Aug. 31, 2022

Luís Meireles, CEO & Co-Owner at MDI

Luís Meireles, CEO & Co-Owner at MDI

Luís Meireles is currently CEO and co-owner of MDI Industrial a Medical Device Industry in Brazil and a senior consultant for European companies. Luís is Portuguese, Ph.D. in Biotechnology but moved to Brazil, spending the last decade helping to introduce medical devices into Latin America he was responsible for the introduction of Mortara Instruments in Brazil with a successful plan growing from almost zero to one of the market leaders. He was a senior consultant for Hill-Rom visiting almost all countries in Latin America, being perfectly aware of the difficulties of implementing and growing the health market in LATAM, especially in Brazil.

WEBVTT

00:00:00.450 --> 00:00:08.519
Welcome to the Latin Metech Leaders podcast, a conversation with Metech leaders who have succeeded or plan to succeed in Latin America.

00:00:08.949 --> 00:00:12.160
Please subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:14.880
Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast.

00:00:15.230 --> 00:00:17.199
Amazon Music is teacher tuning.

00:00:17.469 --> 00:00:19.000
I heard radio, Pandora.

00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:19.879
All these are

00:00:20.370 --> 00:00:28.600
Welcome to the Latin Method Leaders podcast, a conversation with leaders who have succeeded or plan to succeed in Latin America.

00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:38.478
Today our guest is Louis Mares, PhD and CEO at MDI Industrial, a medical device manufacturer in Brazil.

00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:44.158
Reese is also a senior consultant for European companies looking to do business in Brazil.

00:00:44.890 --> 00:00:47.600
So Louis, it's great to have you here in the show.

00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:48.560
Uh, welcome.

00:00:49.320 --> 00:00:57.679
Thank you for invitation to be a pleasure to share some experience and some thoughts if they are useful.

00:00:58.640 --> 00:00:58.840
Excellent.

00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:02.240
Uh, Louis, I'm, I'm so happy to have you here today.

00:01:02.679 --> 00:01:06.760
I'm, I'm sure many of our listeners are very curious about Brazil.

00:01:06.760 --> 00:01:08.959
Brazil, as you know, is a huge market.

00:01:09.400 --> 00:01:12.159
It's the largest market, uh, for medical devices in Latin America.

00:01:12.250 --> 00:01:16.079
So I always enjoy speaking with people like you.

00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:20.400
I've actually, I've only had about two guests like you, two or three, I don't remember.

00:01:20.620 --> 00:01:23.879
But, uh, it's such a huge country that we can have 200 guests.

00:01:24.030 --> 00:01:25.680
I still don't cover the whole market.

00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:26.560
Right.

00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:27.000
.

00:01:27.430 --> 00:01:29.840
It's a difficult market, but huge.

00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:30.760
Huge.

00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:31.480
Very large.

00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:32.560
All right.

00:01:32.730 --> 00:01:38.760
So Louis, let's get started talking about, um, your journey to Latin America.

00:01:38.760 --> 00:01:41.680
You are from Portugal and you moved to Brazil.

00:01:42.439 --> 00:01:46.400
How is it that you got involved with the medical device business in, in Brazil and Latin America?

00:01:47.069 --> 00:01:55.680
Well, this is a very long story that I will try to resume in a few minutes, otherwise, we can stay all day speaking about this.

00:01:56.599 --> 00:01:56.599
Okay.

00:01:56.799 --> 00:01:58.599
But I'll try to do it fast.

00:01:59.280 --> 00:01:59.280
Okay.

00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:01.439
So I, I'm by a technology.

00:02:01.450 --> 00:02:03.760
So my life started in the academy.

00:02:04.230 --> 00:02:12.280
I was a university teacher for a few, a few years during my PhD, and I started post-doc doctorate as well.

00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:16.479
But then I decided to raise my own company, and that was in Portugal.

00:02:16.759 --> 00:02:19.520
That was almost 20 years ago, kind.

00:02:20.919 --> 00:02:23.439
Uh, and then I started to work in the medical field.

00:02:23.919 --> 00:02:26.800
Uh, I always was very close to the medical field.

00:02:27.349 --> 00:02:32.960
I found out the cardiology market, and I started to work with several cardiologists.

00:02:33.449 --> 00:02:38.719
We raised a company in Portugal that was, uh, targeting that, that market.

00:02:39.050 --> 00:02:41.240
It was a startup, it was doing well.

00:02:41.740 --> 00:02:47.319
But, uh, with the crisis in Portugal, uh, I don't know if you remember, but Portugal, Spain, Greece.

00:02:47.889 --> 00:02:50.800
We had the fm fm i in, uh, there.

00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:54.479
So it was kind of tough at that moment for the startups.

00:02:54.740 --> 00:02:56.319
And we were growing in Brazil.

00:02:56.879 --> 00:02:56.879
Okay.

00:02:56.881 --> 00:02:59.360
We have had already a partnership in Brazil.

00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:02.080
We had our product certified here.

00:03:02.569 --> 00:03:16.680
So I moved here initially for, uh, one year or a couple of years just to launch the project here, try to make some, uh, some grow in Brazil, which was the same language, and, uh, and then go back.

00:03:17.060 --> 00:03:24.039
But during that, that course, I decided to stay here and, uh, started to understand this market.

00:03:24.040 --> 00:03:26.599
And I started to work with another companies here.

