Brazil Tech 2008 to promote bilateral trade with Brazil

Central to the mission is Brasil Tech, an event focusing on ‘Brazilian Technology for South Africa' and comprising a forum, workshops and scheduled one-one business-to-business (B2B) 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 in Johannesburg, at the Sandton Convention Centre on 27 and 28 May.

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%, to US$ 1.75-billion, while South Africa's exports to Brazil grew by 20.1%, to US$ 522-million.

Allesandro Teixeira, president of Apex-Brasil comments: “Brazilian industry has 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 (IT), among others. However, it is essential to first increase the level of knowledge about these business opportunities in both countries. 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 abound. Both are emerging nations, and participants of the BRICS economic bloc, and 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.

He adds: “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 businessmen, public and private sector managers and opinion leaders, and commences on 27 May with the morning devoted to the Brazil Tech Forum.

Among the topics that will be addressed at the forum, are: how Brazilian technological advances can be adapted to meet South Africa's needs; the successful use of open source (free) 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; as well as how the Brazilian government and people overcame the 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.

Later that same day, attention will turn to Sector Workshops, with four individual workshops exploring the solutions and innovations that Brazil is able to offer the South African market, in the IT, Electrical and Electronics, Medical-Dental Product and Machinery & Equipment sectors.

The activities of 28 May will centre on one-on-one B2B meetings, between Brazilian and South African business counterparts, to explore trade prospects in the aforementioned sectors.

Among the products presented at Brasil Tech 2008 will be: electrical cables for appliances and automotive markets; fluorescent fixtures and ballasts; surge protection devices; car and truck alarms and satellite tracking; orthopaedic products; multiplexers, modems and radio systems; generators, battery packs, power rectifiers and control panels; transformers and regulators; ICU equipment - ventilators, compressors and flow and pressure analysers; hospital furniture; systems integration technology; turnkey systems for electrical and automation; UPS, switching power supplies, DC/AC inverters, DC/DC phone line protectors; surgical and dental instruments; and physiotherapy and rehabilitation equipment.

Brazil Tech promises to be an informative and beneficial experience for South African businesses and entrepreneurs with hopes of establishing trade relations with their Brazilian counterparts.

Persons wishing to attend Brasil Tech 2008 can register online at www.tradeprojects.net . Alternately, they can email or fax their contact details and indication of their desire to attend or fax 011 486 0530.