Around 20 economic players from Wallonia pitched their ideas to potential Spanish partners on Thursday, during the Casa Valonia event in Malaga, Spain.
The Belgian companies, from the creative and technological sectors, presented their projects and aspirations at the University of Málaga, using English and sometimes Spanish.
Before the 100-minute pitching session began, the participants were welcomed by Málaga Mayor Francisco de la Torre.
Pascale Delcomminette, the general administrator of Awex, then officially opened the fourth Spanish edition of Casa Valonia, an event aimed at strengthening ties between digital players in French-speaking Belgium and Spain, a global leader in the sector.
The stage was then handed over to the 21 Walloon companies and 15 Spanish firms, each of which was given three minutes to showcase its activities, strengths, and expectations.
Guy-François Vanpaesschen, a digital economy business developer at Awex, noted that pitching “remains a weakness for us." According to Vanpaesschen, "Anglo-Saxons are more comfortable because their education quickly exposes them to the art of public speaking.”
Despite these challenges, various Belgian entities performed well, from film production houses to Smart City solutions and Awex itself.
Florence Vanholsbeeck, an economic and commercial advisor at Awex’s Madrid office, praised the online training provided, stating: “We proposed online training, and honestly, we saw the difference!”
The session “went very well, with renowned figures and both public and private institutions present," she added.
" The topics were diverse across the three major themes of the event: digital tourism, entertainment, and health. There was something for everyone,” Vanholsbeeck concluded with a smile.
