The Team Finland network is organizing a Business Delegation visit to Chile (Santiago de Chile and Valparaíso) and Colombia (Bogotá) from 28 November to 2 December 2022, led by Mr. Mika Lintilä, Minister of Economic Affairs. The focus sectors of this delegation are Energy and Defence.
The Defence sector program in Chile will be led together with Mr. Esa Pulkkinen, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and in Colombia with Ms. Tarja Jaakkola, Director of the Ministry's Defence Material Unit.
Chile has considerable challenges in reducing its fossil fuel consumption and realizing the energy transition, in which Finland can play an important role as for opportunities in green hydrogen, closing of coal power plants, renewable energy, digital control systems and energy efficiency. Regarding the defence sector, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU, which offers a framework for further collaboration) between Chile and Finland was signed recently and in Latin America, the Chilean Armed Forces are considered the second best in terms of military power, only surpassed by its Brazilian counterparts.
Colombia offers a stable business environment and a vast opportunity for Finnish companies. The country’s energy transition is a key priority for the new government. There is considerable Colombian interest in renewable energies, industrial energy efficiency, circular economy (with a focus on waste and water management), and digitalization. Regarding the defence sector, Colombia is a global NATO partner, and its government has emphasized as focus areas: increasing technical capacities on intelligence, border protection, cybersecurity, environmental protection and education. Early 2022, Finland and Colombia signed a MoU on Defence.
The goal of the visit is to offer an excellent opportunity for Finnish companies to establish high-level business connections with companies and public authorities in Chile and Colombia, and to foster the relations between the countries. Read more about the background and possibilities of each sector in both countries.
Who should attend?
The visit is targeted at Finnish companies operating within the sectors of energy and defense, with interest to explore business opportunities in Chile and Colombia. The program includes high-level meetings with key government entities and companies of both sectors, as well as platforms for knowledge and innovation sharing.
This visit coincides with the Expo Naval 2022, a naval exhibition and international congress for Latin America, which will be held in Valparaíso, Chile on November 29 to December 2, 2022. If you are interested in a participation in a booth at the expo, please contact Mr. Tomás Pacheco, Senior Advisor, Business Finland (please find the contact information below). Note that there is a COVID-19 protocol for attending the expo.
Practicalities
To cover the expenses of arranging the visit to Chile during 28-30 of November 2022, Business Finland will charge a participation fee.
- Micro businesses and SMEs: EUR 1445 + 24% VAT per person
- Major companies: EUR 1700 + 24% VAT per person
To cover the expenses of arranging the visit to Colombia during 30 November – 2 December 2022, Business Finland will charge a participation fee.
- Micro businesses and SMEs: EUR 850 + 24% VAT per person
- Major companies: EUR 1000 + 24% VAT per person
Business Finland will invoice the participation fee after the visit based on the actual costs. The invoiced fee will not exceed the amounts mentioned above. Kindly note that the participation fee does not include flights or accommodation of the participant nor meals outside the business delegation program.
