Recently we’ve updated our sales seminars and added new topics and dates. If interested you can contact us very easily using the contact form below the 2013 seminars – not just for booking, but also for getting information or simply getting in touch with us. Please have a look at our seminars!
Stranded goods
The end of the year is often a period to have a view at our trash boxes, our article collections and other stuff run ashore over the last year. Here is a small collection of worthy articles … the majority unfortunately in German:
- Some interesting insights on Assessment Centers(German)
- Complex invitations and some hints for the hosts (German)
- Germanys elite and architecture problem (German)
Recently I’ve found also new developments in mobility, which are again worthy to have a look at. In 2007 I already read about a sportscar from TESLA, as you can see here. This producer will now present the car of the year 2013 with a range of unbelievable 480 kilometers (!!) – who is telling us stories about hybrid technology?. Please have a look at a recent video MOTOR TREND car of the year 2013 (English). By the way, the TESLA investors Mercedes Benz and Toyota are going to use part of the innovations in their new products.
Considering the ethanol technology used in Brazil and the All-In-One engines, one might think „OK this will not be of importance in Brazil for the next 10 years“ – read here about actual developments in Sao Paulo. Even innovations in the hybrid technology are under consideration.
Have Fun !!
Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year 2013
Dear customers and followers. 
We are aware that choosing a consultancy firm is a matter of confidence, trust and „feeling well“ – we see your ongoing support as a challenge and empowerment to continue in our operations in our way „BE SMART, THINK DIFFERENT“ .
We thank you for your confidence and trust in 2012 and your ongoing activities in 2013.
The team at KOENINGER & PARTNER
Is Dilma Rousseff the Anti-Merkel?
Brazilian Magazine Isto É has recently published an article comparing two of the most powerful women in todays international politics: Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff and German chancellor Angela Merkel. Both are being called the new „Iron Ladies“ in politics but, as the article states, going in opposite directions.
While Angela Merkel apparently has a lot more in common with the original „Iron Lady“, Margareth Thatcher, standing for a strict fiscal policy and budget cuts, Dilma believes that public investments are necessary for overcoming a „brutal recession“. In her speech during the last summit of Ibero-American leaders in Spain, past November 17th, Dilma criticized austerity as an instrument for recovering from the european economic crisis and recommended that Europe should not repeat the mistakes of Latin-American leaders, whose restriction measures under IWF’s pressure during the 80s and 90s have only led to an even worse recession. For Dilma, Europe should focus on growth, „exaggerated and simultaneous fiscal consolidation in every country is not the best response“ and budget cuts should not lead to even more reduction of social benefits for the population.
The brazilian Magazine illustrates its article with a picture of Dilma and Spain’s King Juan Carlos that means more than words could say: Dilma is holding Juan Carlos’s arm, while the King leans himself on a walking stick. Check it out here.
Brazil is going to loose rank 6
According to the newspaper „Estado de Sao Paulo“ Brazil again lost rank 6 in the list of the strongest economies in the world to Great Britain due to the weak real and world economic crisis. Brazil will gain it back only in 2016, according to the EIA – Economist Intelligence Unit.
Some months ago officials supported a weaker currency, as they argues about benefits for the increase of production factors. Considering the statement above, no one wonders that in the meantime officials from the central bank of Brazil argues that the Brazilian Real weakened too much (Businessweek – Bloomberg)
Official contact and cooperation fair in Recife and individual company visits in Rio de Janeiro (24.02.-02.03.2013)
Organized by BW-International (Read more and/or apply)
The North-Eastern part of Brazil is by far the fastest growing business area in the country. Cities like Recife, Joao Pessoa and Fortaleza are facing an so called industrial spring in industries of energy, construction & building, textile and tourism.
Besides touristic flavour and the vision of the two megaevents „Copa del Mundo 2014“ and „Olympic Games 2016“, Rio de Janeiro is the industrial base to some of the largest companies in Brazil, like Vale and Petrobras – a very good idea to participate this excellent event and gain actual market information.
Applications can be done til 14.12.2012 – so hurry up!
(Read more and/or apply)
Design of new port area of Rio de Janeiro
As already announced on the German-Brazilian-Economic Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, 2011, the local authorities has decided to redesign the prot area and to demolish the port highway „Perimetrial“ – it will disappear in near future, the reconstruction is already going.
