Conference “Energy transition and the supply chain”

The Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, in collaboration with the Belgian business association Agoria and the Spanish Embassy in Belgium, held yesterday a conference entitled “Energy Transition and the Supply Chain”.

The event focused on how the strategic decisions of energy companies will affect the functioning of the supply chain and was attended by Spanish companies Naturgy and Iberdrola.

In a first opening block, Eduardo Gutiérrez, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Spanish Embassy in Belgium, welcomed all the participants and underlined the importance of this kind of events to favour the business collaboration between Belgian and Spanish companies. Then, Pieter Jan Provoost, Manager at Agoria’s Energy Technology Group and Pablo López Álvarez, President of the Chamber, gave a brief presentation of the different organisations.

Later, in a second block aimed at learning about the new public policies in relation to energy, as well as the investments planned both in Spain and Belgium, the event included the intervention of María Palanca Reh, Economic and Commercial Counsellor at the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Brussels, and Filip De Weerdt, Science and Technology Coordinator at Flanders Investment & Trade.

Strategic decisions

The conference continued with two presentations, given by Nuria Rodríguez, Director of Environment and Sustainability at Naturgy and Pieter Ferdinand Elias Duerinckx, International Head of Renewable Energy Generation Equipment at Iberdrola. Both presented their respective points of view on how the strategic decisions taken by energy companies will directly affect the functioning of the global supply chain.

Pieter Jean Provoost, Manager at Agoria, moderated next a panel discussion between the two speakers, followed by a round of questions related to the implementation of green hydrogen in Spain and the particularities of its taxonomy were highlighted.

The event ended with a cocktail party where guests were able to share their views on the discussions, as well as serve as a meeting point for professional networking.

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Webinar on “Buying a second home in Costa Blanca: the Why and the How”

On Thursday 2 December 2021, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium in Luxembourg organised the webinar “Buying a second home on the Costa Blanca: the why and the how”, in collaboration with the Spanish company Provia.

During this webinar, the speakers Jesualdo Ros, Secretary General of Provia, and Caroline Clinton, Head of the Customer Service Department of Abaco Advisers, on behalf of Petra Bettens, legal advisor at Abaco Advisers, provided the attendees with information about the process of buying a second property in Spain and the benefits of this acquisition on the Costa Blanca.

Jesualdo Ros was the first to speak, sharing with the audience the statistics related to the purchase of flats and villas in the province of Alicante and giving advice on what are the first steps to take and what to consider when hiring someone to advise you on the purchase.

Price increases

Ros explained to the audience that currently Belgian nationals with property on the Costa Blanca are spending more time in this second home and are buying larger, more expensive and newly built properties. The secretary general of Provia added that because of this, prices have increased by an average of 4% but that the average age of the buyer has dropped to 52 years old.

Next, the floor was given to Caroline Clinton, from Abaco Advisers, who focused on the six steps in the process of buying a property on the Costa Blanca. Clinton explained that her company has provided legal advice to many Belgian nationals looking for a property and has helped them to establish contacts with notaries and local banks.

During the question and answer session, both speakers answered the doubts of the participants regarding the figure of the notary during the purchase process or the differences that exist between buying a flat or a house on the Costa Blanca.

From the Chamber, we would like to thank the speakers for their participation in this webinar and also for the interest of all the attendees.

Webinar on “Business Opportunities in selling to Defence Organisations”

Last Tuesday, November 30th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organised a webinar on “Business opportunities in selling to Defence Oganizations”, in collaboration with its member company Premium Concept.

In this webinar, speaker Dionysia Leolei, Managing Partner of Premium Concept, offered information on what are the effective strategies and approaches to introduce and sell products and services to defence organisations, such as NATO, EU Defense and the Defence Ministries of the Allied Nations.

During the session, Leolei mentioned what the defence industries in the US and in the EU are like and highlighted the complexity of the sector due to its high technological development and the enormous competition. She also explained what actions Premium Concept would take to help participants identify what’s happening in the market before entering it.

At the end of the webinar, Dionysia recalled the importance of properly identifying the possibilities of each company with an expert and provided her contact to all attendees with questions that were interested in organising a 1-to-1 meeting.

Webinar on “Bikesperience, routes, live and work in Andalusia (Malaga y Almeria)”

On November 24th wednesday , from 13:00 to 14:00, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organised together with the partner company MTSpain- Advisor of “Living in Spain” (legal, home, insurance, banks) a webinar on “Bikesperience, routes, live and work in Andalusia (Malaga and Almeria)”. Antonio Jesús Reina from Turismo Andaluz, Heather Cooper (Hike + Bike), Milagros Granizo Muñoz (MTSpain), Maryna Yatsenyuk (Caixabank), Max Van Gorkom (Claire Joster), Cindy Rowe (Tiberghien) and finally, Gilbert Van Fraeyenhoven (Baguet Bicycle Center).

