This week, 7 Spanish and 15 Argentine entrepreneurs will take a course on foreign trade in the Barcelona School of Management of the Pompeu Fabra University, with grants from the Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation.

  • The Foundation will organise trade exchanges and agreements to promote the process of internationalisation of their SMEs.
  • This initiative is part of the First Export Programme of Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation, created in 2001 in Argentina and implemented in Spain this year where it already has more than 300 SMEs registered

The Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation has organised a gathering this week between 7 Spanish and 15 Argentine entrepreneurs with the aim of facilitating exchanges and trade agreements between them and so promote the process of internationalisation of their SMEs. In addition, the entrepreneurs will take a course on foreign trade in the Barcelona School of Management at the Pompeu Fabra University, thanks to a grant from the Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation.

The participating Spanish companies belong to different production sectors:advertising services, geological and environmental consulting, consulting in scientific, industrial and technological projects, architectural, electrical and electronic appliance and equipment processing, treatment, management and recycling professional services, and manufacture of feedstuffs for livestock and poultry.

On their part, the Argentine companies belong to sectors such as IT, marketing, smart lighting, services for the automotive industry, consulting, selling ornamental plants, agricultural production, manufacture of metal roofing, medical devices, sports shoes, among others.

This initiative is part of the First Export Programme of the Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation, which aims to facilitate exports in small and medium enterprises, to improve their ability to partner, and to provide training, advice and follow-up.

This programme was born in 2001 in Argentina with the aim of creating an alternative to tackle the economic crisis in the country at that time. Since the inception of the programme it has enabled over 25,000 companies to receive training on foreign trade and 1200 Argentine SMEs to become new exporters.

Implementation in Spain

Backed by the success in Argentina, where the programme has become a recognised and valued trade initiative that has won 32 awards and several recognitions, the Foundation decided this year to implement the programme in Spain, where it already has more than 300 SMEs registered and has completed eight training sessions. It has also signed agreements with various institutions to promote the programme in our country, such as the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona, ​​Aragón Exterior, and the Agency for Enterprise Competitiveness of the Department of Business and Employment of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia (ACCIÓ) .

The First Export Programme focuses on helping SMEs to take their first steps in the field of exports anywhere in the world through a comprehensive programme of free and continuous training, including classroom and online training sessions, advice, and personalised tutorials through which participants acquire knowledge on topics such as international marketing, business management and pricing, among others. To participate in the programme, interested companies must provide a VAT number and register in the programme through the websitewww.fundaciongasnaturalfenosa.org and it is completely free.

Business trip for Argentine entrepreneurs

This year is the eighth Business and Training Trip to Spain for Argentine entrepreneurs, in the framework of the First Export Programme in Argentina. More than 180 entrepreneurs have taken part up to the moment.

The training and business week closes on Friday with the participation of the Consul General of the Argentine Republic in Barcelona, ​​Alejandro E. Alonso, the CEO of Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation, Martí Solà, the General Manager of the Barcelona School of Management, Carme Martinell, the Director of Communications of Gas Natural Fenosa in Argentina, Bettina Llapur, and the Director of the First Export Programme, Paul Furnari.

The Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation

The Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation, founded in 1992, targets its activity towards the promotion of information, training, and raising the awareness of the improvements in energy efficiency and the technological innovations in the field of energy while respecting and protecting the environment. It also promotes cultural activities through the Gas Museum which aims to preserve and spread the history and culture of the sector. Its international activities are carried out in Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Morocco, Italy and Moldova.


Barcelona, 13 October 2014.

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