NOF Energy, the Durham-based UK business development organisation for oil, gas, nuclear and offshore wind sectors, has announced Brazilian organisation Sistema FIRJAN as its latest Global Partner.
The agreement was reached with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas. The two organisations received support from UK Trade & Investment Brazil, which helped to facilitate the MOU following an inward market visit to the UK in February this year.
Sistema FIRJAN is a non-profit, private organisation, working in partnership with the State of Rio de Janeiro, with more than 7,500 associated companies and in excess of 7,700 employees working for the business community statewide.
Within the organisation are five institutions*, which work together to enable state development through the creation of a favourable business environment for the industrial sector.
This new partnership will support the development of Rio de Janeiro’s energy sector through engagement with NOF Energy and its membership, which is made up of established and experienced UK supply chain companies.
The two organisations will work closely together to share industry intelligence and economic information that will benefit member companies in addition to organising trade visits between the two markets.
NOF Energy has been developing links with South America and, in particular, Brazil for a number of years and has established strong links with local industry and organisations. This is the fourth Brazilian organisation to join NOF Energy’s global partner network alongside The Federation of Industries of Rio Grande do Sul State (FIERGS), Rio Negócios and Federacao das Industrias do Estado de Sao Paulo (FIESP).
NOF Energy has forged partnerships with more than 30 international business development organisations and economic development departments of overseas governments to form its Global Partner network.
Joanne Leng MBE, Deputy Chief Executive of NOF Energy, said: “Sistema FIRJAN is a very important organisation for the Brazilian energy sector. This agreement with further support our members’ ambitions to trade with the South American energy sector while enabling Brazilian companies to enhance their access to the skills and innovative technologies developed by UK suppliers.”
Eduardo Eugenio Gouvêa Vieira, Sistema FIRJAN President, said: “We are proud of this newest partner. It all started in February 2014 when a mission of UK government from Rio de Janeiro, leaded by us in partnership with Rio state government, went to the UK.
“The group visited Newcastle and Aberdeen and during the time there, FIRJAN made several contacts and started a discussion with NOF about the possibility of cooperation between the two organizations in the oil and gas segment, to exchange experiences”.