00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:32.599
Uh, and uh, and now I'm here for more than one day working in the medical device industry.

00:03:33.300 --> 00:03:33.719
Wow.

00:03:33.740 --> 00:03:34.879
Fascinating journey.

00:03:34.881 --> 00:03:49.639
I'm sure you have so much to tell about your, uh, stories and challenges in Brazil, because Brazil is famous for being kind of a difficult market to penetrate lots of laws and regulations, and it's protective, right?

00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:59.360
Uh, supposedly not, but its, its protective and it is difficult to, to penetrate.

00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:00.879
It's not very easy.

00:04:01.300 --> 00:04:03.439
You need to understand the culture first.

00:04:05.169 --> 00:04:06.370
Uh, and everything is different.

00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:08.250
Everything is different.

00:04:08.419 --> 00:04:23.290
So it's, it's really hard to just pick up products from America or Europe, which can be market leader there, and then implement it here and be, be successful because the challenges are, uh, are are very big.

00:04:23.889 --> 00:04:24.050
They are.

00:04:24.350 --> 00:04:28.170
And it's difficult to understand how to, how to do that.

00:04:28.579 --> 00:04:36.088
So you need first to understand the market, then to understand the people, the culture, and to set up a plan to, to do that.

00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:39.569
I did it with one American company at that time.

00:04:40.689 --> 00:04:42.970
Uh, we implemented instruments.

00:04:43.970 --> 00:04:45.769
Marta was a Milwaukee based company.

00:04:46.199 --> 00:04:50.889
They were leader in, uh, in cardiology at that, at that time in Europe.

00:04:51.370 --> 00:04:52.850
They were growing fast.

00:04:53.889 --> 00:05:01.129
And we started distribution here in, in Brazil, and we were running to be market leaders.

00:05:01.490 --> 00:05:11.879
So we, we, the grow was enormous, but then the mortal was acquired by hi and the Hi and then was acquired by Bax and uh, whatever.

00:05:11.880 --> 00:05:22.000
So things changed, but the project and the experience remain, and we are still known as the persons that that brought mortal and implemented mortal here.

00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:23.040
Excellent, excellent.

00:05:23.050 --> 00:05:24.800
So Louis, let's talk about trends.

00:05:25.110 --> 00:05:33.199
What trends do you see happening in Brazil or in Latin America that are, are worth mentioning today that are relevant to our discussion?

00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:36.399
Any political, economic, social trends that you see?

00:05:37.870 --> 00:05:51.069
First, you need to understand, or people need to understand that Latin America's continent with several countries, and it is totally different to enter in Brazil or Colombia or she is different.

00:05:51.250 --> 00:05:54.350
And the strategies are totally different.

00:05:54.350 --> 00:05:58.300
And the countries are in different, in different, uh, positions.

00:05:58.300 --> 00:06:02.338
Right now, of course, Brazil is the major country of Latin America.

00:06:02.540 --> 00:06:08.540
There are 220 million people in Brazil is a huge, huge market.

00:06:09.699 --> 00:06:13.060
Uh, so it's a very good playground to enter.

00:06:13.220 --> 00:06:21.060
And if you enter Brazil, which is difficult, then you have the doors open to the rest of the, the Latin America.

00:06:21.660 --> 00:06:21.660
Ok.

00:06:22.300 --> 00:06:23.860
Because you can have a very strong base.

00:06:24.610 --> 00:06:31.379
Brazil is, is not a, it should be one of the wealthy and rich, uh, countries in the world.

00:06:31.380 --> 00:06:32.778
There is everything here.

00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:39.139
You have oil, you have gold, you have diamonds, you have, uh, amazing agriculture.

00:06:39.141 --> 00:06:46.560
You have, uh, the rain forest, the Amazonian rain forest should be the most rich country

00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:46.959
In the world.

00:06:46.961 --> 00:06:47.759
Manufacturing.

00:06:47.769 --> 00:06:49.959
There's so much manufacturing happening there.

00:06:50.199 --> 00:06:53.560
Airplanes, cars, medical devices, everything.

00:06:53.899 --> 00:06:55.000
TVs, I mean,

00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:55.439
Everything.

00:06:55.470 --> 00:06:57.000
They do everything here.

00:06:57.639 --> 00:07:01.720
Uh, it's a huge, huge market and should be quite rich and wealthy.

00:07:01.829 --> 00:07:07.079
It's not because of political and historical reasons et set, but it should.

00:07:07.459 --> 00:07:25.730
But what I see, and I see a huge evolution in the last 10 years, It'll take 100 years, maybe it'll take a few generations, but it is getting stronger and the market is getting bigger, and things will, will, will, will evolve.

00:07:25.819 --> 00:07:32.730
So these emerging countries will be, will be to be focused in the next, in the next, in the next years.

00:07:33.089 --> 00:07:33.089
Okay.

00:07:34.129 --> 00:07:42.889
One trend that I see in the medical device in industries that I didn't see when I arrive is that, uh, is getting more and more protective.

00:07:43.610 --> 00:07:43.610
Ok.

00:07:44.689 --> 00:07:51.930
Uh, it's getting more difficult to register products here, for instance, uh, than it was 10 years ago.

00:07:52.730 --> 00:08:00.209
The regulation is getting tighten and, uh, is not that easy now to get a medical device.

