The deal began to be drawn up in 2022 and will benefit the public and private sectors, with opportunity mapping, technological cooperation and access to internationalization programs

São Paulo, September 2023 – Invest Alberta and Invest Paraná, the investment promotion agencies of the Canadian province of Alberta and the Brazilian state of Paraná, have signed an agreement that will benefit the public and private sectors with business opportunities, technological cooperation and access to internationalization programs. The partnership includes the sharing of market development strategies and promotion of new investments in both regions, with a priority focus on innovation and sustainability. The partnership will last for two years and may be renewed.

The agreement should encourage Brazilian and Canadian entrepreneurs and companies to expand their businesses internationally. This is because the initiative provides for commercial, economic and social cooperation, technological partnerships, communication actions and bilateral business missions. The project also has the support and collaboration of the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada (CCBC).

“Invest Alberta’s new partnership with Invest Paraná represents the next step in expanding economic growth, diversification and prosperity for both regions. Building on our successful track record of agreements with the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada, we are proud to offer opportunities for Brazilian companies to invest in creating innovative and sustainable solutions in sectors such as agriculture, clean technology, artificial intelligence and more. Alberta’s rich talent pool and collaborative approach ensure that companies are set up for success when they venture into our region,” says Rick Christiaanse, CEO of Invest Alberta.

For Invest Paraná’s CEO, Eduardo Bekin, the partnership is very positive for the Brazilian state. “It’s a very good relationship because Canada is way ahead of not only Paraná, but also Brazil, when it comes to international trade,” he says. Bekin also praises the work done by Canada’s investment attraction agencies: “I’ve been using Canada’s Invests as a benchmark for our team here, and we look at them very favorably,” he says. With the new international partnership, the Brazilian CEO hopes that new businesses and opportunities will flourish in both countries. “It’s a good time for us to establish these partnerships, because they bring more security to the companies here in Paraná that would like to maintain relations, either to export or to buy products from Canada, and at the same time for the companies in Canada to have the security of working with us here at Invest Paraná,” says Bekin.

The president of CCBC, Ronaldo Ramos, emphasizes the importance of this agreement in attracting Canadian investment to the state of Paraná and supporting Brazilian companies that want to expand their businesses in the North American country.

“CCBC’s mission is to strengthen relations by identifying opportunities and supporting companies interested in internationalizing their operations, both Brazilian and Canadian. We want to develop joint actions aimed at expanding business between the two countries,” explains Ramos.

Negotiations

In September 2022, Invest Alberta signed a memorandum of understanding with CCBC with the aim of attracting investment and improving economic activity and relations between Alberta and Brazil. In December of that same year, CCBC launched the Brazil Hub at Concordia University of Edmonton, a joint initiative to support Brazilian companies and entrepreneurs in connecting with service providers, research and development, infrastructure, potential business partners and thus quickly integrate Alberta’s innovation ecosystem.

Thanks to this work, this year alone, four Brazilian companies are already setting up in the region in the energy efficiency, logistics, engineering and artificial intelligence sectors.