OPORTUNIDADES Y NEGOCIOS CHILE - SUIZA

Georg Heim
Regional Director South America
Rockfalls, avalanches and debris flows repeatedly caused
personal injury and costly service interruptions in the
Codelco Andina mine. In 2009, the mine decided to
mitigate damages caused by natural hazards through
preventive measures in order to save costs, a pioneering
task for Chile at that point of time.
Nowadays, Chile is trying to shift from reactive to
preventive natural hazard policy. Thanks to our strong
focus on natural hazards prevention, we recognized the
great potential to create value for Chile by means of
consultations and training services. Several orders
between the years 2010 and 2014 confirmed our plan to
open an office in Santiago de Chile in 2015, which took
about one year. Our market analysis also showed an
increasing demand for clarifying the future of water
resources, another leading business of GEOTEST. We see
our task in adapting the proven Swiss methods to the
natural conditions in Chile in order to advise our
customers optimally.
BUSINESS CASE
GEOTEST
I am fascinated by the potential of the
country to reduce the huge risks, posed by
natural hazards, to a moderate level through
preventive, cost-effective measures.
With the inauguration of the office, several new orders
could be processed. Also, the media interest was
immense, due to the devastating natural disasters in
northern Chile by the end of March 2015.
The recent decline in commodity prices, especially of
copper, has lead to a reluctance of the authorities and the
mining sector to invest in hazards prevention. Many
planned projects have been suspended. This economic
slump was not predictable and made sales more difficult
for the industry. Looking back to the first months of
operation in Chile, we can say that GEOTEST is recognized
for its competence by the mining and hydropower
industries, as well as the national authorities.
Similar to 2015, the Chilean economy will face the
upcoming year with massive cost-cutting measures in the
private and public sector. For companies which intend to
enter the Chilean market in this period, we recommend
focusing on innovative products and services which have
an immediate cost saving effect for the customer.
www.geotest.cl
georg.heim@geotest.cl
Maximilian Klapp
Co-Founder of Ttanti
Ttanti was founded in 2013 when we realized that
fashion was one of the most polluting industries in
the world. That was our initial motivation and we
started looking for sustainable alternatives for
products to stay out of the trash, due to limited useful
life or end of functional use after a certain period of
time (the so-called planned obsolescence). We
discovered some options, but in the watch industry
we didn’t find any alternative that offers high-end
quality and sustainable elements. There, our mission
started: To create a sustainable watch brand using
materials from the south of the world, Patagonia.
The southernmost part of South America is a remote
place where time passes slower, in a simpler, less
hectic way. It is not just Patagonia´s beauty, but also
people´s attitudes and ability to enjoy life´s simple
pleasures. Ttanti is an accessory that not only tells
you the time, but reminds you that life should be
enjoyed, without hurry or pressure.
During the first years of operations we developed our
Roots Collection. We took the chance to access the
tourism industry: Hotels, airports and vineyards. The
approach with international customers was a great
experience to test our first collection, to grow and to
learn about the market.
BUSINESS CASE
TTANTI
We decided that we wanted to contribute with
something relevant and long-lasting... A sober Swiss-made
quality watch, made with austral and sustainable materials,
design and soul. An elegant, contemporary but ancestral
watch.
After our first year in sales, we knew that we have to
expand operations and improve our products. We got
in contact with the Swiss-Chilean Chamber of
Commerce in Santiago. They supported us in
contacting Swiss watch companies that could be a
strategic partner for our project: A new collection
that combines the best local materials with Swiss
technology. We made a commercial trip to Basel,
where we met industry experts.
After one year working with Swiss watch companies,
we finished our Travelers Collection, and we are very
excited to start selling the new collection. We expect
starting operations in the United States and Europe in
April 2016 with retailers and boutique stores. At the
moment, we are receiving pre-orders through our
website, delivering this new collection in March 2016.
www.ttanti.com
max@ttanti.com
44 CÁMARA CHILENO-SUIZA DE COMERCIO
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