00:08:00.211 --> 00:08:02.769
Certification, certification here, especially

00:08:02.769 --> 00:08:05.209
If it is of a higher class right, has

00:08:05.209 --> 00:08:08.089
Three, especially if it is a higher class.

00:08:08.379 --> 00:08:18.610
So I think that it was kind of easy, it was cumbersome and usually it took time because, uh, because the processes were bureaucratic.

00:08:18.829 --> 00:08:20.089
But it was easy.

00:08:20.139 --> 00:08:24.529
It was time consuming, but easy now it is the opposite.

00:08:24.531 --> 00:08:29.490
And Visa, which is the medical device regulator here, is working pretty much well.

00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:42.509
They answer fast, they answer professional, but they have tightened the rules and is not that easy to get to that get things done, which is good for good companies.

00:08:43.230 --> 00:08:43.230
Ok.

00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:49.669
So we are filtering the markets and the strongest and the organized and good products will stay.

00:08:50.049 --> 00:09:01.879
And the poor products and Chinese products and products with less, with less regulatory systems, we less, uh, difficult to, to to, to grow.

00:09:02.299 --> 00:09:18.840
The last legislation that arrived, uh, last, last, uh, couple of months is, I believe it was, it was May, uh, April of May is now, for instance, medical device software is subject to regulation, which was not, which was not.

00:09:19.570 --> 00:09:31.360
So for instance, if you, if you were to register a medical device, the test, uh, the equipment, the device and a software, the regulation was only on the device.

00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:34.759
The software was not subject to regulation.

00:09:35.058 --> 00:09:35.919
Now it is.

00:09:36.049 --> 00:09:44.519
So they will add it, the software engineers, how it was done, you has to give all the documentation of the software, how it is done, et cetera.

00:09:44.520 --> 00:09:48.200
Similar to Europe, for instance, which, which is new.

00:09:48.919 --> 00:09:56.178
And it'll change lots of things now because, because it, uh, it will make things, things, uh, harder.

00:09:56.308 --> 00:09:59.019
So that is a trend that we need to, to consider.

00:09:59.110 --> 00:10:08.428
It is getting difficult to get registration yet is, uh, is possible and uh, and professional.

00:10:08.730 --> 00:10:26.149
And that is, uh, a huge change because few years ago, people didn't want to come to Brazil because to register product in Visa was very difficult because they don't, it takes two years and it's nothing like this right now, it's professional.

00:10:26.570 --> 00:10:38.350
But if you have the right consultants and the right team and the correct quality management management system, you are able to do it in the, in the precise times.

00:10:38.610 --> 00:10:42.389
And also if you have a reference country approval, I guess that helps a lot.

00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:47.590
It helps, but it's not, uh, it is not, uh, mandatory.

00:10:48.070 --> 00:10:48.070
Okay.

00:10:48.549 --> 00:10:48.549
Okay.

00:10:48.570 --> 00:10:59.230
But, but it helps Now on Visa is part of international, uh, plan that has fda that test Japanese and Canadian.

00:10:59.629 --> 00:11:00.870
Oh, MD ist it.

00:11:00.870 --> 00:11:01.110
Yes.

00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:07.509
So you can, you can use my up with Misa or my, with Brazil and Visa as well.

00:11:08.350 --> 00:11:15.549
Europe is still out, but it is expected to come and that will, that will maybe do things.

00:11:16.919 --> 00:11:18.710
So for me, that is a major trend.

00:11:19.019 --> 00:11:23.029
Regulatory is now professional, but more difficult.

00:11:23.030 --> 00:11:24.428
That is one trend.

00:11:24.928 --> 00:11:30.789
The other as is that the market is getting more and more, uh, competitive.

00:11:31.629 --> 00:11:31.629
Okay.

00:11:32.870 --> 00:11:39.428
Uh, in Brazil, we now are facing, uh, I don't see a problem, but it is a trend.

00:11:40.909 --> 00:11:47.428
have two markets, the public sector and the private, and they are totally, totally different.

00:11:47.610 --> 00:11:56.149
And Thes must be different for both because it's, it's like two different markets, two different countries, two different approaches.

00:11:56.850 --> 00:12:14.070
But on the private sector, what we'll see and what we are seeing, there are major groups which are very few, three or four groups that are buying all the hospitals in, uh, in Brazil, for instance, I live in, uh, Salvador.

00:12:14.090 --> 00:12:18.909
And in the past four years, all the private hospitals were acquired.

00:12:19.149 --> 00:12:21.870
There are no more private hospitals.

00:12:21.870 --> 00:12:23.990
Individual, individual independence.

00:12:24.590 --> 00:12:29.789
They were acquired by major networks that are buying hospitals almost every month.

00:12:30.269 --> 00:12:30.269
Okay.

00:12:30.270 --> 00:12:30.549
Wow.

00:12:31.389 --> 00:12:33.149
So that is good and bad.

00:12:33.460 --> 00:12:38.629
That's what it's called systems in the United States, because the audience is familiar with that terminology.

00:12:39.049 --> 00:12:46.190
Why that is good, because if you get to enter that hospital network, you'll sell to all country.

00:12:46.870 --> 00:12:52.549
There are networks with, uh, that started with 10, 10 hospitals and now they have hundreds of hospitals.

00:12:52.840 --> 00:13:00.360
So if you get to your products inside, then you'll sell to all the network.

