Our Agency was the only sub-national organization from South America to be invited as a presenter to the World Trade Promotion Organizations Conference (WTPO2018). The event was organized by the International Trade Center and it was held in Paris, France.

ProCórdoba’s President Jorge Marcotegui presented the Humanitarian Assistance and the Private Sector Program offered by the Agency through its Cooperation and International Relations Department. The program was chosen and praised as a good example of an ecosystem.

During his presentation, the President explained,

“This specific humanitarian assistance program was born out of studies carried out by ProCórdoba which lead to the identification of a market which lacks visibility and has not been thoroughly explored by our companies. I’m referring to the procurement and purchase activities conducted by national and international public organizations in relation to products and services for humanitarian disasters.”

Marcotegui continued, “We began by looking into international trends, keeping the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in mind. We then gained insight into the type of products that are required in each case. We analyzed the type of supplies Cordobese SMEs could offer, and put together an ecosystem that connects the different actors with one another: the public and private sectors, academia, researchers and innovators.”

Among the activities that are part of the program, ProCórdoba’s President praised the preparation of a Manual on International Procurement and the organization of an international event — the “Conference on Humanitarian Assistance and the Private Sector” — which the Agency has hosted over the last three years. The event is a very important empowerment tool for the sector. In addition, Marcotegui referred to the creation, on the part of ProCórdoba, of the Emergency and Humanitarian Assistance Supplies Group “Grupo SEA”, which comprises firms that provide humanitarian assistance solutions in Córdoba.

AR Geo Domos, a Calamuchita-based company which builds shelters for adverse conditions, participated in the third conference. Representative Julián Demo shared his experience,

“At the event we discovered that our product could be adjusted for use in the humanitarian market: becoming aware of the needs and hearing about different experiences was excellent to dispel doubts and identify a new market in which to offer our product.”

Demo continued, “Our vision for the future involves working together with humanitarian assistance organizations in order to become familiar with, and attend to, present and potential needs. The Conference was extremely useful for AR Geo. It not only provided us with the opportunity to present our product, but also allowed us to learn about a new market and needs we had not taken into account, and about how to provide assistance for real needs. We established new contacts, identified new applications, learned about needs and showed our product to other countries.”

It is also important to acknowledge the support and relationships that arise for entrepreneurs taking part in such important events. Box Synergy is an undertaking with a social impact that was created by young men. Founder Gustavo Becker explained,

From the beginning of our project we knew that we had to do something for the good of people, but we didn’t know that that would be part of the humanitarian assistance and disasters sector. Our products are perfect for these issues. We aim at attending to the need of accessing basic resources such as water and energy in environments cut-off from supply networks.

Becker concluded, “It is incredible how many contacts can be established thanks to these events, in order to enhance and provide solutions. We in particular were able to generate do some networking that will allow us to keep growing in the long term.”

Marcotegui closed his presentation at the WTPO2018 by thanking the International Trade Center for the great opportunity they gave to ProCórdoba to share this specific program with other trade promotion organizations around the world.