Virtual meeting of Spanish entrepreneurs in Luxembourg

On April 20th, the Chamber organised the first virtual meeting of Spanish entrepreneurs in Luxembourg.

The meeting was organised in the framework of the EmprendeBelux programme, which aims to support Spaniards who decide to launch an entrepreneurial project in BeLux. This first meeting was attended by 12 entrepreneurs from different sectors of activity, who had the opportunity to present their project and exchange experiences and information of interest.

Also, several programmes that the Chamber manages in the field of entrepreneurship were presented: Mobility Plan – PICE, Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs, MobiliseSME and StartCraft.

Are you an entrepreneur living in Luxembourg and do you want to participate in upcoming calls? Contact us: luxemburgo@e-camara.com

 

 

The Chamber has now released its Yearbook 2021

The Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg has now released its Yearbook 2021.

You can download the yearbook in its digital version through the Chamber’s Intranet by clicking here.

This publication includes information on the available services to our members, the report of the activities organized by the Chamber during 2020, a description of the programmes in which we are involved, as well as a directory of members by activity sector.

From the Chamber, we would like to thank all the associated companies for their support, which allows us to continue improving and to respond to the needs of our members.

The yearbook is available in both Spanish and English.

We would also like to thank the advertisers for their collaboration in the 2021 Yearbook, which allows us to finance the production of this publication:

Launch of the SFF Magazine’s 1st edition

The first edition of the SFF Magazine, a publication produced by the Chamber in the framework of the Working 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, the trends and the business development opportunities between Spain and Luxembourg within this sector.

This publication is quarterly published both in Spanish and English, and it is distributed free of charge in a digital format. The contents are elaborated by expert members of the SFF and collaborators from renowned entities of the sector in both countries.

The first edition of the SFF Magazine contains:

  • An opinion section in which the heads of Spanish banks established in Luxembourg share their views on digitalisation in private banking and the new generations.
  • An interview with Juan Carlos Durán, Senior Private Banker at Banque de Luxembourg.
  • A dossier dedicated to Sustainable Finances, with a comparative view of the initiatives developed by Spain and Luxembourg in this area. It also includes two articles focusing on the SFDR regulation, and a section that gathers the experts’ vision on how the new ESG regulations are affecting the financial industry.
  • A section with relevant information from the SFF members.
  • Legislative news articles:
    • Structuring investments in non-performing loans (NPLs)
    • A Sandbox to conquer the European Fintech sector
    • DAC6 in Luxembourg – Can a taxpayer also be an “intermediary”?

Check HERE the first edition of the SFF Magazine

You can subscribe HERE to the SFF Magazine

 

Launch of a new quarterly publication focused on the financial sector

The Official Spanish Chamber of Comerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, through the Spanish Financial Forum, will launch a new publication at the beginning of April focused on the financial services industry.

Through this sectoral newsletter, the aim is to address issues of interest to SFF members, as well as to promote business opportunities and collaboration between Spain and Luxembourg in the financial sector.

The SFF newsletter will be distributed in digital format in two languages, Spanish and English, and aims to become the publication of reference for all those professionals linked to the provision of financial services in Spain and Luxembourg mainly.

This new communication tool will include current news, opinion columns, interviews and specialised articles, among other information of interest.

The Chamber offers the opportunity to contract advertising and to sponsor contents in this publication. You can find more information here, or contact us by sending an email to mailto:luxemburgo@e-camara.com.

Virtual meeting of members domiciled in Luxembourg

On February 18th, the first assembly meeting of Luxembourg-based members took place. During the meeting, a review of the main activities carried out by the Chamber’s delegation in the Grand Duchy was made, and the next actions to be carried out were detailed.

Likewise, a new structure of the Management Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of Luxembourg, the management body of the Chamber’s delegation in the Grand Duchy, was voted. Finally, the appointment of the four members, representing their respective companies for a period of four years was unanimously elected:

  • Hector Esteban Moreno (Bankinter)
  • Mónica Hortelano (Quintet)
  • Álvaro Laorden (RBC Investor & Treasury Services)
  • Jesús Vicente (Vicente et fils)

These four partners will join the four members of the Chamber’s Board of Directors who are domiciled in Luxembourg and are full members of this Committee.

Lastly, H.E. Mr. Bernardo de Sicart Escoda, Ambassador of Spain in Luxembourg, took the floor to congratulate the new members of the Committee and to wish them good luck in their work.