00:13:01.090 --> 00:13:02.600
So that is good.

00:13:03.690 --> 00:13:11.710
The part that is bad, it is more difficult because everybody's trying to do so, so you need to be good to be, so to do that.

00:13:12.289 --> 00:13:25.750
And then you have the pricing issues as they are big, what they're trying to do, they're trying to acquire in huge quantities, but lowering your, your margin.

00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:48.308
So you need to be very, very smart to be able to, to succeed, for instance, selling the products at lower margins so you can get in and then have a very good effective servicing that make you win during the, during the time with accessories, with servicing, with trainings, et cetera, for instance.

00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:51.230
So you need to have, to have strategies to go there.

00:13:51.610 --> 00:13:56.558
The good news is that you have to focus in a few, a few costs.

00:13:56.629 --> 00:14:03.519
It's easier, it's easier to do, uh, in terms of time or in terms of, uh, focus.

00:14:04.759 --> 00:14:06.039
But it's difficult.

00:14:06.678 --> 00:14:09.919
You need, you need to, you need to, to get in.

00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:12.639
So that is a trend.

00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:26.450
So you have now very, very big groups and there are a few others, but there are four that are just, just just exploding and buying hospitals and hospitals and hospitals.

00:14:26.779 --> 00:14:30.690
So it's consolidation of a fragmented industry.

00:14:30.990 --> 00:14:31.409
Yes.

00:14:31.410 --> 00:14:32.690
Used to be very fragmented.

00:14:32.691 --> 00:14:33.850
Now is more consolidated.

00:14:34.259 --> 00:14:41.730
So there is a trend of consolidation where the, the hospital systems are acquiring independent hospitals and creating large networks.

00:14:42.139 --> 00:14:42.809
Exactly.

00:14:42.940 --> 00:14:47.210
So one is the public sector for hospitals, the other is the private.

00:14:47.230 --> 00:14:49.649
And the private is, is being merged.

00:14:49.650 --> 00:14:53.480
So you need to know where you, where you, where you act.

00:14:53.539 --> 00:15:05.879
And anyways, the primary care, which for me is the most difficult one because Brazil's huge land, the infrastructure of transportations is poor.

00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:09.559
You was to travel by plane, you can't travel by car.

00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:12.759
There is no drains to travel between, between cities.

00:15:13.250 --> 00:15:15.759
So we always to to to be present.

00:15:16.100 --> 00:15:19.960
And if it, these hospitals, you can go to the major groups.

00:15:20.370 --> 00:15:25.840
If it's public, you have public standards, that's now everything online, etcetera.

00:15:25.841 --> 00:15:27.080
So you can, you can manage.

00:15:27.730 --> 00:15:32.919
So there's centralized, centralized, uh, purchasing in Brazil Yes.

00:15:32.921 --> 00:15:34.679
By the government, national government.

00:15:35.059 --> 00:15:46.299
But if your product, for instance, is for primary, primary care for physician offices, small, then you need to make, uh, sales representative network

00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:47.980
All over the country.

00:15:48.500 --> 00:15:50.659
All over the country because you can't be there easily.

00:15:51.299 --> 00:15:51.299
Ok.

00:15:51.710 --> 00:16:01.179
So you, you need to define different segments and then you, you have to attack each segment, uh, each segment, uh, differently.

00:16:02.220 --> 00:16:02.220
Ok.

00:16:02.590 --> 00:16:07.820
So that is, that is one, uh, one, uh, one issue that you need to understand.

00:16:08.419 --> 00:16:16.460
And as there were lots of companies coming to Brazil in the eighties and in the nineties that appear and disappear, they change distribution.

00:16:17.049 --> 00:16:29.139
Lots of times customers here, they don't trust, uh, outside brands in their offices unless they have somebody near that says, Look, doctor, I will support you.

00:16:29.140 --> 00:16:30.179
I have all information.

00:16:30.181 --> 00:16:34.860
I have a, if they don't have, uh, they don't pipe.

00:16:35.250 --> 00:16:35.740
Yeah.

00:16:36.179 --> 00:16:36.500
Interesting.

00:16:37.100 --> 00:16:37.940
It's, it's quite interesting.

00:16:37.941 --> 00:16:44.019
In cardiology, in cardiology, there are 17,000 cardiologists in, uh, in Brazil,

00:16:45.259 --> 00:16:45.980
17,000 cardiologists.

00:16:46.820 --> 00:16:46.820
1, 7, 17.

00:16:47.419 --> 00:16:47.419
Okay.

00:16:47.740 --> 00:16:47.740
Yeah.

00:16:48.100 --> 00:16:48.779
Thousand cardiologists.

00:16:49.620 --> 00:16:55.769
Uh, but the persons working, the cardiologists selling devices at the same, always the same.

00:16:55.770 --> 00:16:57.970
It's a, it's a very close, close group.

00:16:58.470 --> 00:17:01.370
And the brand is a commodity.

00:17:02.490 --> 00:17:02.490
Okay.

00:17:02.750 --> 00:17:03.929
The brand is a commodity.

00:17:04.309 --> 00:17:09.130
The cardiologist locally will buy what that person is selling him.

00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:10.329
Okay.

00:17:10.330 --> 00:17:15.650
Because he trusts him or her, because he's local, he speaks the same language.

00:17:15.651 --> 00:17:16.730
He's there forever.

