Julia Sprott - Participant 2021-2022
“This Prince Albert Fund year pushed me to develop resiliency and flexibility.”
Role
Julia joined the Flanders Investment & Trade international network in San Francisco as Business Development Director. Her goal was to accelerate foreign investments of US-based companies in Flanders.
Responsibilities
Her first mission consisted of mapping the existing local and cleantech landscape in the US. After completing this analysis, Julia started to reach out to local companies and actively followed-up on new outlets to spot opportunities for investment in Flanders. Through various tools including databases, she was able to identify American companies wishing to expand in Europe in the short term. In parallel, she also worked with Flemish companies on their trade requests and performed preparatory work for business development.
How she benefited
Because the pandemic was still very much an issue, restricting the organization’s traditional modus operandi, Julia had to adapt and deal with uncertainty. She kept herself motivated, nonetheless, and continued to engage with stakeholders. “I’m very grateful for this experience, as it taught me how to shift my focus to address current needs and do business the American way with a can-do attitude.” Moreover, she developed a sound knowledge of the clean and climate tech landscape.
The company – Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT)
Flanders Investment & Trade is the Flemish government agency in charge of the internationalization of Flanders and Flemish companies. As the key point of contact for international business in Flanders, it assists Flemish companies in their global expansion, also looking for foreign investors in Flanders. This strategy has been developed in collaboration with more than 150 actors in the field of international business. FIT focuses particularly on the technology landscape including Digital, Health and Climate Tech.
“Julia delivered some excellent studies and did a lot of groundwork for us to consider expanding our partnerships as soon as market conditions will allow it.”