The Chamber presents its Yearbook 2022

The Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg has now released its Yearbook 2022.

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 2021, 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 2022 Yearbook, which allows us to finance the production of this publication:

               

Three new projects coordinated by the Chamber of Commerce

In February, three new European projects financed by the Erasmus+ programme and coordinated by the Chamber have started: Softimprove, START and DG-VET.

  • Softimprove’s principal goal is to provide entrepreneurs and professionals with the knowledge and practice of soft skills needed to increase their employability, improve their professional prospects, and increment their chances of success. Its duration is three years and the countries where the activities will be implemented are: Spain, Belgium, Francia, Germany, Iceland and Estonia.
  • START has a duration of two years and brings together 5 partners from 6 countries particularly active in the retail sector: Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Poland, Romania and Chipre. The project’s main goal is to help current and future retail professionals in the development of an international strategy for their business. The aim is to provide them with an adequate training which will guide them during the internationalisation process and its successful implementation.
  • DG-VET aims to provide young NEETs from rural areas with the digital and green skills required by the labour market in order to improve their employability, through the development of an innovative training methodology and materials. The project has a duration of two years during which the Chamber, together with the other consortium members, will implement a series of activities in different European countries: Spain, Belgium, Greece, Chipre, Bulgaria and Austria.

The Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg is the coordinator and contact point for these projects for Belgium and Luxembourg .

For further information, please contact:
María Robledano, project manager

  • dgvet@e-camara.com
  • start@e-camara.com
  • softimprove@e-camara.com

Forum commission meeting

On February 15th, the last meeting of the year of the Fora Commission was organised telematically, working group whose task is to propose, organise and monitor the events organised by the Chamber.

During the meeting, chaired by Carlos Rodríguez Cocina of Telefónica, an assessment was made of the latest events organised by the “business circle” tribune and the priorities and upcoming activities for the coming months were defined.

Finally, the priorities and upcoming activities for the next months were defined.

About the Chamber’s Commissions

The Commissions are composed of some of the members as well as the person in charge of the area in question in the Chamber.

These working groups have numerous functions: in-depth studies of proposals, issues, projects, and activities. Through them, the members influence the day-to-day running of the Chamber in order to better adapt the Chamber’s activities to the needs of the members.

At any time, a member can ask the chairman of a Committee to join it or ask the Secretary General to set up a new group.

The Chamber participates in the presentation of the FEDECOM Annual Award to Técnicas Reunidas in UAE

The Federation of Official Spanish Chambers of Commerce in Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania (FEDECOM), of which the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg is a member, presented its Annual Award to Técnicas Reunidas on Wednesday 2 February in Dubai.

With this recognition, FEDECOM distinguishes each year a Spanish company that stands out for its commercial activity and international profile in one of the member countries of the Federation.

The award ceremony, which took place during the Gala Dinner of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Arab Emirates, was attended by Reyes Maroto, Minister of Industry and Xiana Méndez Secretary of State for Trade. Maroto presented the award to the company in a ceremony that was the last event of the activities to commemorate Spain Day at Expo Dubai 2020. The Minister congratulated Técnicas Reunidas for the FEDECOM Award and highlighted the strong presence of Spanish companies, both large and small, in practically all sectors of a market as competitive and demanding as the Emirati one. He also highlighted the prestige and esteem that the Spanish business sector enjoys among local companies and governmental institutions.

 

 

Representatives

Representing the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, the event was attended by its president Pablo López Álvarez and its secretary general Marta González Benguria.

Técnicas Reunidas is one of the most important Spanish companies in its sector on an international scale, with a presence in 25 countries and a track record that totals more than 1,000 industrial plants in its 61 years of experience. In November 2021, Técnicas Reunidas and its Emirati partner Target won a $950 million contract in Abu Dhabi for the design and execution of the onshore facilities required to process gas from the Dalma field on the country’s northwest coast.

