Main event of Rio Grande do Sul’s mission to New York, Invest RS held the RS Day this Tuesday (May 13), an initiative to promote the state’s potential to international investors and business leaders in one of the world’s leading financial centers. The agency presented the most promising business opportunities in strategic sectors, while executives from globally active companies based in Rio Grande do Sul shared the reasons they chose to invest in the state.
Participating in the first panel, the president of Invest RS, Rafael Prikladnicki, highlighted the role that the agency will play in this movement to promote Rio Grande do Sul internationally. “This is a historic moment. It is the first time that Rio Grande do Sul has held its own event during this important week of promoting Brazil in New York. And this is happening because we are looking ahead, positioning Rio Grande do Sul as a strategic location,” said Prikladnicki.
To an audience of businesspeople, the president of Invest RS highlighted the state’s commitment to increasing the speed of GDP growth over the next six years, and the agency will offer the best that a state entity can do to promote business and attract investment. “As we have said, we will seek opportunities wherever they are,” said Prikladnicki. The first event also brought together businesspeople David Ochi (an investor with expertise in innovation) and Leandro Marin (Aegea), as well as the Secretary of Reconstruction of Rio Grande do Sul, Pedro Capeluppi.
RS Day was promoted by Invest RS with Grupo Voto, in partnership with the state government, BRDE and Banrisul. In his speech at the meeting, Governor Eduardo Leite contextualized the moment Rio Grande do Sul is experiencing after the greatest climate tragedy in the country’s history and reinforced that reconstruction is being used as an opportunity to advance a new development model. “We are reorganizing the state based on an agenda that combines recovery with resilience, and that looks ahead with social responsibility, environmental commitment and economic viability,” said Leite.
In the second panel, leaders of companies with an international presence presented concrete experiences in the state. Daniel Randon, CEO of Randoncorp, highlighted that Rio Grande do Sul offers stability, skilled labor and a unique entrepreneurial culture. “It is a state that values industry and understands the importance of a solid business environment. Our decision to continue investing in RS is based on trust and long-term vision,” highlighted Randon.
Erasmo Battistella, president of Be8, highlighted the state’s leading role in the energy transition agenda. “Rio Grande do Sul has everything it needs to lead the production of biodiesel and renewable fuels. We have raw materials and an ecosystem committed to sustainability. We are talking about real opportunities for the emerging world,” he said.
In the final part of the event, Governor Eduardo Leite highlighted the investments planned in the Rio Grande Plan, the efforts in decarbonization and resilience and the importance of aligning growth with inclusion and environmental responsibility. He then gave an interview to journalist Christiane Pelajo, who led a discussion about leadership in times of crisis and the role of states in rebuilding institutional trust in Brazil.
The agenda in New York is part of the international promotion strategy, conducted by the agency and in cooperation with the Secretariat for Economic Development (Sedec). For Secretary Ernani Polo, the integrated work between the department and Invest RS will allow the objectives set out in the Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development Plan to be achieved. “We are on the right track, with great potential to give traction to the process of generating employment and income, due to the countless opportunities that exist for investment in our state,” stated Polo when commenting on the outcome of the event, which was sponsored by Corsan Aegea, Be8, CMPC and CNBC, and with the strategic partnership of Instituto Caldeira, South Summit Brazil, Sebrae/RS, Farsul, IRGA, Badesul and Fiergs.