Internal meeting in the framework of the Spanish Financial Forum

Last Wednesday 27th of January took place the first internal meeting of the year of the Spanish Financial Forum (SFF).

José Luis Rodríguez Álvarez, the Vice-President of the Chamber in Luxembourg and President of this working group, welcomed all the attendees and made a positive balance of the first year of life of this Committee.

Then, María Catalán, delegate of the Chamber in Luxembourg, took the floor. She made a summary of the activities developed during 2020 by the SFF. This working group has raised a lot of interest among the members and, currently, it is made up of more than 85 professionals from different sectors. Seven well-attended webinars were also organised over the past year.

Subsequently, the strategic plan for 2021 was presented, detailing the main objectives for this year. Finally, a debate was opened among the members to set out the next steps to be taken by the Committee.

More information on the Spanish Financial Forum can be found here.

Letter from the President to the members in Luxembourg

Dear members in Luxembourg,

For obvious reasons, I invite you to drink the traditional New Year’s Toast at home. Before continuing, I suggest you to read the few words I would have said “glass in hand”.

The year that ended does not suggest happiness but mitigates satisfactions.

The coronavirus has affected us from all sides. We have been through anguish and physical suffering among us. Fortunately, to my knowledge, there have been no irreparable losses. However, this is not over yet. Let us remain vigilant.

The project became a reality, and, despite its short history, the SPANISH FINANCIAL FORUM already stands out as an important forum in the Luxembourg financial sector.

I mentioned that satisfactions are mitigated in the current circumstances, but there is still room for praise. And my praise goes to you, to that great majority of members who contribute your work, your prestige and the prestige of the entities you represent, to the good image of our Chamber, to the good image of Spain.

In any case, there is always room for gratitude. We would like to thank our Ambassador, Bernardo de Sicart Escoda. Thank you for your generosity, for your advice and for your active role as Honorary President of the Chamber.

Thank you for your work, to the members who represent you in the team that makes up the Board of Directors, with José Luis Rodríguez, our Vice President, at the head. The spirit that unites us is inspired by the assumption of a common cause.

Thanks to María Catalán, our Delegate. She continues to be the soul of the Chamber in the Grand Duchy.

May the balance of your lives in 2021 be positive.

Once the reading is over, as I suggested at the beginning, it’s time for a toast. Of course, with Spanish cava, although before raising the glass, I conclude by asking for blessings for you and your families.

Happy New Year!

Juan Rodríguez-Villa Matons,

President of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg

Webinar: Insurtech report: Discovering Future of Insurance

On November 26th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a webinar on ‘Insurtech report: discovering the future of insurance’ in collaboration with its member company everis. The event took place within the framework of the Spanish Financial Forum, a committee of the Chamber focused on the financial services industry.

Marta Gonzalez Benguria, Secretary General of the Chamber, introduced the webinar thanking the collaboration of everis and the participation of the panelists.

She then passed the floor to Richard Calvo, Insurtech Project Leader at everis, who began by presenting the fourth edition of the ‘InsurTech Outlook’ report, recently published by everis and NTT Data.

This report began to be prepared in 2016, when the investment in Insurtech produced the first impacts on the market. The growing trend of the sector has not stopped since then, reaching 6,300 million dollars in investments in 2019. Richard Calvo highlighted that among the different models of Insurtech, on-demand models and insurance for use, based on technologies such as IoT, Artificial Intelligence or Cloud&Mobile Applications, are those that have acquired the greatest importance, becoming the recipients of 90% of the investment. He also spoke of the main actors involved in the world of Insurtech, including investors, insurers and technological giants.

The report presented by Calvo also analyses the patterns that are repeated in successful startups, for which he uses the concept of ‘EXIT’, which refers to the purchase of a startup by another company and is an indicator of success.

Finally, the speaker indicated the main changes that have taken place in the Insurtechs sector as a result of the COVID19 crisis, among which he pointed out: the slowdown in investments, the variation in the Burn Rate KPI, and the creation of new investment opportunities such as in the Telemedicine and genome sector.

During the question time, attendees were able to present their doubts and comments on issues of interest, which were answered jointly by the everis experts: Dirk Croenen, Head of everis BeNeLux Insurance sector, Marc Durante, Director Insurance everis Luxembourg, Carlos Ordoñez Sanchez, Global Head of Digital Insurance and Richard Calvo. Thus, questions such as the possible change of paradigm in primary health care due to the combined effect of Covid-19 and digitalisation or where Europe is in the race to be at the head of the Insurtech sector with respect to the main players: China, the United States and India were dealt with.

