The New California Spain Chamber of Commerce

A professional organization created to strengthen business, investment , innovation and cultural relations between Spain and California.

California’s Spanish heritage is undeniably present in its geography, culture and institutions. Centuries of shared history have left a mark in the name of cities like San Francisco, routes like El Camino Real, and institutes of higher learning like the University of Santa Clara and Saint Mary’s College, both founded at the behest of the then Spanish bishop of San Francisco Josep Alemany. However, the presence of Spanish companies and entrepreneurs in California is often much less visible even when it is significant.

Over a hundred Spanish companies have a presence in California. From wine (Torres) to software (Panda Software) to clean energy (Abengoa Solar) to financial services (BBVA), and dozens more companies are actively considering following their example, and will do so in the near future. As a result, trade and investment bilateral flows keep strengthening in a myriad ways. To further strengthen those ties and serve as an additional resource for both Spanish and California companies, a group of Spanish senior corporate executives, entrepreneurs and academics established in California joined forces in 2010 to found the California Spain Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote ”knowledge sharing and networking between businesses, companies, technology communities and individuals in California and Spain,” thus filling the existing gap among European professional associations in the Golden State.

As an organization with its base firmly anchored both in California and Spain, the Chamber intends to support exchanges of multiple nature: social, cultural, technological, trade and investments.

Institutional Support

From very early on, this venture has had the support of the Spanish government through the Spain Consulate General in San Francisco, the Spain Trade Commission in Los Angeles, and the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX), as well as the major official chambers of commerce in Spain.

The parties recognize that California is not only a large market for Spanish products and services, from wine to high-speed railways, but also the world’s quintessential breeding ground for innovation, where Spanish companies and entrepreneurs can learn, hone their skills and supercharge their creativity thus contributing to technological advancement, economic growth and job creation in both territories.

Organization

While still a young organization, dozens of individuals and companies have already joined the California Spain Chamber of Commerce. Membership growth keeps gaining momentum. The Chamber has created five active chapters, each with a specific focus: Information and Communication Technologies, Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship, Clean Technologies, Biotechnology and International Business and Trade. Each chapter focuses on the specific needs of a particular industry or economic activity and is lead by an experienced executive supported by a group of advisors with relevant expertise and connections. Together, they offer access to a broad range of opportunities to learn, network and partner for both Spanish and Californian professionals.

Services

The California Spain Chamber of Commerce provides an increasingly expansive portfolio of services to its members and third parties, including:

1. Networking. The Chamber is constantly organizing events whereby professionals have an opportunity to gather and get to know each other. The organization of events, expert panels, presentations and forums creates unique opportunities for networking in an efficient and focused fashion, leading to new business opportunities and innovation. An example is the recent Founders Space event where two dozen founders and CEOs networked and shared their experience running organizations in California.

2. Information. The California Spain Chamber is preparing an electronic library of industry reports and support guides geared to both American and Spanish companies, as well as a database of companies, organizations and professionals with bilateral interests to support initial searches for corporate and professional partners.

3. Education. The Chamber is preparing corporate training and company support programs for companies and entrepreneurs based on the deep knowledge and extensive experience of its members. As it could be expected from an organization born in Silicon Valley, many of these programs are delivered online. A new series of webinars was launched in late 2010 on current topics of interest, such as trends in mobile technologies, the legal pathways to establish an entrepreneurial company in Silicon Valley, etc.

4. Collaboration. The Chamber is partnering with other chambers of commerce, universities, government agencies and corporations to develop specific exchange programs. They include (but are not limited to) trade missions for industry associations, immersion and exchange programs for business school or engineering students and faculty, matchmaking events for venture capital firms and incubation programs for technology firms.

Looking Forward

California and Spain face significant economic challenges that require innovative thinking, creative collaboration and vigorous entrepreneurship.

The California Spain Chamber of Commerce is a new resource born from the desire to bring together the best of what California and Spain have to offer for their mutual benefit. As a new venture, the founders of the California Spain Chamber of Commerce dare to dream of success and, to that end, they look forward to collaborating with partners on all sides of the globe.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CALIFORNIA SPAIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INVITES INDIVIDUALS AND CORPORATIONS INTERESTED IN FURTHERING ITS MISSION TO BECOME MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER, AND ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN ITS DEVELOPMENT AND IN THE FURTHER STRENGHTHENING OF RELATIONS BETWEEN CALIFORNIA AND SPAIN.

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