InvestChile celebrates eight years: Agency helps create 12,125 jobs

The Foreign Investment Promotion Agency was created in 2016. Since then, it has accelerated the implementation of 220 projects worth US$21 billion from 32 countries.

InvestChile, the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, is celebrating eight years this 2024. Since its creation in 2016, it has provided services to more than 2,226 companies, leading to the implementation of 220 projects worth US$21 billion.

These initiatives, from 32 countries, have injected 12,125 direct and permanent jobs into the Chilean economy in the last eight years.

The director of InvestChile, Karla Flores, highlighted the work carried out by the agency. «In our first year, we closed the portfolio with almost 200 projects worth about US$7.7 billion. Last year, we supported 450 initiatives worth US$33.5 billion, the largest amount since the agency’s creation. We are a small agency, but we have held more than 4,600 business meetings and more than 520 activities in 40 countries,» the director said.

She also explained how InvestChile’s focus has evolved, promoting a proactive strategy to attract investment in areas that are concentrating attention around the world.

«In addition to the sectors that have regularly concentrated foreign investment in the country, such as mining, energy or concessions, we have gone out to look for companies that can contribute to our country’s current challenges, such as green hydrogen and energy storage, lithium, circular economy, knowledge-based services and Fintech», she stated.

Pioneers in Digital Marketing

InvestChile has been one of the world’s pioneering agencies in the use of digital marketing as a tool to attract investment.

The use of digital techniques, content marketing and inbound marketing is an exemplar in Latin America, and one of the few success stories of this type internationally.

Through the generation of high-value content for investors and the development of 150 digital campaigns each year, InvestChile has added 139 new investment projects to its portfolio worth more than US$2.9 billion since 2018, when the agency began using digital marketing as a strategy to attract investment.

The progress over that period is notable. In 2018, eight projects were secured through digital campaigns, which represented 4.4% of the total initiatives in the InvestChile portfolio. At the end of last year, the figures increased to 28 projects, representing 21% of the total initiatives supported by the agency.

Multicultural Agency

InvestChile is currently made up of 52 officials of five different nationalities, speaking seven languages. 56% of the staff are women. It is a technical agency, which emerged from a model developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

As part of its professional structure, the agency’s first and second leadership levels are chosen through senior public management competitive funds.

As of last year, the institution has had investment commissioners working in six countries: United States; Canada; France; Germany; Italy; and Japan.

«I appreciate the work of all of our institution’s staff. Without them we would not be celebrating all these achievements,» the director of InvestChile concluded.

Check out all of our 2023 results in our Public Account.