COUNTRY FOCUS

include construction services fi rm ISG, transport consultants Steer Davies Gleave, Vero Software, Match Design and Populous.

In addition to infrastructure

requirements to serve the Olympic Games and the World Cup, which will take place in 12 cities, Brazil has an urgent need to improve its transport network. “Brazil needs to upgrade its infrastructure to cope with its burgeoning economic development,” states Whalley. “In addition to the opportunities generated by the big sporting events, there are openings for UK companies in airport development. Britain’s Terminal 5 at Heathrow is hugely admired in Brazil. Railway infrastructure is another good area where the UK has a legacy and there is a focus on improving Brazil’s ports. There is also a housing defi cit and the Brazilians are serious about tackling carbon emissions, so there is call for sustainable building, in which the UK has particular expertise.” The Building Research Establishment (BRE), a Watford-based organisation specialising in sustainable building, is working with the University of Brasilia

BEST FOOT FORWARD

BRITISH FOOTWEAR designer Kat Maconie has recently opened a showroom in São Paulo. Following help and advice gained on UK Trade & Investment’s Passport to Export programme, the young London designer decided to focus on Brazil, where she was already manufacturing her shoes. She had licensed her label to a local manufacturer to avoid heavy import taxes and to help keep prices competitive. Maconie attracted local press coverage after exhibiting at the British Lifestyle Showcase in São Paulo. She went on to design a special collection for a local beachwear brand, Triya, which was featured in a catwalk show at

Fashion Rio in May 2011, generating even further interest. “I was already making some headway in Brazil, but with UK Trade & Investment’s support I have really pushed forward,” she says. “I valued the educational aspect of the trade missions, and UK Trade & Investment’s briefi ngs prepared me for what to expect. They have supported me along the way and generated a great deal of press for me. In fact, Vogue Brazil ran a two-page spread of my shoes. We’re already selling in 15 stores and I expect Brazil to be one of my largest

markets in the next couple of years.” katmaconie.com