AMSTERDAM – Joana Picq, COO of The NextWomen will be speaking at the first edition of the Brazil Means Business Symposium, that will take place March 29th 2010, in Holland, showcasing some of the fastest growing Brazilian companies in the IT and Bio/Pharma sectors.  If you are based in Holland or in the area on the day, take advantage of a special discount which allows all our readers a 10% discount with the code: NW

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Brazil is a Great Place to Start a Business

Brazil has become an attractive market to do business in the last decade, according to the President of the Banco De Lage Landen, in the South of Brazil, Porto Alegre, Mr. Maarten Viskaal:

"Brazil is economically developing very well. Huge investments are planned for in infrastructure, energy and oil extraction. The middle-class is upcoming and pushing domestic demand for consumer goods and housing.”, and “more and more there will be a push into high-tech solutions".

In Brazil, De Lage Landen provides vendor finance services to the agricultural, construction, healthcare, and technology sectors.
Mr. Viskaal, who has been based in the country for several years, and has witnessed the fast pace of transformation and greater economic stability, adds that the

"The scenario of Brazil diving into a deep economical crisis combined with hyper inflation and currency devaluation is something of the past. The country is economically well run and has a strong banking sector".

Keen Interest in R&D Carried out by European Biotech Companies

There is keen interest from European entrepreneurs to export goods, biotech imagining equipment, and services to tap the huge consumers’ market that Brazil represents. And there is interest, from Brazilian companies, in biomedical R&D carried out by European biotech companies. Entrepreneurs, investors, market analysts, and technology startups interested in going to market, forming partnerships, and investing in Brazil will be attending the Brazil Means Business Symposium, to better understand how the emerging economy is poised for growth.

Brazilian Software Companies will Have a Huge Presence

SOFTSUL, the Rio Grande do Sul state branch of Brazilian software association Softex, is selecting Brazilian software companies to be part of the symposium and to meet with potential partners in the European Union. The Brazilian software industry excels in the areas of banking, e-government, and healthcare. Eighteen IT companies from the Southern region have confirmed presence in the upcoming CEBIT, in Hannover, the largest international fair for the IT sector.  Ten more are expected to be in Holland on March 29th to meet with potential partners.

Companies will also attend the Brazil Means Business Symposium to explore manufacturing and distribution partnerships and to develop technology transfer agreements. After the symposium a visit to the Leiden Bio Science Park will take place, where the Brazilian companies will be given a tour of labs and meet individually with companies to identify partnerships.

As the host of the World Cup in 2014, the Olympic Games in 2016, and with major investments being made in infrastructure by the government, Brazil presents a unique opportunity for foreign companies in the infrastructure, banking, biotechnology, and mobile technology sectors in the next decade.

About Conversion Communications

The Brazil Means Business Symposium is organised by Conversion Communications, a producer of independent, strategic events for senior executives and management of Fortune Global 500 and Global 100 companies, investors, entrepreneurs and SMEs in the high-technology sector. Its partners have more than 25 years experience organizing and promoting international, high-level conferences, product launch events, symposia, and seminars for the United Nations, the Brazilian government and the third sector in Europe, Brazil, and the US.