Biobío forest services companies analyzed opportunities offered by Colombia

Service provider companies for the forestry industry in the Biobío Region participated in a technical meeting organized by ProChile Biobío, together with the Chilean Wood Corporation (Corma), the Association of Companies of Biobío (Asem), and with the collaboration of the Association of Forestry Contractors (Acoforag), to create a forum aimed at strengthening public-private coordination and identifying business opportunities in Colombia for the regional exportable supply.

The session brought together representatives from companies specializing in consulting, engineering, technology, logistics, biomass, wood protection, and other services linked to the forestry chain. During the meeting, a workshop was held to identify and characterize the exportable supply of the participating companies, information that will be used to connect them with international buyers in future commercial activities, including Expocorma and Redes 2026.

The regional director (acting) of ProChile Biobío, Paula Hormazábal, highlighted that the institution "has been promoting for several years an internationalization program for service provider companies from various industries. The experience developed by Chile in sectors such as mining, aquaculture, agriculture, and the forestry industry provides a foundation for projecting these capabilities toward new markets. The purpose is to generate concrete opportunities that can materialize in international activities such as ExpoCorma 2026."

One of the central focuses of the session was the presentation of commercial opportunities available in Colombia, delivered by Felipe Opazo from the ProChile Commercial Office in that country. His presentation addressed the conditions of the Colombian market, investment trends, and possibilities for Chilean providers of forestry solutions, technological innovation, and products with higher added value.

During the presentation, Opazo highlighted that "Colombia is home to more than 200 established Chilean companies and a significant stock of national investment, while also offering a market with potential for solutions oriented toward sustainability, automation, digitalization, and the use of biomass and forestry waste." Likewise, the ProChile representative in Colombia emphasized "the importance of developing long-term commercial relationships, maintaining a permanent presence in the market, and adapting the supply to local particularities."

The president of Corma Biobío-Ñuble, Alejandro Casagrande, valued this gathering, stating that "this is a great opportunity to strengthen small and medium-sized supplier companies in the forestry industry and support them in their internationalization process. Today there is great potential in the South American and Latin American markets, both for exporting products and services. We have world-class SMEs, with the experience and capabilities to contribute to the forestry development of other countries."

For his part, the general manager of Asem, Pablo Mariqueo, highlighted that "this joint effort facilitates the internationalization of regional SMEs, bringing them closer to potential clients abroad through technical support and specialized commercial guidance."

Carolina Soto, general manager of Atia Consultores, highlighted the value of the initiative in making regional capabilities visible in international markets. "Our company provides consulting services in sustainability and project excellence, so we value this initiative, which allows the specialized services that exist in Biobío to be showcased more broadly. We currently export energy efficiency and management services to markets such as Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay, and Colombia, so this type of forum contributes to generating new internationalization opportunities for companies in the region."