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

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.

 

 

 

 

Board of Directors Meeting

On May 28th the Board of Directors of the Chamber held a telematic meeting.
During the meeting, a review of the actions developed by the Delegation of Luxembourg was made, the activities carried out within the framework of the Competition Commission, the Spanish Financial Forum and the Forums Commission were discussed and the next scheduled events were detailed.

The Board of Directors also approved the annual accounts for the 2020 financial year for presentation at the General Assembly Meeting to be held on June 24.

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