Webinar: “Tax changes in Spain – Opportunities and Challenges in wealth planning for high net worth clients”

On Thursday November 19th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, in collaboration with its member company The OneLife Company, organised a webinar on  “Tax changes in Spain – Opportunities and Challenges in wealth planning for high net worth clients”, which was attended by more than a hundred of professionals focused on wealth management.

Jose Luis Rodríguez Álvarez, Vice-president of the Chamber, introduced the webinar by thanking the collaboration of OneLife and the participation of the keynote speakers.

Then, Antonio Corpas, CEO of OneLife, highlighted the company’s commitment to the Spanish market in the life insurance sector, highlighting the unit-linked solutions. He also took the opportunity to introduce the team that leads the Spanish market, headed by José Manuel Tara, Luis de la Infiesta and Gonzalo García Pérez. This was followed by a virtual round table discussion with three recognised experts in wealth management in Spain, led and moderated by Gonzalo García.

Enrique López de Ceballos, Partner of the Tax Department of Eversheds Sutherland, began the debate by presenting the latest news and tax changes coming up in Spain, analysing their possible impact on high net worth individuals. Among others, he analysed the possible increase in wealth tax or the change in the tax treatment of SOCIMIS and SICAVS.

Afterwards, Carlos Ferrer, Cuatrecasas’ Partner, continued sharing his thoughts on the tax changes mentioned by López de Ceballos. He highlighted the insecurity that these produce in investors and how one of the main qualities sought by international investors is stability and legal security, so that frequent changes can ultimately lead to a relocation of capital.

Javier Seijo, Head of Corporate Tax at EY Law, added the possibility of a great increase in bureaucracy as a result of the new regulations and referred to Luxembourg as an example in terms of channelling investments due to its great stability and creativity in providing solutions for large investors.

The speakers mentioned beneficial products and solutions for wealth planning, such as life insurance or unit-linked solutions.

During the Q&A session, the attendees were able to express their doubts and comments on many issues of interest. Questions such as the special tax deferral transfer regime or whether the new rules will have a transitional regime after their adoption were discussed. 

The webinar was organised within the framework of the Spanish Financial Forum, a committee of the Chamber focused on the financial services industry.

In collaboration with:

 

The Chamber brings young talent together through the PICE mobility program

The European projects consultant and member company of the Chamber, CONEXX-EU, decided to participate in the PICE mobility plan as a host company at the beginning of October. This program offers young Spanish graduates or residents in Spain the opportunity to carry out professional stays in companies in the European Union.

The company discovered this exchange program thanks to an info-day organized by the Chamber and immediately decided to participate because they found it a fantastic opportunity not only for the professional development abroad of the person they were hosting but also for the company itself, allowing them to expand their team and meet new talent. Furthermore, the process of incorporating the candidate and the different steps they had to take had easy and simple results. Therefore, they recommend the program and will undoubtedly welcome new trainees within the framework of the PICE program.

They decided to select Laura Rodríguez for her many qualities and all the value she could bring to their organization. Once the administrative procedures were ready, they drew up a specific work plan for her and organized some introductory sessions both to the organization and to the work carried out by them in order to familiarize her with the new concepts she would encounter during her stay at CONEXX-EU. For the company, Laura’s vision was very enriching, as they consider her to be a very decisive person who has provided new solutions to problems that have arisen in the implementation of the projects in progress at CONEXX-EU. Andrea Escobar, project manager of CONEXX-EU, says that “many times when we are within a project or the same work dynamic for so long, we do things automatically almost by inertia, a new vision helps us to look from another perspective, and thus we update and improve”.

Laura began to work on a face-to-face basis, but at the end of October, due to the increase in cases and the measures put in place by the health authorities, she had to move on to do her work experience remotely. Despite this, she adapted perfectly due to CONEXX-EU’s previous experience with teleworking. Despite having arrived in Belgium in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic with the consequent challenges, Laura was able to integrate easily thanks to the attention and communication with her colleagues and the accompaniment from the Chamber. For her, this was an experience of learning and personal growth, having to move to Brussels in such a particular situation made her develop new skills, giving her at the same time the opportunity to live in another country, meeting new people and living different experiences. For them, I would encourage all interested young people to participate in the program and enjoy the opportunity.

The PICE mobility program continues to offer new vacancies in Belgium on a regular basis and at the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg we continue to work at the disposal of companies and interested parties.

Find out more about the PICE program by clicking here.