00:17:16.980 --> 00:17:18.450
He knows where he lives.

00:17:19.250 --> 00:17:19.250
Yeah.

00:17:19.970 --> 00:17:25.210
And he's there for 20 years with a company there always support the customer.

00:17:26.009 --> 00:17:39.009
So to get his primary care, the, is to set up a sales representative network and get those small companies that are locally in supporting to work for you.

00:17:39.380 --> 00:17:50.660
So you need to be smart and to say that you have, uh, uh, a good portfolio with good prices, that you will support them, that you can, you can sustain.

00:17:50.661 --> 00:17:57.220
And then they will risk to change what they're doing and try to promote, to promote your brand.

00:17:57.700 --> 00:18:00.858
And they'll never, they will never do a swap like instant.

00:18:01.089 --> 00:18:02.180
They will test you.

00:18:02.181 --> 00:18:05.259
They will test in smoke once they will see how work.

00:18:05.589 --> 00:18:13.420
So there is a trust relation that you need to build until they really promote, promote your brand.

00:18:14.150 --> 00:18:22.220
So, and that's difficult to, that is difficult to acquire until you get, uh, a sales representative network.

00:18:22.779 --> 00:18:23.460
It takes a while.

00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:32.940
And you see, you have 27 states in Brazil, they are all separated and all with very individualities and different things.

00:18:32.941 --> 00:18:34.500
So it's, it's difficult.

00:18:34.500 --> 00:18:42.420
So you need to have at least 25, 20, 20 5 cents reps around, around, uh, around Brazil.

00:18:42.579 --> 00:18:50.180
And you have to be able to manage them and to teach and to coach and, uh, but it's, it's possible to, to do it.

00:18:51.019 --> 00:18:51.019
Hmm.

00:18:51.539 --> 00:18:51.858
Interesting.

00:18:52.029 --> 00:18:55.618
So let's go back to the public system.

00:18:56.349 --> 00:19:01.470
There's only one public healthcare system or there are several.

00:19:01.930 --> 00:19:12.710
For example, in Mexico there have like five, you know, the military, the teachers, the, the, what the government provides for the low income people.

00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:15.029
So how many systems do you see in Brazil?

00:19:15.059 --> 00:19:15.390
A lot.

00:19:16.069 --> 00:19:16.069
Look

00:19:16.099 --> 00:19:16.470
A lot.

00:19:17.029 --> 00:19:17.029
Yeah.

00:19:17.269 --> 00:19:18.470
That's very Imagine it's a huge country.

00:19:19.089 --> 00:19:23.710
You have the central government look, because Brazil is a federation of states.

00:19:24.118 --> 00:19:28.349
So the states have some independence about the federal government.

00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:31.789
So you a federal, uh, tenders,

00:19:31.789 --> 00:19:32.470
Healthcare systems,

00:19:33.349 --> 00:19:33.349
Okay.

00:19:34.029 --> 00:19:34.029
And

00:19:34.190 --> 00:19:36.269
National healthcare systems too, which will be national.

00:19:37.589 --> 00:19:47.630
Uh, then you have the local states which will, uh, will, will also provide tenders and they are all different.

00:19:47.631 --> 00:19:52.190
And then you have smallest ones, like big cities like Sao Paulo,

00:19:53.269 --> 00:19:54.868
Oh, they have their own hospitals in the city,

00:19:56.630 --> 00:19:57.630
More or less different

00:19:57.950 --> 00:19:57.950
Layers.

00:19:59.430 --> 00:20:03.190
And look, of course they are public, of course they are tenders.

00:20:03.410 --> 00:20:21.269
And there is now a, what they call the transparency portal, which is a huge, uh, online system where you can consult all public tenders and results of the public tenders and what was paid, what was delivered when was delivered, who has delivered that is public information.

00:20:21.559 --> 00:20:25.670
If you have time, uh, if you have time to, to do it, Okay.

00:20:25.868 --> 00:20:26.670
That, that will be public.

00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:34.750
So you can, and there are companies that are doing, uh, that are doing all data mining of that.

00:20:35.349 --> 00:20:38.200
And, uh, they provide you very, very

00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:40.240
Intelligence,

00:20:41.240 --> 00:20:45.358
Pricing intelligence who market share for companies.

00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:48.519
That is, that is, uh, quite helpful.

00:20:49.079 --> 00:20:49.079
Okay.

00:20:49.080 --> 00:20:54.319
So you can buy these kinds of information and you can have a very good understanding of the market.

00:20:54.579 --> 00:21:03.358
The question is, although they are public, uh, they try to, of course, direct for their intents so you can simply appear and win.

00:21:04.039 --> 00:21:04.039
Okay?

00:21:04.040 --> 00:21:11.519
Usually now they have, uh, uh, a pre-election where you have to demonstrate the product.

00:21:12.049 --> 00:21:15.039
So it's better if you know prior.

00:21:15.170 --> 00:21:21.920
So if you are involved with the departments, you know that, that, uh, tailor will, will appear.

00:21:22.118 --> 00:21:34.200
First you demonstrate the, the products you demonstrate, the solutions you prove that your solution is, is, uh, is the best one.

00:21:34.380 --> 00:21:54.960
And then they'll try to direct the tender for your, for your, uh, solution, not for your particular company, but at least with the features that you are, that you are, uh, proposing, uh, and, uh, that you are proposing and that, uh, are good for them.

