Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Brazil visits Rio Grande do Sul for partnerships and business

The ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Brazil, André Driessen, visited Rio Grande do Sul, from June 21st to 23rd, to discuss business opportunities and partnerships. The agenda, which had the support of NBSO Porto Alegre, included meetings with the state governor, Eduardo Leite, and state secretaries, as well as diplomatic and business sector leaders.

André Driessen was a guest speaker at the 10th Meeting of Ambassadors, held by the Federation of Business Entities of Rio Grande do Sul (Federasul). He also visited Dutch companies in the financial and beverage sectors, as well as a Dutch-themed venture.

The ambassador’s entourage included the Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Porto Alegre, Ingrid kroes, the Chief Representative of NBSO Porto Alegre, Richard Posma, and the Deputy Representative, Lucila Almeida.

GREEN PORTS PARTNERSHIP

At the meetings, Ambassador André Driessen highlighted the agreement between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Brazil for the exchange of knowledge and experiences with the aim of developing Brazilian ports and green hydrogen. The Port of Rio Grande, in Rio Grande do Sul, will be part of the Green Ports Partnership Program.

The topics were addressed at the meeting held at the Government’s Administrative Center, which brought together the Secretary for the Environment and Infrastructure (Sema), Marjorie Kauffmann, the Secretary for Economic Development (Sedec), Ernani Polo, Union of Renewable Energy Industries (Sindienergia-RS) and Portos RS.

“We want to connect the ecosystems between the countries to develop projects and exchange experiences, taking advantage of the existing qualified workforce”, stated the ambassador, reinforcing the importance of integration, mainly in the areas of transport and logistics, industry and energy production.

The Secretary of State, Marjorie Kauffmann, spoke about the broad energy transmission capacity, which places Rio Grande do Sul in a prominent position in Brazil. “Other differentials of the State will be the incentives to develop the green hydrogen chain, among them the creation of a specific public policy”, highlighted the secretary.

During the meeting, the president of Sindienergia-RS, Guilherme Sari, reinforced that there is a relevant market in the South of Brazil, with technical capacity and to add knowledge to generate more jobs. “There are more than 60 GW in the study phase, some of them have even started studies in the marine environment so that, as soon as we have a regulatory framework, we will be ahead”, he highlights. He recalls that Holland plays an important role in this scenario. “We have a relationship of reciprocity and understanding with the Netherlands, which has been built over the last few years”.

The Director of Operations of Sindienergia-RS, Daniela Cardeal, highlighted that the Union alôs has as its motto, this year, education for decarbonization and that, in this sense, the experience of the Netherlands can contribute a lot. Another important point is the work close to the communities around the nearshore and offshore infrastructure that has been carried out by the Union.

“We approach the doubts here with the experiences of fishing communities in the Netherlands, which already have experience in the subject, and this approximation is to bring more clarity and exchange of experiences”, says Daniela. She adds that other initiatives will be carried out in the sense of disseminating knowledge and technical training, including universities and other institutions. “This movement goes hand in hand with our intention to involve technical knowledge, the academy and society”, she concludes.

STATE GOVERNMENT

Visiting the State for the first time, the ambassador was received by the governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, at the Piratini Palace.

The governor received from the ambassador a piece of Delft ceramic with the painting Girl with a Pearl Earring, by the Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer. André Driessen was honored with a book about the culture of the region.

INDUSTRIAL SECTOR

Development opportunities for companies in the Netherlands and the State were on the agenda of Ambassador André Driessen’s visit to the Federation of Industries of Rio Grande do Sul (FIERGS).

The ambassador was received by the coordinator of the FIERGS Foreign Trade Council, Aderbal Lima, and by the manager of International Relations and Foreign Trade, Luciano D’Andrea.

Holland has a relationship with more than a century of investments in Brazil, especially in industry and agriculture. The ambassador highlighted the special interest in expanding collaboration in precision agriculture, wind energy, education and technical education, areas in which Rio Grande do Sul can be an important partner.

In 2022, the trade flow between Brazil and the Netherlands grew by more than 28% compared to 2021. In the opposite direction, the same relationship with Rio Grande do Sul retreated by 2.67%, especially due to the drop of more than 10% of exports from Rio Grande do Sul to the country. In 2023, between January and May, the trade flow between RS and the Netherlands rose 23%, with growth in exports on both sides. Last year, the State sold especially edible meat and offal, more than 22% of the basket. And bought manure (fertilizers), about 48% of the total.

COMPANIES IN THE NETHERLANDS

The headquarters of the financial institution De Lage Landen DLL was also visited. He was welcomed by the Financial Director, Luiz Eduardo Hartmann, and by the Legal Director, Alberto Rosa, and assisted by Rita Dolores Wolf Sander. DLL Company is a global asset finance partner that enables companies to access equipment, technology and software.

Another company visited was Heineken, which produces six brands of beers. The Plant Manager, Murilo Schmutzler, presented the factory’s production line, in the city of Igrejinha.

In the city of Nova Petrópolis, the director of Zaandam NP, André Krai, presented the entertainment project inspired by the Dutch theme.