São Paulo – A group of around 30 representatives of micro and small businesses from Blumenau, a municipality in Santa Catarina, had a closer look at the environmentally-friendly initiative of Masdar City, a sustainable community in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. They stayed for two days in the Arab country in early October, on their way to trade fairs in China and Hong Kong, and decided to visit the project.
“It was an amazing experience, this is the way forward, to be eco-friendly and self-sustaining,” says the chairman of the Association of Micro and Small Businessess and Individual Entrepreneurs of Blumenau (Ampe, in the Portuguese acronym), Carlos Alberto Pintarelli. The Ampe promoted the mission alongside the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae). Part of the group that visited Masdar City was sponsored by Sebrae’s project and others paid their own expenses.
Pintarelli highlights Masdar City’s initiatives in solar energy, electric transportation and the advanced technologies used there. “This is something we can use, in our daily life, in cities, in the state, in the country,” Ampe’s chairman told ANBA. The mission arranged for this activity in the Emirates precisely because it could be beneficial to all.
The delegation was comprised of businessmen and professionals from micro and small businesses in industry, trade and services. According to Pintarelli, the members included representatives of companies in civil construction, metallurgy, electrical supplies, packaging and clothing. The group also visited other places in the Emirates and was impressed with the sumptuousness and grandeur of the buildings and mosques and the beauty of the desert.
According to Pintarelli, most companies which were part of the delegation have not started exporting yet. They went to China to attend Canton Fair and to Hong Kong to visit the Mega Show. The former is a multisectorial fair and the latter is a decoration and domestic appliance fair. According to Ampe’s chairman, the companies in the trip were interested in prospecting opportunities, looking for business or manufacturing partners in Brazil.
Ampe’s goal is to take two trips to China each year, with stopovers in the Emirates. “This kind of activity is worth doing”, says Pintarelli, about the trip to Masdar City. In their next visit, the chairman is considering doing business prospecting in the United Arab Emirates. The next trip is expected to take place next April.
The Ampe was founded in 1984 and represents the interests of micro and small business from Blumenau. The association works on developing the segment, with qualification courses and other activities to spur business growth.
Ampe
Website: www.ampeblumenau.com.br
Phones: +55 (47) 3039 8600
*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonça
