The Chairman of the Board of Directors of ABIMDE (Brazilian Association of Defense and Security Materials Industries) attended the opening ceremony of LAAD Defence & Security, on Tuesday (11), in Rio de Janeiro (RJ). ABIMDE participates in the fair, considered the largest in the segment of Defense and Security in Latin America, with the support of ApexBrasil (Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investments).
The opening ceremony was attended by the Minister of Defense, José Múcio Monteiro Filho, and the commanders of the Brazilian Armed Forces, General Tomás Miguel Miné Ribeiro Paiva (Army), Fleet Admiral Marcos Sampaio Olsen (Navy), and Air Lieutenant Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno (Brazilian Air Force), among other civilian and military authorities.
According to Creative Events, the fair counts with the participation of 364 exhibitors from 44 countries and will receive delegations and delegations from 71 countries. The expectation is to receive 45 thousand visitors during the four days of the fair.
During the ceremony, Minister José Múcio Monteiro Filho presented numbers that indicate the positive impacts of the Defense Industrial Base on society. Currently, the sector employs about 2.9 million people in Brazil, with 1.6 million direct jobs and 1.3 million indirect jobs. According to him, the sector represents, today, about 5% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
Dr. Roberto Gallo pointed out that these numbers mean income generation and socioeconomic and technological development for the country.
“ABIMDE’s mission, as the voice of the Brazilian Defense and Security Industry, is to promote innovation and growth of the sector for the benefit of our country. We work tirelessly for the development of advanced technologies, promoting the international competitiveness of our industry and defending the interests of our members,” said the entity’s President during the ceremony.
Business Potential
Visits from foreign delegations, business rounds, bilateral meetings, talking business and intense movement marked ABIMDE’s program on this first day of the fair. The movement was intense in the entity’s booth, which registered the visit of delegations from Ghana, Japan and Slovenia.
Dr Gallo and ABIMDE’s Executive President, Aderico Mattioli, also participated in a meeting at the stand of the Portuguese Ministry of Defense, Helena Carreras.
Dr Gallo Gallo also signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea’s Kotra (public agency for the stimulation of exports and investments), aiming at cooperation between Brazilian and South Korean industries, on this first day of LAAD.
The business rounds were also a highlight of the first day of the fair. Brazilian and foreign companies had the opportunity to meet and discuss possible partnerships and business deals. These bilateral meetings are extremely important for the defense and security sector, since they enable the establishment of new commercial relationships and the exchange of knowledge and technology.
Besides the bilateral meetings, the first day of the fair also featured several business talks, where companies presented their products and solutions in lectures and discussion panels. These events are fundamental for companies to stand out in the market and for participants to be updated on the latest trends and technologies in the sector.
ABOUT ABIMDE
With 37 years of activities, the Brazilian Defense and Security Materials Industries Association (ABIMDE) is recognized as the legitimate interlocutor of the Defense and Security Industrial Base in Brazil. The entity promotes actions for the valorization and promotion of the companies of the sector in the national and international markets, and for the strengthening or implementation of policies and programs that ensure the development of this industry. Among its more than 200 members are the main defense and security companies installed in the country.
ABOUT ApexBrasil
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and attract foreign investments to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. The Agency performs several commercial promotion actions, such as prospective and commercial missions, business rounds, support to the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, and visits of foreign buyers and opinion makers to get to know the Brazilian productive structure.