00:21:55.250 --> 00:22:00.240
Of course, there is another company with exactly the same feature that, uh, can provide,

00:22:00.740 --> 00:22:02.720
But very likely you'll not be

00:22:03.079 --> 00:22:03.079
That.

00:22:03.190 --> 00:22:03.680
Yeah.

00:22:03.681 --> 00:22:06.039
But, so you have to do that work, okay?

00:22:06.279 --> 00:22:07.240
You wife to do that work.

00:22:07.299 --> 00:22:13.400
And they try to protect themselves to, to, to these kinds of things.

00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:13.839
Okay?

00:22:13.990 --> 00:22:26.319
Like they don't want, they don't want, uh, like I, I don't want to, they don't want ship products, for instance, to be there and to appear and to win, uh, everything.

00:22:26.320 --> 00:22:27.880
So they are trying to protect.

00:22:27.890 --> 00:22:35.279
So the specifications of the tenders are getting more and more, uh, tough to, to get in.

00:22:35.650 --> 00:22:45.240
So to win you need to do the work before you need to do your homework, you need to prepare everything.

00:22:45.460 --> 00:22:50.019
And then you need to be ready to be, to be in the tender.

00:22:50.309 --> 00:22:51.339
It is possible.

00:22:51.340 --> 00:22:55.660
But that works better in partnership with local, Uh

00:22:56.019 --> 00:22:56.180
Oh, totally.

00:22:56.450 --> 00:22:57.779
Absolutely, yes.

00:22:58.099 --> 00:22:58.099
Yeah.

00:22:58.101 --> 00:23:00.858
Manufacturers or the shooters who, who know the game,

00:23:01.140 --> 00:23:04.940
There are lots of companies that do that OEM here, Okay.

00:23:05.529 --> 00:23:05.940
A lot.

00:23:06.529 --> 00:23:08.259
What oem?

00:23:08.390 --> 00:23:12.940
So what they do is that they have tenders one, uh, oem.

00:23:14.349 --> 00:23:14.349
Okay?

00:23:14.680 --> 00:23:37.190
So what, what they do, they, they provide their OEM products to local manufacturers, and they will win the public market with OEM products, national branded, because they have advantage on the tenders because they are national, the prices are different because you can have lower transference prices of parts you can assemble here.

00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:39.829
So you'll be more, more, more competitive.

00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:46.720
So that is a good approach for public, for the public, uh, public sector, do it assemble here.

00:23:47.509 --> 00:23:48.000
Okay.

00:23:48.029 --> 00:23:48.720
Very good.

00:23:49.160 --> 00:23:49.279
All right.

00:23:49.289 --> 00:23:57.329
So we are speaking about so many things, uh, Louis, I think we, we, we can do like five different episodes.

00:23:57.330 --> 00:24:03.490
You're a wealth of knowledge and, and, um, but the, but the other question is about you.

00:24:03.650 --> 00:24:06.608
What is it that you guys are doing today in Brazil?

00:24:06.609 --> 00:24:07.769
Tell me about your business.

00:24:07.770 --> 00:24:11.970
Tell me about the challenges you're facing with your product or service In

00:24:11.970 --> 00:24:16.329
Brazil, I was working for other companies for many years here.

00:24:16.809 --> 00:24:16.809
Okay.

00:24:16.950 --> 00:24:22.769
But corporative companies, you know, they are acquired, they change, it, change, uh, leaders, etcetera.

00:24:22.770 --> 00:24:26.089
And then you set up all the business and they come and they change everything.

00:24:26.618 --> 00:24:37.049
So last time that happened, I decided that still I will keep working with the outside companies and I'm consultant and I'm helping some companies, uh, entering here.

00:24:37.190 --> 00:24:40.849
But I wanted to have my, my own, my own, uh, business.

00:24:41.450 --> 00:24:41.450
Okay.

00:24:41.868 --> 00:24:46.608
And as you told in the beginning, they produce everything in Brazil.

00:24:47.049 --> 00:24:47.049
Okay.

00:24:47.720 --> 00:24:49.529
Almost all kind of products.

00:24:49.549 --> 00:24:51.329
You can find local manufacturers.

00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:56.130
Some are oem, some are local technology, but they do them here.

00:24:56.259 --> 00:25:02.490
So you have a local, uh, competitors that are good, that are important.

00:25:03.769 --> 00:25:06.210
And, uh, we found a market niche.

00:25:06.211 --> 00:25:08.849
There was no competitors here.

00:25:09.529 --> 00:25:09.529
Okay?

00:25:09.819 --> 00:25:12.809
We were working in cardiology and there was a hole in the market.

00:25:12.810 --> 00:25:28.730
There is a product, which is a metabolic analyzer that is done in, uh, cardiology field to do a cardio pulmonary stress test, which now is quite important to post covid because it's one of the mandatory, uh, diagnosis tests.

00:25:29.470 --> 00:25:41.279
And although there are stress tests here, cardiology systems, the car, pulmonary stress test, the metabolic function analysis, there, there are no local factors in Latin America.

00:25:42.279 --> 00:25:48.799
Uh, so it's quite expensive to import because the dollar rates are, are, are

00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:49.920
Exchange rate.

00:25:50.269 --> 00:25:50.759
Yeah.

00:25:50.760 --> 00:25:53.000
The exchange rate is, is not good right now.