Due to the current situation of COVID-19, more and more people are interested in making the most of the possibility of having a balance between work and the quality of life that Andalusia offers, especially for those who love cycling, sun and open spaces. Thanks to the facilities offered by digitalisation, many Europeans, including Belgians and Luxembourgers, have shown interest in opting for a second home in Andalusia.

During the webinar, the main cycling routes that exist in Malaga and Almeria were exposed and the possibilities they offer for MTB, leisure, e-bike or hiking among others. Then they mentioned the services and facilities offered both financial and non-financial for people who want to work from Spain, taking into account the existing cultural differences exposed from personal experiences.

Among the doubts clarified in the webinar, there were issues related to the purchase of second homes, the most difficult and interesting routes for cycling enthusiasts or issues that may affect cycling groups located in Flanders and the support they may have to move to Spain.

From the Chamber, we would like to thank the speakers for their interventions and all the attendees for their presence.

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The Chamber promoted youth entrepreneurship at the “Digital skill-up!” training week.

The “Digital skill-up!” training week was organised in the framework of the Erasmus+ project “Transforming COVID-19 into an opportunity: new inclusive digital jobs and training for in the creative sector”. From 25 to 29 October, participants received practical training on content creation for digital media.  

On 28 October, the Chamber had the opportunity to meet the participants online and explain the projects that are currently open for young people to develop their entrepreneurial skills and business ideas: 

  • Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs, a European exchange programme that allows young or future entrepreneurs to learn from experienced entrepreneurs running small businesses in other countries.  
  • MobiliseSME, a pilot programme that seeks to strengthen the skills and capacity building of SMEs through temporary exchanges of staff, managers, owners or employees of SMEs. 
  • StartCraft, a training programme for craft entrepreneurs. 

 

The Chamber is grateful for the invitation to YouthProacktiv and looks forward to continuing collaborating with them to promote entrepreneurship among young people. 

 If you would like to know more about any of the programmes, please contact: 

  • Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs, Soraya Bravo: erasmus4youngentrepreneurs@e camara.com 
  • MobiliseSME, Noelia Sánchez: mobilisesme@e-camara.com  
  • StartCraft, Soraya Bravo: startcraft@e-camara.com  

Spanish wine tasting in Brussels

On October 21st, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organised, together with its member company From de Roots, a tasting of Spanish wines.

During the tasting, attendees had the opportunity to learn more about the wine production in La Rioja and Catalonia, and enjoy five different wines from both regions: from more traditional ones to biodynamic or natural wines.

Jaume Puigdefabregas and Pedro Fecha not only offered a technical analysis of the wines, but also encouraged the audience to share their opinions, ideas and tastes. They were able to adapt the presentation to the different levels of knowledge of the attendees, allowing both beginners and experts to broaden their knowledge and taste for Spanish wine.

Additionally, the attendees were offered a special food paring for the tasting: high quality Spanish ham, pork loin, cheese, or olives that enhanced the taste of the different wines.

Finally, the participants received a glass of cava as a gift from the organisers, and a glass of wine as a souvenir of their participation.

Introduction to the new European funding program in digitalisation – Good Practices in Spain and in Belgium

On September 22nd, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organised the conference “Introduction to the new European funding program in digitalisation – Good Practices in Spain and in Belgium”, in collaboration with BECI (Chambre de Commerce et Union des Enterprises de Bruxelles) and EEN (Enterprise Europe Network). The event was attended by companies specialised in EU-funded digitisation projects as well as public bodies and regional delegations.

The face-to-face event, which took place at the Welkin & Meraki coworking space in Brussels, started with the welcome words from the Secretary General of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, Marta González, and the Internationalisation Director of BECI, Jean-Philippe Mergen.

The first speaker was Anne-Marie Sassen, Head of Unit at DG CONNECT. During her speech, she presented the objectives and structure of the Digital Europe Programme, highlighting the importance of all companies in the European Union adapting to technological transformation to cope with the current economic situation and to be globally competitive.

Subsequently, Susana Garayoa, Senior Consultant at Zabala Innovation Consulting, explained how this Spanish consultancy firm supports companies in their digitalisation process and in their participation in European funding projects. She took the opportunity to present the new smart platform Kaila, which allows users to search for information on European funding opportunities for digitisation projects, among other things.

