2023-12-01 04:27:11
With a Latin America offensive, the German economy wants to combat the shortage of skilled workers and at the same time secure important raw materials and green energy. “Engineering, IT and natural sciences account for more than 20 percent of university degrees in Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Colombia,” says a position paper from the Latin America Committee of German Business (LADW), from which the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” reports. There are around 700,000 vacancies in these areas in Germany.
The region is also particularly interesting for skilled workers because of its cultural proximity to Europe. It is estimated that almost 80 million people in Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Colombia will have a university degree between 2010 and 2020. Another “talent pool” is school leavers who complete training in programming schools; there are large locations with IT specialists in Sao Paulo, Bogota and Mexico City.
Scholz should take advantage of meetings with Lula
The committee is pressing Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) for support in opening up new markets – also in order to counteract China’s influence there. On Monday, at the invitation of the Chancellor, the second German-Brazilian government consultations after 2015 will take place in Berlin, to which Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will also be attending.
From the perspective of the LADW chairman, VW board member Gunnar Kilian, the government consultations with Latin America’s largest economy should be used “to establish long-term and strategic cooperation on renewable energies, raw materials, digitalization and the shortage of skilled workers.” Latin America plays a key role in strengthening the German economy’s resilience to crises.
Tjerk Brühwiller Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 15 Annalena Baerbock and Hubertus Heil Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 7 Published/Updated: Recommendations: 91 Gustav Theile Published/Updated: Recommendations: 8
The region can keep pace with China and India – with annual growth rates of up to six percent from 2027 – “if it focuses on future industries with sustainable technologies and intensifies international trade,” says the report. However, she urgently needs to increase her productivity. There are therefore great opportunities for German companies in the export of technologies and machines – and for the countries in the region, for example in the export of hydrogen. Chile and Brazil were among the leading locations that could produce green hydrogen for less than $1.50 per kilogram of hydrogen in 2030.
In addition, Latin America has over 60 percent of the lithium reserves. Demand for lithium will exceed supply as early as 2024.
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