German water companies seek local partners

MANILA, Philippines — Ten German firms are interested in partnerships with local firms to undertake opportunities in the water sector.

In a statement, the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) said the German companies looking to explore partnerships and opportunities in the country’s water sector are part of a business delegation under the Foreign Market Entry Programme for Small and Medium Enterprises of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

The delegation consists of  German companies Beulco GmbH & Co. Kg, Boreal Light GmbH/Winture, Continental Industrie GmbH, Efficiency Systems, Enexio Water Technologies GmbH, GEH-Wasserchemie, Martin Systems GmbH, Neutralox Umwelttechnik GmbH, PPU Umwelttechnik GmbH and WILO.

It was organized in cooperation with the German Water Partnership or a network of firms, trade associations and institutions in the water sector.

GPCCI hosted a virtual conference on water technologies for the German firms and the event was attended by over 150 participants from the Philippines.

“This business mission shows that German businesses are keen to establish partnerships despite the pandemic as they look for new market opportunities and partners,”  GPCCI executive director Christopher Zimmer said.

Given the turnout of attendees during the conference, he said there is significant interest from the Philippine counterparts.

“We hope these partnerships contribute to the economic recovery of the country especially in the field of managing water – one of the most important resources we have – with state-of-the-art technologies from Germany,” he added.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Jim Sampulna said “the Philippines is still experiencing water issues, and there is a need to look for more opportunities to create solutions.”

He also emphasized the need to invest in research, data and information sharing.

GPCCI is the official representation of German businesses in the Philippines.

Composed of around 300 members, GPCCI helps companies in their market entry and expansion.