From newbies initiating their business venture in Brazil to veterans with decades of experience. The Brazilian oil and gas industry seems to be moving at a slower pace this year, but the Norwegian presence at the 11th edition of Navalshore was not slow at all.
According to Abenav estimates, the oil and gas industry should doble its share of the Brazilian GDP by 2020, from about 10 percent to 20 percent. But due to the world cup and the upcoming October elections, 2014 has been described as a slow year for industry.
The Norwegian presence at the Marintec South America – Navalshore in August was however remarkable. NBCC member companies like Wilhelmsen, Vard, Ulstein, Kongsberg, Scana, Palfinger, DNV GL had stands at the expo, that took place from August 12-14, 2014 at the Sul America Convention Center in Rio de Janeiro. Several Norwegian companies were also represented at the stands of their local commercial agents, like M&O Partners and Macnor Marine.
There were a total of 380 exhibitors from 17 different countries present at this year´s expo, considered an important meeting-place for the Brazilian maritime industry. And even though Navalshore is considered the “baby-brother” of the upcoming Rio Oil & Gas Expo and conference, Adhemar Freire, the local oil and gas adviser of Intsok, believes that business opportunities for Norwegian suppliers might be better at Navalshore.
Helle Moen (to the left) and Adhemar Freire (to the right) with GIEK representatives visiting Rio de Janeiro.“Navalshore is less about marketing and more about actual business opportunities. Rio Oil & Gas is much more generic and involves everyone with links to the Brazilian oil and gas industry. Navalshore has a tighter focus, and this makes the event more appropriate for those who want to discuss technical matters. It is a venue where the participants discuss technology and existing options”, Mr. Freire says.
The shipbuilding industry is the main focus of the event, and a big share of the Norwegian companies present are suppliers or in other ways involved in shipbuilding in Brazil. He advices them to be patient and stay the course.
“There are opportunities, there is a demand and a need for new suppliers. 2014 has been a slow year due to the world cup and the presidential elections, but the companies need to continue their work and prepare the ground. It is always an advantage to be well prepared, and Intsok is working to guarantee Norwegian suppliers a substantial share in this promising market”, Adhemar Freire says.
Newcomers
The Norwegian company Global Maritime is brand new to the Brazilian market and present at Navalshore for the very first time. The company is a marine, offshore and engineering consultancy headquartered in Stavanger, Norway, that provides engineering, marine and advisory services to the global offshore and shipping industry. The company was formally established in Brazil about a month ago, and only has two employees.
Samuel Barbosa (to the left) and Per S. Kjelby from Global Maritime.“We are launching Global Maritime in the Brazilian market as we speak. A lot of our clients are present at Navalshore, and we are here to mark our presence”, says Per Stensønes Kjelby.
To Global Maritime, the Brazilian market is promising.
“There are so many opportunities here and so many of our clients are present here, and we realized that we needed to be present here to offer better services to them. Despite a certain pessimism in the market, the oil and gas industry is promising and will continue growing. We are not that vulnerable as others, we sell solutions”, says Mr. Kjelby.
His colleague Samuel Barbosa presents some of these solutions and services to the NBCC website:
“We offer services like the Marine warrant survey for various marine operations, a kind of vistoria guarantee that the operation will take place using equipment in good condition. Global Maritime also offers other kinds of vessel audits and inspections, and consultancy services”, says Samuel Barbosa.
3D visualization of marine operations and risk management is another service that Global Maritime hopes to be able to offer in Brazil within shortly.
“We can make a 3D animation of a complex maritime operation and maneuvers and simulate problems. This is an innovation of great importance in the training of personnel”, Mr Barbosa says.
Thomas Granly and Marie Louise Iversen from IMB2B.Another new name at Navalshore is IMB2B, part of the Inventure Management Group, a company created to organize different corporate events, like seminars, pavilions at exhibitions and conferences.
“We are a company in the making, that offers professional events to the Brazilianmaritime and offshore industry. Initially we were responsible for the different events for the clients of M&O Partners, but we believe there is a need for these kind of services in the market”, general manager Thomas Granly and event manager Marie Louise Iversen explain.
A common goal
Norwegian Maritime Exporters, Innovation Norway, The Norwegian Consulate General, Intsok and NBCC organized the Norwegian Pavillion this year. The companies Global Maritime, Jotun, SIS and Harding were represented at the pavilion, where happy hours gathered a lot of people during the three days of the event. 11 other countries had their own pavilion at Navalshore this year
Tone Elisabeth Kleven represents Norwegian Maritime Exporters, an organization created in 1995 that represents the interest of more than 120 of Norway´s leading maritime businesses.
“We deeply appreciate the good relations with Innovation Norway, and it was thanks to the efforts of Team Norway that we managed to organize a Norwegian pavilion this year. The interest from the companies has been falling, but we also get signals from the industry that it is important to show that the Norwegian companies are stayers in the Brazilian market, even though we are going through some difficult times. The organizations representing Norwegian interests need to stay together and pull in the same direction. We all have the same goal of helping Norwegian companies succeed in a global market”, Tone Elisabeth Kleven says.
Star Information Systems (SIS) was among the exhibitors at the Norwegian pavilion, where the company met with several clients during the expo. SIS is satisfied with the outcome and will follow-up the contact made with several clients. Here represented by Carolina Montenegro and Flavio Miguel.Dream Learn Work was also a part of the Norwegian pavilion this year.
“We had plenty of Dream Learn Work-students visiting Navalshore this year, to learn about the business, meet companies and their representatives.. Becoming engineers is a dream to many of them, and this is a great opportunity to see how different equipment looks and gather information about different companies in the industry”, says Dagny Nome.
She has noted an increasing the awareness of Dream Learn Work in the industry
“It was a pleasure joining the ranks of Team Norway to share the message about how taking social responsibility not only warms hearts, it is also good business.”
By Runa Hestmann, NBCC journalist
(runa.tierno@nbcc.com.br)
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Navalshore
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