Técnicas Reunidas’ activity is mainly focused on the development of engineering projects, design and construction of industrial plants and technology for the energy transition, with leading positions in clean fuels, sustainable chemistry and natural gas, and solutions linked to the circular economy and decarbonisation, such as CO2 sequestration and capture, renewable hydrogen, biofuels, waste recovery, etc., initiatives that make its headquarters in Spain a centre of excellence in engineering.

The Minister of Industry presented the FEDECOM Award to the President of Técnicas Reunidas, Juan Lladó, who thanked her “in recognition of the company’s long history in international markets, the contribution of its initiatives to our country’s export capacity and its constant incorporation of Spanish companies in the development of its projects”.

During the award ceremony, the President of FEDECOM, Eduardo Barrachina, stressed that “when we think of the United Arab Emirates we think of prosperity, a prosperity in which so many Spanish companies have played an important role. None more so than Técnicas Reunidas, tonight’s winner”.

The Chamber wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2022

The Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2022.

We would like to inform you that the Chamber will be closed from Friday December 24th until Monday January 3rd. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Meeting of the Forums Committee

On December 20th, the last meeting of the year of the Fora Commission was organised telematically, working group whose task is to propose, organise and monitor the events organised by the Chamber.

During the meeting, Carlos Rodríguez Cocina of Telefónica was elected as the new chairman of the Committee. Likewise, an assessment was made of the last events organised by the “business circle” tribune as well as the training on “Strategies for public consultancy and dialogue with European institutions” which took place in mid-November.

Finally, the priorities and upcoming activities for the next months were defined.

About the Chamber’s Commissions

The Commissions are composed of some of the members as well as the person in charge of the area in question in the Chamber.

These working groups have numerous functions: in-depth studies of proposals, issues, projects, and activities. Through them, the members influence the day-to-day running of the Chamber in order to better adapt the Chamber’s activities to the needs of the members.

At any time, a member can ask the chairman of a Committee to join it or ask the Secretary General to set up a new group.

Meeting of the Board of Directors

On December 1st, the Board of Directors of the Chamber held a hybrid meeting.

During the meeting, the different European programmes in which the Chamber participates were reviewed and the secretary general made a balance of the activities carried out by the Chamber throughout the year.

In addition, the actions carried out in the Luxembourg Delegation were presented, as well as the activities developed in the Grand Duchy in the framework of the Spanish Financial Forum. Details of forthcoming events planned by the Forum Commission were explained too.

Finally, the Board of Directors approved the budget for the year 2022.

 

The Chamber participates in FEDECOM’s Annual Award Ceremony for Cellnex in London

On the 23rd November, the Federation of Official Chambers of Commerce of Spain in Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania (FEDECOM) presented in London its Annual Award Ceremony, granted this year to the company Cellenex Telecom.

With this recognition, FEDECOM, of which the oficial Chamber of Commerce of Spain in Belgium and Luxembourg is part, distinguishes every year a Spanish company that stands out for its commercial activity and international profile in one of the member countries of the Federation.

Dr Mike Short CBE, Chief Scientific Advisor of the UK Government’s Department of International Trade, took part in this award ceremony for Cellnex.

Upon receiving the award, Cellnex’s CEO Tobias Martinez stated the following: “We are very honored to receive the FEDECOM Award in recognition of Cellnex’s growth since its IPO in 2015. Cellnex has grown substantially in the last years, from operating in Spain to being active in twelve countries in Europe. One of the keys to this growth has been the successful integration of acquisitions in different countries. In each country, we have always felt supported by the relevant Business Chambers, which have been key to helping us make important contact with the economic, business and cultural communities of each country and integrate into it.”

“Digital transformation”

The president of FEDECOM and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom, Eduardo Barrachina, also welcomed the guests to the reception and mentioned that “thanks to a strategic and sustainable approach, Cellnex leads the digital transformation in Europe.”

