São Paulo – The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce unveiled its new ABCC Lab project this Wednesday (27). Announced during a webinar hosted by the organization, the initiative will embrace projects by startup businesses involving Brazil and Arab countries. “Through our studies we determined it was time to implement a project of the utmost importance. ABCC Lab is coming to fast-track Brazilian-Arab digital integration,” said ABCC president Rubens Hannun (pictured).
The laboratory will foster projects from startup businesses in sectors including entertainment, healthcare, retail and online sales. “We had two weeks that were worth decades. We were ready for this, and we were able to find partners to make it all work out. And the reason we found them is we had the planning and procedures ready ahead of time,” said Hannun.
Chamber secretary-general Tamer Mansour pointed out that ABCC Lab will be the first endeavor of its kind to focus on regions and their peoples. “Its targets will be projects involving Brazilians and Arabs. Wherever they are, they will be able to affiliate themselves, to put forth their projects and thoughts involving the Arab nations and Brazil,” he said.
Startups will be able to register online soon, and there are plans of having brick-and-mortar facilities to host these businesses within the Arab Chamber offices in São Paulo. “We are working on having a dedicated committee for each project, with in-house personnel as well as outside mentors to help startups put their projects to action,” explained Mansour.
The goal is to provide an environment in which to integrate and find digital solutions connectinb Brazil and the Arab countries. “We intend to work with the Arabs in developing and encouraging all of this digital transformation and creativity. And we are even considering partnering up with companies like Robusta, for instance,” said Hannun, referencing the Egyptian e-commerce solutions startup whose CEO Hussein Mohieldin appeared in the webinar hosted by the Chamber.
The Digital Strategy Company chief scientist and Cesar School professor emeritus Silvio Meira said the unique feature of the upcoming ABCC Lab will be its strategic solutions. “The Chamber can be a true digital platform where Brazilians and Arabs can meet. A laboratory isn’t about ideas. What happens is you have an agenda of problems and you have researchers seeking solutions to those problems. The Chamber’s laboratory is business-oriented and enabled by technology. It’s meant to find out which technological platforms can best intermediate business between the Arab countries and Brazil,” he said during the webinar.
Mansour remarks that the Chamber’s own digital transformation process, which began at least four years ago with a new strategic plan, is now being fast-tracked. “The crisis proved that this is a very useful journey and one that will bear fruit immediately. The Lab is the first of many actions the Chamber is rolling out,” he concluded.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