Later, Marion Perrin and Benjamin Carnec – both from hub.brussels – took part as national contact points. They presented, on the one hand, the service they offer through their organisations to local participants of the Horizon Europe programme, one of the European Union’s main programmes for research and innovation. Additionally, they presented the Enterprise Europe Network, a global support network for small and medium-sized enterprises with international ambitions, thanks to the one they help these companies to introduce their innovations in new markets.

Then, María Aguilar de Tena, Solutions Project Leader at everis, presented the strategy of this technology consultancy firm within the framework of the programme and shared how they are supporting the European Commission in its development.

To conclude the event, Noelia Sánchez, Project Manager at the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, presented to the attendees the MobiliseSME programme, co-financed by the European Commission and coordinated by the Chamber itself. This pilot mobility programme for the staff of European SMEs supports the internationalisation of Belgian and Spanish companies in the digital sector through the development of mutual beneficial transnational collaborations.

Event co-organized by:

                                                         

Sponsored by:

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Digital ICT Week

The Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce and its Enterprise Europe Network, together with Farvest Group, will organise the 2nd edition of the Digital ICT Week that will take place on 13 – 17 September 2021. The Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg will once again be an official partner of this event.

The Digital ICT Week, built around the ICT Spring tech conference in Luxembourg, will encompass a rich and varied programme to keep its promise to showcase the best tech trends and provide growth opportunities for start-ups and SMEs through its highlight events, such as

  • the Digital Summit
  • the virtual tech visits
  • the International Business Meetings by b2fair
  • and much more…

To register and find more information on the event, kindly consult the website HERE.

This year, the event will be hybrid, offering the possibility to interested companies to participate virtually or physically in the event. Startups interested to participate as exhibitor in the ICT Spring can benefit from a preferential rate of 300 EUR. This offer includes:The participation in the DIGITAL ICT Week is free of charge.

  • The logo or the name of each startup of all communication supports
  • Logo link of the company on the ICT Spring website
  • 4m² stand in the startup’s village – Equipment, including a table and two chairs
  • 2 tickets for the startup team
  • Participation in the International matchmaking meetings by b2fair

In case of interest, please contact us: luxemburgo@e-camara.com

Webinar on “Teleworking from Spain” 

On May 19th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a webinar on “Teleworking from Spain” in collaboration with its member companies BakerTilly, Pro-Pay and Racine, with the participation of Bert Dehandschutter, partner of the law firm Racine, An De Wever, legal advisor and Inge Janssens, legal and immigration director, both from Pro-Pay N.V. and Dany De Decker, Tax Partner of Bakertilly Belgium.

Due to COVID-19 health crisis that forces employees to telework from home, as well as the context of digitalization in which we find ourselves and which makes it possible to work from anywhere with a simple internet connection, many employees choose to move their office abroad either for a short or long period of time. Spain continues to be one of the preferred destinations in this regard.

During the webinar, the main administrative issues that may arise when employees who normally work in Belgium decide to go temporarily to Spain to work from there were addressed, focusing on issues related to social security, labor law and tax consequences.

Among the doubts clarified in the webinar, there are issues related to tax legislation in the case of teleworking from Spain with a Belgian labor contract or issues affecting self-employers working for companies present in a country other than their own.

From the Chamber, we would like to thank the speakers for their interventions and all the attendees for their presence.

In collaboration with:  

                

The Chamber presented Young Entrepreneurs’ fuck up stories: Partners and partnerships at StartIt KBC 

On May 12th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organised the online presentation “Young Entrepreneurs’ fuck up stories: Partners and partnerships” together with the start-ups’ incubator Start it @KBC, in the framework of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE), in collaboration with the member company Vision Communication Consultancy. 

The “Young Entrepreneurs’ fuck up stories” presentation focused on the fact that starting as an entrepreneur is not always easy, highlighting that the most important thing is to learn from failure. In this case, in “Partners & Partnerships: love me or leave me”, the speaker was Ramon Villa, founder of the member company Vision Communication Consultancy. Villa shared his experience and the lessons learned from his mistakes as a starting entrepreneur as well as advising the participants on how to build their first business partnerships. 

Addionally, during this presentation, the participants discovered more information about the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme, which aims to connect entrepreneurs from all over Europe and promote the exchange of experiences between them. The participants not only had the opportunity to know more about the requirements to participate in the programme as New Entrepreneur (NE) and Host Entrepreneur (HE) but also about the support offered by the Chamber to take part in the programme and carry out an exchange. 

The Chamber thanks Ramon Villa and Start It KBC for their collaboration and hopes that many start-ups can benefit from this initiative.