Besides the opening of offices, the institution also signs new partnerships to stimulate new business in Canadian territory.
By Marcel Salim
Aiming at its mission of stimulating the increase in bilateral exchange, the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada (CCBC) is continuously expanding its presence and actions in Canadian territory: a greater opportunity to stimulate business and strengthen relations between the two nations.
Canadian diplomat Stéphane Larue recently assumed the presidency of the CCBC in Canada, based in Montreal (Quebec). He brings with him the experience of having been Consul General of Canada in São Paulo, between 2013 and 2019. Prior to that, Larue had served, between 2001 and 2004, as immigration program manager, responsible for overseeing immigration and visa programs.
“My expectations are to support the activities that CCBC already carries out in Canadian territory, in addition to expanding them through partnerships – with, for example, Investissement Québec, Montréal International, the Montreal municipal government, and the Quebec government,” says Larue.
Cooperation with the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce (BCCC), which is based in Toronto, is also on the radar of activities. “These are some of the organizations we expect to work with in the coming years,” he adds.
Successful agreements
The partnerships signed with Invest Alberta (the government agency responsible for attracting investments and projects to the Canadian province) and Mitacs are already opening doors for Brazilian companies to set up and develop innovative solutions with Canadian expertise and funding.
With Invest Alberta, the agreement establishes cooperation and joint organization of missions, events, and projects that can help identify and make viable opportunities for strengthening the exchange between Brazil and Alberta – especially in the fields of business, investment, technology, and culture.
Some of the sectors that are expected to be part of these initiatives include food and beverage, technologies for agriculture, clean energy, mining, and technologies for smart cities, among others.
The partnership with Mitacs, a Canadian organization that develops scientific research linked to industrial and social innovation, will allow Brazilian companies to internationalize in Canada and have the possibility to develop R&D projects and initiatives together with the best universities and innovation centers in the country.
Business opportunities
CCBC also invested in opening two Brazil Hubs: one in Montreal and the other in Edmonton. Along the same lines, the process of consolidating its presence in Canada included strengthening the Montreal Chapter, led by CCBC’s new president in Canada, Stéphane Larue, supported by directors, associates and local staff.
“Dealing with Canadian businessmen aiming at operating in Brazil, we realized the importance of creating an environment tailored to their needs, and that is how Canada Hub came about,” explains CCBC’s Director of Institutional Relations, Paulo de Castro Reis.
“Operating in another country is often something new for companies and, for this reason, they need the support of a partner with knowledge of the characteristics and opportunities of the local market. When we realized this demand, we developed this set of actions that combine the physical structure of our headquarters and the know-how of CCBC to facilitate the performance and development of business in both countries”, he explains.
The Brazil Hub offers access to the Chamber’s network of contacts, identifying potential business or research and development (R&D) project partners and clients in Canada. In addition, market research is carried out to determine the best strategy to be adopted by Brazilian companies wishing to enter the Canadian market, and networking events are held to give greater visibility to representatives of Brazilian companies, their brands and products.
