The internationalization accelerator for agri-food SMEs F2F Health Matters, one of the European projects in
which the Galcia Food Cluster (Clusaga) participates, has selected Japan and United Arab Emirates as next destinations to favor the export of European products.
Once the period for submitting applications for each of the destinations is open, companies will be able to choose to participate in direct missions, matchmaking and networking events, and mentoring and training programs. These two markets close the selection of countries by the accelerator, with Japan being the destination chosen for the second call, and the United Arab Emirates for the third.
Currently, the accelerator is working on preparing the internationalization mission to the country selected as the destination for the first call, Canada, which will take place in November 2022. Among the beneficiary SMEs are
the partners of Clusaga Healthinfoods, Anta and Quescrem honeys. These companies will travel together with 13 other European entities to promote the export of their products to the Canadian market.
About the selected countries
Japan has unique traditions and a particular way of doing business. However, given the long-term trade relationship between the European Union and Japan backed by the EPA agreement (Economic Partnership Agreement), European exporters can identify successful opportunities to enter this market with their products. The United Arab Emirates operates as an open economy and offers a very favorable trade regime, with low tariffs and efficient customs management.
On the other hand, a good reference in the UAE would open up new opportunities in other markets in the region, so this destination represents an excellent opportunity for European SMEs.
Presentation of applications and selection process of SMEs
SMEs operating in the sectors of bio-based healthy foods, ingredients and techno-functional solutions or sustainable biosolutions, will be able to apply for the next call for internationalization in Japan, which will be open for two months, starting in the fall. In the case of the United Arab Emirates, the call is expected to open in the first half of 2023.
Candidate SMEs will be eligible for three types of support dedicated to internationalization: Commercial Lead Support, Travel Aid and the Elite Program. After the eligibility verification process, the F2F Health Matters consortium will take
out the selection, and will classify the companies into two categories: Champion SMEs and Elite SMEs.
