• The President highlighted to Spanish businessmen the opportunities that the country offers in sectors such as lithium and green hydrogen.

The President of the Republic, Gabriel Boric, participated this Friday in a well-attended meeting with Spanish businessmen and investors in Madrid, organized by the Confederación de Organizaciones Empresariales de España (Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations). The event was part of their official European tour, a visit which has been marked by a strong emphasis on foreign investment promotion. “Our country is a reliable partner and a safe investment destination,” assured the Chilean head of state on the occasion, who also invited companies to “deepen the ties” that bind both nations, and highlighted new sectors that present opportunities not only for conducting business, but also for leading the fight against climate change.

“Allow me to invite you to deepen the ties that bind our countries and generate new areas of collaboration in industries that are important not just for the future – we are not talking about science fiction – but for the present, such as the lithium, copper, and green hydrogen industries,” he said.

Along with highlighting the country’s challenges and the progress the country has experienced over the past 30 years, the leader also emphasized that, in terms of economics, the executive has “an agenda that combines greater social equality and addresses the need to return to a period of growth, to improve productivity and encourage foreign investment with clear rules and long-term certainty.”

Investment roadshow

InvestChile’s Director, Karla Flores, along with the head of the agency’s Investment Promotion Division, Salvatore Di Giovanni, held an intense schedule of meetings in Madrid. This was part of the roadshow conducted by the institution in Europe, and took place today as part of President Gabriel Boric’s visit to Spain.

The more than fifteen activities, conducted over two days, included meetings with companies such as the fintech specialized in international payments Ebury; Santander Bank; the company Indra, which has more than a thousand employees in Chile, develops air traffic operations and acquired the Nexus credit card processing company; the telecommunications company Telefónica; the service company Selectra; the renewable energy companies Repsol, Selectra, Siemens-Gamesa, Ibereólica, and Acciona, all with projects in Chile and whose representatives discussed the sector’s challenges and the support that InvestChile can provide in the development of their operations.

In this regard, the director of InvestChile commented, “we have had bilateral meetings with investors from a wide range of sectors, primarily focused on renewable energies, projects related to energy transition, and mitigating the climate crisis.” Likewise, he highlighted the positive impression that Spanish entrepreneurs have of the country, noting not only its business environment but also its level of transparency and qualified talent.

It is worth noting that Spain is the fifth largest investor in Chile, with a current investment stock of around US$17 billion. Similarly, InvestChile supports more than 30 projects by Spanish companies, with investments exceeding US$4.6 billion, which demonstrates their ongoing interest in our country.

The European investment promotion roadshow continues with a business meeting on Saturday, and then moves on to Berlin, Germany.

Check out the images of activities in Madrid below: