Annual Conference for Innovation on Infrastructure

As you all know this time of the year is always full of activities, alongside work related activities there have also been, final presentation of my children at school and also final exams at the MBA and everything has worked out smoothly.

Last week and this week I have been working on some overseas market introductory services (OMIS) for 3 British companies, 2 in the consultancy one for retail sector and the other on infrastructure and another in the rail sector.

Last Thursday we sponsored the Annual  Conference for Innovation on Infrastructure. There were around 500 people from the construction, consultancy, equipment and supplier and government sectors.

This photo was taken at the Annual Conference for Innovation on Infrastructure. Maria Pia Gazzella  with some of  delegates from private and public sector that visited the UK:Carlos Rubilar, Head of the Highways and roads from the Ministry of Public Works; Francisco Gatica, Advisor to the Minister of Public Works; Jorge Letelier Vice President of the Committee of Public Infrastructure of the Chilean Construction Chamber of Commerce, and Juan Carlos Leon  General Manager of the Technological Developement Corporation.

At the conference, the Chilean delegation that visited the UK in September to learn about  British capabilities in innovation in the infrastructure sector and, in particular, in roads, roads management, and PPP on road maintenance,  presented the main findings and suggestions on how they could be applicable in Chile. For example in 2004 the UK started PPP on road maintenance and Chile is currently developing a programme worth US$1 billion for road maintenance whose first phase will be on tender next year. This is a new challenge for Chile and the Construction Chamber invited as guest speaker  Divisional Technical Director Transport Management Consultancy at Mott MacDonald to present the British experience in this field.

Posted at 13:56 21 December 2007 by Maria Pia Gazzella  | 

SHORT (LONG) WEEK

This week has been a week unlike all the rest. Monday was a Bank Holiday in Chile and on Tuesday my eldest son had an operation, so I took off one and a half days. I wanted to be with him to help him get better more quickly. I finally got back to work yesterday afternoon. It was an intense afternoon with a lot of general enquiries and coordination of meetings and activities.  In the evening I took part in a charity supper hosted by a foundation that some of my MBA colleagues and I are doing some free-consultancy work for.

Today I am representing the Ambassador at the Santiago Chamber of Commerce’s Business Meeting (CCS) with diplomatic delegates. Later on this afternoon, I will be participating in the International Environmental Conference at the ExpoAmbiental 2007 environmental fair. British companies will participate at the fair, and today’s event will be attended by Energy Minister and the Environmental Minister. There will also be an official supper tonight for industry and government representatives. The environment sector offers two areas of special interest in which the Embassy has been working recently: CDM and climate change, and waste and waste water (especially in the mining industry). These areas offer specific opportunities for British companies, some of which are already working successfully in the marketplace. 

Tomorrow, I am attending a meeting with the Chilean Construction Chamber (CCS) and the Technological Development Corporation (CDT). They will give me a debriefing on their visit to the UK that I helped coordinate. The visit, which took place toward the end of September, enabled Chilean government and construction industry representatives to attend the Constructing Excellence Forum on technological innovation in the construction sector. The attendees also met up with industry companies and associations such as British Expertise. Last week, in the context of the FCO’s climate change objectives, a British expert was invited to participate in the conference on sustainable construction organised by CDT. The visit was co-ordinated by the Embassy`s political section. In the same context, toward the end of 2007 we will participate in a technological delegation to the UK whereby Chilean architects will meet up with their British peers. The event is being organized by Monica Eggers from the commercial section. The aim of these activities is to promote British technologies and management models and to strengthen the trade links between Chile and the UK, via the transfer of information and knowledge.

Well, given that this has been a two and a half day week, I’ve still got a lot to do… so I’m off to the CCS meeting. 

Posted at 14:40 19 October 2007 by Maria Pia Gazzella  |  Comments[1]