00:25:53.410 --> 00:25:55.599
So it was a hole in the market here.

00:25:55.601 --> 00:26:05.720
So we decided to create our own product and we create, uh, medical device industry with all the knowledge about certifications, products, sales reps, etc.

00:26:06.170 --> 00:26:17.400
We create vagina engineering team, we create our own product, and we are selling it in partnership with some outside companies because it's cardio pulmonary stress test.

00:26:17.401 --> 00:26:18.799
We are a part of that.

00:26:19.259 --> 00:26:25.079
But during that time, we found another market for that product, which is quite, quite interesting.

00:26:25.210 --> 00:26:42.519
We create a product for cardiology, but suddenly we found that in the fitness market like dietician, neologist, et cetera, they need that technology for other things, which is a side market of the car, of the medical device market.

00:26:42.630 --> 00:26:46.720
Easier to work, but with a huge, huge volume.

00:26:47.368 --> 00:26:57.200
So we are selling a lot for dieticians, nutritionists, uh, for sports centers, uh, some private clinics like wellness, et cetera.

00:26:57.380 --> 00:26:59.599
And we are getting quite stronger here.

00:26:59.630 --> 00:27:00.118
Okay.

00:27:00.119 --> 00:27:04.720
So now we are planning our moves outside, outside Brazil.

00:27:05.990 --> 00:27:07.089
Now we have a problem.

00:27:07.230 --> 00:27:12.650
The ma most major problem we have is that we cannot produce as much as we sell.

00:27:13.000 --> 00:27:13.608
Really?

00:27:13.750 --> 00:27:14.170
Wow.

00:27:14.309 --> 00:27:15.170
Congratulations.

00:27:15.608 --> 00:27:16.289
Quite a good problem.

00:27:16.319 --> 00:27:16.809
Yeah,

00:27:16.809 --> 00:27:17.089
It's good.

00:27:17.608 --> 00:27:17.608
Congratulations.

00:27:17.609 --> 00:27:19.329
It is a good problem, but not so good.

00:27:19.849 --> 00:27:20.608
Okay, Not so good.

00:27:21.410 --> 00:27:29.608
We have problems because we are a tiny industry, so we are small, a small industry, and you know that there is a problem of components all around the world.

00:27:29.609 --> 00:27:34.049
So we can't buy micro, we can't buy parts, we can, that's a problem.

00:27:34.569 --> 00:27:34.569
Okay.

00:27:34.890 --> 00:27:40.410
So we have a few strategies to overcome that, but it is, is difficult.

00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:53.410
I believe that the end of this year will be strong enough with the production well, uh, structured to start, uh, making some tests like Colombia for instance.

00:27:53.411 --> 00:27:57.170
We have a few contacts already in Colombia and she cetera.

00:27:57.608 --> 00:28:07.890
And we we'll start to, to, to grow around Brazil and then maybe fda, which is easier with than the Europe and the, let's see.

00:28:08.150 --> 00:28:17.170
But that, that is the, that is the plan right now to, to invert the, the balance, which is we always import things.

00:28:17.779 --> 00:28:22.569
We are doing very good technology and we want to do it the opposite world to see how it works.

00:28:22.970 --> 00:28:22.970
Wow.

00:28:23.410 --> 00:28:30.650
And and how's it being with the regulatory agency within Visa to get the product approved as it been a fairly straightforward process

00:28:31.170 --> 00:28:31.490
And Visa?

00:28:32.039 --> 00:28:36.690
Yeah, it, it, it's time consuming to get, uh, company built here.

00:28:36.700 --> 00:28:46.970
It takes, uh, it takes time because we have local approvals, you have local approvals, you have like firefighter approvals, you have, uh, uh, environment approval,

00:28:47.690 --> 00:28:47.690
Firefighters,

00:28:48.289 --> 00:28:48.289
Approvals.

00:28:48.730 --> 00:29:02.799
Yeah, you, you need to have firefighter approvals because you are a industry, so you have lots of certificates that you need, and then you apply for a local, uh, and Visa, which is the visa, which is the local system.

00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:05.680
And then you have to apply, apply to the national one.

00:29:05.769 --> 00:29:16.509
It takes one year and a half to get it done, but after you do that, you are protected because your competitors will take two years to do, to do the same.

00:29:17.069 --> 00:29:21.869
And now we can register almost any product until Class three devices here in Brazil,

00:29:22.150 --> 00:29:22.789
Just three devices

00:29:23.430 --> 00:29:23.869
Within new company.

00:29:24.269 --> 00:29:25.069
We're ready for three.

00:29:25.589 --> 00:29:29.710
We're only producing class two A, but we are now ready for class three.

00:29:29.960 --> 00:29:34.990
So we are injecting other products in our product lines and we can, uh, we can do other things as well.

00:29:34.990 --> 00:29:36.710
How many people do you have employee

00:29:36.839 --> 00:29:38.069
Working right now?

00:29:38.549 --> 00:29:40.390
Uh, direct employees, we are 26.

00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:46.480
Uh, but we have subcontracted, so we are about 35 people working with us right now.

00:29:48.109 --> 00:29:49.980
We were said and before the pandemic.

00:29:49.980 --> 00:29:51.059
Now we are 35.

00:29:51.089 --> 00:29:54.460
It's, it's, it's an, an adventure, but it's nice.

