Thought for London June 2008

Brazil can learn from London’s 2012 plans

This month I travelled to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to meet businesses with the potential to invest in London and highlight the opportunities that London’s projected $80billion growth by 2012 can present to them.  I also launched Touchdown London, the business incubator service (already established for Indian, Chinese and Mexican companies) to Brazilian companies looking to globalise their businesses.

Brazil’s rapidly developing economy is one of the largest emerging markets in the world and offers significant potential for investment in overseas markets. Brazil is the UK’s most important trading partner in Latin America, and in 2007 bilateral trade between Brazil and the UK had increased by 25% over the previous year to $3.2 billion.

This growth in the Brazilian economy is fuelling the internationalisation of Brazilian companies and Think London expects to support an increasing number of Brazilian businesses looking to expand into London this year. I would encourage any Brazilian company that is considering or is already doing business in Europe, to contact us in London or São Paulo (via UK Trade & Investment) for free and confidential advice about setting up or expanding your business in London.

Think London has assisted multinational Brazilian companies like Petrobras, the oil exploration and production company and Banco Bradesco – Brazil’s largest Banking group to locate in London.

Rio de Janeiro is set to host the 2014 football world cup and is also shortlisted as a candidate city to host the 2016 Games. There was tremendous interest from companies and city officials in Rio when I highlighted to them the depth and breadth of opportunities that hosting an Olympic and Paralympic Games will present to them.

I explained that from employment and education to housing and health, the 2012 London Games will have an impact on almost every area of the community, offering a unique chance to redevelop one of the most culturally diverse areas in Europe and to meet the aspirations of young people by building a stronger, more accessible, future for them. Rio I hope will also benefit from such a legacy.

Michael Charlton Chief Executive, Think London