The market studies developed by AEP make a framework of the main opportunities and constraints of the Japanese, South Korean and Chinese markets. The presentation of the papers will be made with the participation of international speakers

On October 27 and 28, AEP will hold the public presentation sessions of the Market Studies carried out under the Next Challenge Asia project. The sessions feature three international speakers with presence and operation in the featured markets – Helio Ciffoni, founder and director of Sapiens Global, Japan; Jay Seungkyu, Business Consultant & Agent, South Korea and Annabel Rong, founder and director of Algory Investment Ltd, China.

The program of the sessions, which takes place over one morning, includes, besides the round table with the specialists mentioned, the presentation of the Market Studies and a moment of questions and answers in which the participants are invited to clarify their doubts. The presentations will take place at AEP’s facilities in Leça da Palmeira, on the 27th, and at NERLEI’s facilities in Leiria, on the 28th.

The Market Studies are aimed at Portuguese SMEs in the Agro-Food, Home, Building Materials, and Infrastructure (Water and Energy) sectors that wish to start or increase their expansion into the highlighted Asian markets. These documents provide a portrait of the international context and of the sectors’ value chain, a strategic analysis of each of the Asian markets according to their respective sectors, an analysis of the competition with the identification of the main players, and also a definition of the entry modes and strategic options to be taken in the export process to Japan, South Korea, and China.

The Market Studies will be launched online on October 27 and the documents can be downloaded for free from the project’s website at aepnextchallengeasia.com

This activity is the first of several actions that make up the project, which also include the provision of Business Intelligence tools, which will allow entrepreneurs to make informed decisions, assess the maturity of SMEs for their internationalization and support the creation of an individual strategy to approach markets and the realization of several workshops on relevant topics in the context of internationalization, taking into account the sectors covered by the project.

In parallel, the project also aims to promote the potential of Portuguese products and, to this end, four Portugal Premium Events will be held in Portugal, Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing. The Asian markets will also be the target of an International Communication Campaign with the aim of raising the position of Portuguese SMEs in the global market, enhancing the Portugal brand among international buyers.

The Next Challenge Asia project runs until mid 2023 and is promoted by AEP and co-financed by Compete 2020, Portugal 2020 and the European Union.