Jan. 12, 2021

There are several local companies that are exploring the opportunities offered by international markets, successfully exporting their products and services to various latitudes and positioning Chilean-made aquaculture technology as an excellent ally for production processes.

Over the years, the Chilean aquaculture industry has become an area of constant growth, leading to the emergence of a wide industry of suppliers of products and services that meet the needs of the sector, many of which have achieved high expertise in their respective fields, showing a clear potential to expand their frontiers.

In fact, there are already several Chilean companies that have set their sights on foreign markets, especially in those countries with incipient aquaculture where a powerful supplier cluster has not yet been developed. Here, “made in Chile” technologies and services are quite welcome, but it is believed that there are also ample possibilities to address markets with greater experience in the field of aquaculture, such as the Nordic countries dedicated to salmon farming.

Below, we review the experience of some firms that have managed to export successfully, reviewing the main successes, challenges and projections involved in this process.

Export capacity

A local company that has ventured into the field of exports is VeHiCe, a laboratory specializing in histopathology and health diagnostic services for aquaculture species that is currently exporting its solutions to Central America, North America and Europe.

“We want to contribute to the development of aquaculture worldwide, offering our services and developing quantitative digital pathology to solve the health-production problems of the industry, in routine cases, for studies and for preventive follow-ups,” says Gabriela Vera Gaedicke, CEO of VeHiCe.

As part of the company’s strategy to strengthen exports, the laboratory participates in the Aquaculture Services Export Node (NESA) Peru, an initiative developed by Corfo, ProChile and PEM Salmon Sustentable that seeks to promote the export process of Chilean companies. “We participate in several globalization projects and among these we have two that are associative, the NESA Peru Node and a Profo for the Brazilian market,” says the executive, who adds that “partnering with other companies that share the same customers and that sell complementary services or products is of great help to join forces and be able to reach developing markets.”

Another company that decided to explore its export capacity is Kran, a firm that in its four years of life providing services and manufacturing equipment based on nanobubbles, has had the possibility of introducing its brand in Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Central America. “Currently, we are oxygenating a trout fish farm in Peru, taking advantage of the properties of nanobubbles to implement sanitary improvements and efficient use of gas. We also reduced the use of chemicals in the DAF flotation process for a fishmeal production company in that country,” says the deputy aquaculture manager, Mauricio Bueno.

On the other hand, in Central America, Kran has worked with shrimp companies to improve the quality of the raw material that reaches the processing plants, extending its useful life. To enter European and African countries, the firm has partnered with Spanish entrepreneurs to form Kran Spain and thus expand its export field in that country and others.

According to Mauricio Bueno, “for us, as a Chilean company and, above all, a regional company, it is a source of pride to be internationally recognized as a relevant player in the nanobubble industry. For this reason, this year, in addition to the services we provide, we have begun to sell our equipment, offering a complete experience to our customers.”

For its part, Bioled – a company that provides photoperiod services – has also joined this export challenge, implementing an internationalization strategy for the past two years. “In the first instance, we focused on Norway and the best way to enter this market was to look for a local partner . A year ago we reached an agreement, so our experience has been auspicious, generating good contacts and being part of large projects that can mark a milestone in Chilean exports,” says Mario Navarro, the firm’s International Relations Manager.

According to the executive, in order to enter a market as demanding as the Norwegian one, the company had to work on the basis of three lines. “It was decided that the quality of the lamp components should improve substantially, have certifications and automated control systems,” says Mario Navarro, who adds that “we have to generate significant degrees of confidence in our technology, since they are very different markets. Bioled has benefited from specialising in photoperiod and that is highly valued, as specialists are needed.”

The company also has customers in the United States, Switzerland, Finland, Poland and New Zealand and expects to continue growing abroad. “The export process is the future of Bioled, since we see the growth projection outside. In fact, this year we have projected that around 20% of our sales will be international,” says the executive.

World-class technologies

Chilean aquaculture suppliers agree that the services and technologies that have been developed in Chile and that are being exported abroad have a high level of quality, always being at the forefront. “The national aquaculture industry is an example worldwide and a world-class innovative potential has been born under its wing, linked to services and products that help to have a more sustainable, efficient and profitable activity,” reports Mauricio Bueno.

Gabriela Vera agrees and adds that “exporting services abroad has been a challenge and we have had to adapt to a changing world where technology is advancing by leaps and bounds. For this reason, we are always at the forefront, offering a personalized service adapted to the needs of each client, using the latest technology and knowledge.”

From Bioled, meanwhile, Mario Navarro highlights as an important point that “very good solutions have been developed in Chile, but exporting successfully goes beyond the results of your products. You have to project a global image and that involves everything from the products to the company’s website and human capital, in order to generate trust and a good impression on potential customers.”

Main projections

The good results obtained so far by companies supplying products and services abroad invite them to continue projecting their presence in international markets, which indicates a good scenario for the future development of Chilean manufacturing solutions. “Exporting services abroad opens up a world of possibilities, which, in our case, is driven by the search for solutions to our clients’ health and production problems,” concludes Gabriela Vera.

Likewise, Kran points out that its focus today is on obtaining strategic partners and distributors in different parts of the world, currently working on an aquaculture project in Norway and being in talks with North American and Australian companies.

Meanwhile, Bioled began to venture into Recirculation Systems (RAS), manufacturing specific systems for these environments and initiating pilot projects in the United States, in addition to the pilot projects in Peru and Ecuador on the shrimp side.

 

 

SOURCE:
Aqua