00:29:54.740 --> 00:29:55.980
Beautiful, beautiful.

00:29:56.250 --> 00:29:58.380
Well, Luis, we're close to the end of the show.

00:29:58.569 --> 00:30:01.940
I mean, again, I feel like we can talk for hours and hours.

00:30:02.130 --> 00:30:03.140
I mean, we do.

00:30:03.579 --> 00:30:12.019
Um,, uh, the final question that I have for you is about your final words of wisdom.

00:30:12.329 --> 00:30:21.140
What would you say to the CEO of, uh, US or European company or Asian company that is looking at Brazil as a, as a place to do business?

00:30:21.141 --> 00:30:24.819
What would be your final thoughts or more source of wisdom to him

00:30:24.819 --> 00:30:25.019
Or?

00:30:25.329 --> 00:30:36.609
I think the most important advice I can, I can give is that, uh, you need to understand the local culture and not try to implement your own culture here.

00:30:38.140 --> 00:30:44.420
Because there is the idea that, uh, well we are from, uh, the first world.

00:30:44.430 --> 00:30:50.660
We are Europeans, we are Americans, we are Japanese, so we are better, our products are better.

00:30:50.661 --> 00:30:54.619
So we are going there and we are teaching them how to do.

00:30:55.559 --> 00:30:57.170
That's not true, okay?

00:30:57.519 --> 00:31:04.210
Brazil and the other countries are quite strong and they have a different culture that we need to understand.

00:31:04.549 --> 00:31:11.410
And what they do sometimes is more, uh, effective than what they do in other places.

00:31:12.539 --> 00:31:34.079
Uh, and we need to understand that we need to be cautious first, understand the culture, how they work in financials, in taxations, in the, in distribution, but I'll also, they do medicine how they, they behave in terms of natural business and not try to implement our, our our our not

00:31:34.279 --> 00:31:35.559
Try to impose things

00:31:36.039 --> 00:31:39.559
On the, so we are the foreigners here, it's their markets.

00:31:39.609 --> 00:31:44.880
So we need to adapt, not, they don't need to adapt to us, we need to adapt to them.

00:31:45.099 --> 00:31:48.480
And that is the yes is a mind change.

00:31:48.839 --> 00:31:48.839
And,

00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:58.559
And, and that's, and I mean, coming from you, you are from Portugal, just to make sure the audience, uh, uh, remembers that you, you know exactly what you're talking about because you went through that process.

00:31:58.990 --> 00:32:26.569
Yeah, I, I can tell the first years were, uh, were quite tough because, uh, the culture between, uh, Portugal and uh, and Brazil, although the language would be the same, the culture is different for many time, many big period of time people think I wasn't polite because really the structured way and the precise way I was trying to, to run, to run the things.

00:32:28.240 --> 00:32:37.539
For instance, in Brazil, they don't tell you no, you need to understand they don't want, they will give you some tips that they are not interested.

00:32:37.540 --> 00:32:41.079
But, uh, it's un polite to say, Look, no, I'm not interested in that.

00:32:41.150 --> 00:32:43.039
That's not polite.

00:32:44.130 --> 00:32:44.480
So,

00:32:44.930 --> 00:32:47.759
So it's, it's how they behave, behave.

00:32:48.119 --> 00:32:50.920
It's how they grown and we need to understand that.

00:32:51.839 --> 00:32:53.319
And you need to try to behave, behave

00:32:54.789 --> 00:32:55.390
Exactly accordingly.

00:32:55.910 --> 00:32:56.630
Not to read the signals

00:32:57.349 --> 00:32:57.789
To the signals.

00:32:57.869 --> 00:32:59.789
Yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's different.

00:32:59.930 --> 00:33:02.069
And you can't fight that.

00:33:02.210 --> 00:33:08.859
You need to understand and uh, you need to understand and uh, and uh, and move.

00:33:09.079 --> 00:33:11.579
And that is the major, the major advice.

00:33:11.580 --> 00:33:13.700
I, I give, it's a huge market.

00:33:14.130 --> 00:33:19.099
It's really possible to win and to, to do lots of things.

00:33:19.101 --> 00:33:24.839
It's an, an exploit world, but you need to understand the culture first.

00:33:24.840 --> 00:33:34.279
Adapt to the culture in pricing, understand if, for instance, our pricing, it is, uh, it is, uh, good here if, et cetera.

00:33:34.280 --> 00:33:38.529
We need to first adapt study and then we need to act.

00:33:38.740 --> 00:33:42.450
If you try to do it like just box moving, it won't work.

00:33:42.849 --> 00:33:42.890


00:33:43.170 --> 00:33:43.849
Won't work.

00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:46.289
Well, Reese, fantastic.

00:33:46.290 --> 00:33:47.049
Thank you.

00:33:47.050 --> 00:33:51.089
Thank you so much for your wisdom for sharing the knowledge here in the podcast.

00:33:51.829 --> 00:33:57.529
I'm sure our listeners, uh, got a lot out of your, your, your comments, your, your experiences.

00:33:58.509 --> 00:34:01.490
And, uh, I look forward to keeping in touch with you.

00:34:01.619 --> 00:34:02.650
So thank you again.

00:34:03.569 --> 00:34:03.650
You're welcome.

00:34:04.089 --> 00:34:05.089
We'll keep in touch.

00:34:05.090 --> 00:34:06.089
Bye bye.