The following video of O Globo (Redesign Perimetral) gives a vision of the new port area and the surprising possibilities for urban life. Worthwile looking !
In particular, a very inconspicuous detail in this video is very cool – a new city train, metro, up-way (call it as you like). In former times the old (no, very old!) „bondinha“ in Santa Teresa was used from citizens and tourists as well . Since some years it became closed due to an accident, this new idea seems to be a real innovation in the public transport concept.
A more detailed view on the present situation and on some details concerning the activities can be viewed here (Construction details).
Sustainable and energy efficient building – Official Business trip to Brazil for companies of Baden-Württemberg (15.-24.04.2012)
Source: Alexander Koeninger, 2011
Sustainable and energy efficient building is an often discussed topic and of general interest in the Brazilian construction industry and the public sphere. In particular for gaining a certificate according to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or Aqua (Alta Qualidade Ambiental) the number of applications between 2009 and 2010 increased to 75%. Nowadays, Brazil is ranking on place 4 (!) worldwide with 371 buildings in the certification process.
Baden-Württemberg International, Handwerk International Baden-Württemberg and the Ministry of Economics and Finance of Baden-Württemberg are organizing an official business trip with representatives of German companies of Baden-Württemberg. The visit from 15.-24.04.2012 will include Curitiba, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
This trip is an excellent opportunity and platform for companies in the area of building and construction to present their products and services to an interested Brazilian attendance. Application can be done til 29.02.2012. Read more about about the trip and details for applying.
Bustrips for hard liners – the longest public transit bus trip in Europe
Yesterday TV had a quite surprisingly report about the longest bus trip in Europe. From Germany about Austria the busses hit finally the Turkish border – almost 2.650 km. The report in Abenteuer Leben/KabelEins titled „bustrip for hard-boiled travellers“ , selling the trip as something completely extraordinary.
1986 as a student and on my fourth trip to Brazil I took the bus from Rio de Janeiro to Recife. Almost 40 hours on the road I spent about 3 days along 2350 km. Nowadays, this long distance busses are still working and used to be a very common and first and foremost working (!) public transport throughout Brazil. Did you ever try to get ahead and pass one of them? Using a speed of about more than 100 km/hour under „Brazilian conditions“, this giants of the road are almost invincible.
(Source: Packtours )
Taking the example in Abenteuer Leben – of course in Brazil noone would think about something extraordinary. Look at the following schedule – an even three times longer trip. Starting at Porto Alegre in the South towards Sao Paulo (1150 km), Sao Paulo – Rio de Janeiro (430 km), Rio de Janeiro – Recife (2400 km), Recife – Fortaleza (844 km), Fortaleza – Sao Luis (1070 km), and finally towards Belem in the North (810 km), the whole trip takes 6704 km and about 5 days. And I am afraid there are even longer ones.
Competition between Brazilian states empowers economy
Remarkable effect of local tax reduction on both economical development and tax increase is recently demostrated by the local government of Santa Catarina state in Brasil. It is well known, that Brazil suffers from a tremendous number and height of different taxes, putting pressure on international exporters in particular.
Besides a long number of national import taxes, the ICMS is under the control of each federal state.
To empower local activities of foreign companies, the ICMS taxes were reduced from 17% to 3% in Santa Catarina. In fact, a few Brazilian regional governements decrease the ICMS taxation level. The intention of the local authority is clear – reduced taxes will empower foreign activitites to increase their business within this region.
As a result of this adjustement, in 2010 the quantity of imports in Santa Catarina increased up to 140% (in Brasil only 50%). Four years ago, the state was on rank 9 in number of imports, nowadays it is on rank 5. Surprisingly the total tax income on ICMS increased about 50%.
As a further consequence a partly deindustrialization could be a severe effect. In the first seven months of 2011, import volume enlarged to about 28%. In the same time span the industrial production declined 2,4%.
A brief example: After all taxes, the market price of an electric shaver in Brazil is 177 R$, including 32 R$ ICMS tax. In Santa Catarina, the part of ICMS is only 20 R$ – a difference of 12 R$. This about 8% increase in product margin could help to develop new products and services or even help organisational restructuring – or could be used to adjust prices to gain advantages against competitors.