SA, Brazil push tech, business links
23 May 2008
Brazilian trade and investment agency Apex-Brasil is to host a trade mission to South Africa at the end of May to strengthen business and technology links between the two countries.
Central to the trade mission is Brasil Tech, an event focusing on "Brazilian Technology for South Africa" and comprising a forum, workshops and one-on-one business-to-business meetings.
Brazilian technology and business opportunities, and building partnerships between Brazilian and South African entrepreneurs, will be the main focus of Brasil Tech, which takes place at Johannesburg's Sandton Convention Centre from 27 to 28 May.
Commercial relationship
The objective of the trade mission is to strengthen the commercial relationship between the two countries, particularly in technology-intensive sectors, and it takes place against a backdrop of steady growth in trade relations between the two countries.
In 2007, Brazil's exports to South Africa increased by 20.46 percent, to US$1.75-billion, while South Africa's exports to Brazil grew by 20.1 percent, to $522-million.
Apex-Brasil president Allesandro Teixeira said Brazilian industry had developed high technology in many sectors, "and there are many fields in which we can cooperate with South Africa, such as in energy and information technology.
Business opportunities
"However, it is essential to first increase the level of knowledge about these business opportunities in both countries," Teixeira said. "The objective of Brasil Tech is to facilitate trade exchange between the countries."
Opportunities for the countries to share solutions and increase their bilateral trade are numerous, as both are emerging nations, and participants of the Brazil, Russia, India, China (BRIC) economic bloc face similar challenges.
As Teixeira points out, Brazilian technological solutions are developed in social and economic climates similar to those of South Africa and, consequently, can be easily moulded to the latter market's requirements.
"Brazil is a huge country and has enormous demands placed upon it. This is the reality that continually drives us to search for flexible and dynamic solutions, which in turn are beneficial in facilitating our trade with other countries."
Brasil Tech 2008 targets
Brasil Tech 2008 targets businessmen, public and private sector managers and opinion leaders.
Topics that will be addressed at the forum include:
- How Brazilian technological advances can be adapted to meet South Africa's needs.
- The successful use of open source software in Brazil's public administration and the feasibility of sharing these programmes with the South African government.
- The use of IT in agri-business.
- How the Brazilian government and people overcame their energy crisis of 2001, to become an international benchmark for managing energy distribution.
Additional lectures will explore Brazil's machinery and equipment, electrical and electronic, IT and medical and dental equipment industries.
Source: BuaNews