Barrachina also stressed that Cellnex is not just about telecommunications, G5, broadband and cellular sites, but has a very human side. “It is a company strongly committed to human rights, both in the Cellnex group and among its stakeholders. Only hard work, common sense, the right talent, ethical management, social values, cultural awareness and employee diversity can explain why a company like this reaches these staggering levels of market penetration in many European countries.”

The president, Pablo López-Álvarez, past-president, Juan Rodríguez-Villa and the Secretary General, Marta González, were the representatives of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg in this event.

Celebration of the FEDECOM General Assembly

The following day, the FEDECOM’s General Assembly took place. There, its president made a balance of the year, discussed about the statement of accounts of the organization and made an update on the digitization aid destined to the Chambers abroad.

During the course of this meeting, a tribute was also paid to Juan Rodríguez Villa, to honor his work as head of FEDECOM for more than 6 years.

FCC Construcción chosen as “Company of the Year 2021”

The Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg recognises, in the 7th edition of its Company of the Year Award, the great track record of FCC Construcción and its relevance in the international and especially in the European market.

With this award, the Chamber rewards the international presence of a company with more than 120 years of history, with activities in more than 25 countries around the world and whose strategic lines are based on innovation, technology and sustainability. Pablo López Álvarez, President of the Chamber, underlines that “the Haren mega-prison work is an ambitious Spanish engineering project in Belgium in which green technological innovation and the social dimension are cornerstones. This combination has meant that the jury has had no doubts in choosing FCC as the Company of the Year Award”.

In October 2018, FCC won the contract for the design, construction, financing, operation, maintenance and concession, for 25 years, of the new Haren prison complex, located near Zaventem Airport (Belgium). This construction, that has been classified by the Belgian government as the largest infrastructure under construction in the country, will be completed in the second half of 2022 and will involve an investment of more than 382 million euros.

This new penitentiary infrastructure will replace the prisons of Saint-Gilles, Forest and Berkendael. It will cover an area of 116,000 square metres and will be able to accommodate up to 1,190 inmates.

Haren is FCC’s first concession project in Belgium and joins many other national and international projects developed by the company, including urban transport infrastructures (roads, metro, high-speed, railway lines…) and non-residential building projects (hospitals, sports, cultural, social and health infrastructures, etc.). For Pablo Ovejas, FCC Construcción’s Country Manager for Belgium and the Nordic countries, “this award is an incentive to continue developing our activity in Belgium, thus being able to continue contributing to the growth of the country’s economy, contributing to the local value chain with our social values and environmental protection, and ultimately improving the quality of life of its citizens”.

You can read the full press release here.

The Chamber of Commerce and the Agencia EFE in Brussels decide to collaborate to promote the “Marca España”

The Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg and the delegation of the Agencia EFE in Brussels have signed a collaboration agreement with the aim of giving a higher visibility to the Spanish companies operating in Belgium and Luxembourg and to the Spanish professionals working in the European institutions and in the EU environment.

The agreement establishes a general framework of collaboration between both institutions, taking advantage of the wide range of services of commercial promotion, information, advice, logistic and administrative support offered by the Chamber and the wide information coverage of the Agencia EFE, a world leader in information in Spanish.

After signing the agreement, Pablo López-Álvarez, President of the Chamber, and Catalina Guerrero, Director of the Brussels delegation of the Agencia EFE, defined the priority actions.

“With this collaboration, we seek to benefit not only our partner companies but also to promote Spanish interests as a whole, both in the Belgian and Luxembourg markets and in Brussels. as the capital of the EU. This is something that both institutions have been doing separately for decades and so this collaboration was a logical decision”.

For her part, Catalina Guerrero stated that “this collaboration will undoubtedly open up privileged channels of communication between Efe and the Spanish companies located in Belgium and Luxembourg, and will help to give greater depth to our coverage of economic information and to nourish our specialised services even more. In this way, Efe, the first Spanish media to open an office in Brussels, maintains intact its European commitment and its public service vocation, with the largest deployment in the European capital and with a team that has just been reinforced”.