digital divide phenomenon: the gap between those living in rural areas and those living in cities in access to ICT;
  • The skills mismatch between job requirements and workers’ skills within DaGE sectors;
  • The lack of policy engagement in the promotion and implementation of supportive youth-oriented VET programs.

We will keep you informed of the evolution of the project!

Luncheon-debate with Olivier Guersent, Director General for Competition of the European Commission

Yesterday, Monday 14th March, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg held in Brussels a luncheon-debate with Olivier Guersent, Director General for Competition of the European Commission, sponsored by Telefónica. The theme of the event revolved around the global competitiveness of European industries and the relationship between industrial policy and the European Union’s competition policy. More than 70 participants attended the event, including members of the Chamber, company managers, delegates from Autonomous Communities and representatives of Spanish and European organisations.


The conference was opened by Pablo López-Álvarez, President of the Chamber, who took the opportunity to thank all those present for their attendance, and then dedicated a few words of special recognition to the extensive career of the speaker Guersent and his long career in various positions of responsibility in European institutions. López-Álvarez also took the opportunity to highlight the complexity of the current geopolitical context derived from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its direct implications on the global market.

European sovereignty

The President of the Chamber also introduced Pablo de Carvajal, Secretary General and Regulatory Affairs of Telefónica, sponsor of the event. De Carvajal highlighted that the continuous transformation of the industry and economy in diverse issues such as digitalisation make a joint industrial policy that promotes European sovereignty in strategic sectors such as telecommunications indispensable. After her speech, he gave the floor to Olivier Guersent.

Guersent dedicated his speech to explaining the specific areas of action of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition, highlighting the relationship between competition policy and industrial policy in the promotion of global competition in European industries. Guersent also stressed the importance of creating a European economic and industrial system that is more resilient to global instability.


The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session where participants were able to express their opinions and raise different issues related to the presentation.

From the Chamber we would like to show special thanks to Bodegas Barbadillo, whose wines could be tasted by all the attendees, as well as the participants, making this event a very successful luncheon-debate.