The Chilean-Swiss Chamber of Commerce debuts in Puerto Varas and the region with the Swiss Experience: a proposal for collaboration and culture.

The Chilean-Swiss Chamber of Commerce will participate for the first time in AquaSur 2026, launching the "Swiss Experience," an agenda in southern Chile that will combine culture, institutional meetings, and connections with sector stakeholders. The program will kick off on Monday, March 23, at Teatro del Lago with "Between Alps and Fjords," a musical gathering featuring artists from Switzerland and Norway in a proposal that blends tradition, virtuosity, and new sounds. On stage, the Duo Ar t'Mis will present a journey through opera, De Falla, and unforgettable classics, while Birgitte Stærnes and Michael Thomas Haugen will perform works by Grieg and Halvorsen.

This event is co-organized with the Embassies of Switzerland and Norway, both members of EFTA. The agenda will continue on Tuesday, March 24, with the inauguration of the Chamber's participation in AquaSur alongside the Swiss Ambassador to Chile, and will conclude on Thursday, March 26, with the High-Level Breakfast Patagonia Biotech Hub at the Municipal Council Hall of Puerto Varas, attended by Mayor Tomás Gárate. Felipe Wilenmann, president of the Chilean-Swiss Chamber of Commerce, stated that this first participation in AquaSur marks "a new step in the connection between Chile and Switzerland" and reflects the Chamber's interest in continuing to create "spaces for meeting, collaboration, and exchange in a strategic region for the productive development of the country, with a rich history of Swiss settlers from the 19th and 20th centuries and companies with a strong presence in the area.

" He added that the significance of this industry is also reflected in concrete figures, as "salmon remains the second most exported product from Chile after copper, with a presence in dozens of international markets, with the United States, Japan, and Brazil among its main destinations," and affirmed that Swiss Experience aims to provide "an agenda close to the territory, combining culture, institutional relationships, and dialogue with key stakeholders in the southern region. " In this regard, Swiss Ambassador to Chile, Charlotte Bleisch, emphasized that the Chamber's participation in AquaSur and the launch of Swiss Experience "demonstrate the value Switzerland places on strengthening its ties with Chile through cooperation, culture, and interaction among different actors," adding that this event represents an opportunity to "share, dialogue, and bring that relationship closer to the south of the country. " Norwegian Ambassador to Chile, Per Anders Nilsen, stated that being part of "Between Alps and Fjords" is "a concrete way to strengthen the ties between our countries through culture," especially in a territory where the relationship with the sea, exchange, and international collaboration hold special significance.

From the Teatro del Lago Foundation, Artistic Director João Aboim remarked: "For the Teatro del Lago Foundation, it is extremely important that events like this are framed within a context of artistic and cultural excellence, as is the case, thanks to the connection with the embassies and the Swiss Chamber of Commerce, opening the space to share with the general public an artistic proposal that delivers the diversity and excellence expected from our programming. " With this first presence at AquaSur, the Chilean-Swiss Chamber of Commerce will open a new chapter of engagement in southern Chile, articulating an agenda that values international collaboration and culture as part of a shared experience.