Eduardo Eurnekian

As one of the leading entrepreneurs in Latin America, Eurnekian analyses the pillars of growth of Argentina’s future.

IPS: Corporación América is heading the consortium that is currently devel¬oping the Central Bioceanic Corridor, a mega project that rivals the Panama Canal in magnitude. As the CEO of Cor¬poración, what drove you to undertake such a venture?

Eduardo Eurnekian: It is impor¬tant to consider the physical openness of borders and its role in enhancing the achievements that mankind has attained in terms of communications. In the case of the Central Bioceanic Corridor, we took into account the strategic im¬portance of the Pacific Rim within the framework of the global economy.

This project, which has an initial investment of $3 billion, will connect the towns of Lujan de Cuyo in Argentina with Los An¬des in Chile through a railway stretching 52 kilometers across the Andean Range and at 2,300 meters above sea level.

When ready, the Corridor will enable Mercosur [the common market formed by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay] to have access to Asian markets such as China and Australia as well as to the Western Coast of both Mexico and the U.S. READ MORE

With the rapid growth of the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil, the volume of international cargo at José Joaquín Olmedo Airport has recorded a substantial increase in recent years.
Mr. Eduardo Eurnekian, president of Corporación América, was clever enough to see this upward trend as a unique opportunity.

The recognized Argentine businessman got to work and, together with Guayaquil Airport Terminal (TAGSA: Terminal Aeroportuaria de Guayaquil), he developed an ambitious project to prevent a bottleneck from forming in the regional economy.

The new cargo terminal built by TAGSA represented an investment of 4 million dollars. The stunning construction took 7 months of hard work to complete.

This new space is over 150,000 square feet, divided into handling yards, distribution areas, courier, international transit, temporary storage, modules for the development of customs procedures, administrative building and parking lots. READ MORE

Last May, Corporación América was selected as one of the “country’s 100 most reputable companies” by Clarín newspaper. Likewise Eduardo Eurnekian, president of Corporación América, was recognized as one of the “country’s 100 most talented executives”.
 
The award for corporate excellence granted by the local daily through the “Reputation Ranking” and the “Brand Ranking” is a renowned key instrument in terms of prestige and assessment of companies in Argentina.

This Ranking is created on the basis of a complete methodology developed by the Spanish Monitor of Corporate Reputation (MERCO: Monitor Español de la Reputación Corporativa).
MERCO is a reputation assessment instrument similar to the one published by Fortune in the US. Since 1999, MERCO has been assessing the reputation of companies operating in Spain. Ten years later, it has become one of the world’s top reference monitors.  READ MORE

The Japanese Mitsubishi Group has formally announced yesterday its partnership with the International Biocean Consortium. The latter is led by Eurnekian’s Group through Corporación América. Geodata (Italy), Empresas Navieras (Chile), and Contreras Hermanos (Argentina) are other members of the consortium. The agreement to build the railroad integration system was subscribed with the presence of Osamu Sasaki, Chief Regional Manager of the Asian Corporation. The project will connect the city of Los Andes in Chile with Mendoza through a low-height tunnel.
Meanwhile, the second phase of the Andean corridor has already started. This phase involves conducting detailed studies about the market demand areas. In addition, it will focus on the engineering, geology, and geophysics in the area. The first phase of the project –launched in 2009– dealt with the prefeasibility and environmental studies.  READ MORE

Corporación América was present at the 19th Contemporaneous Art Fair ArteBA ’10. It did so through one of its companies, Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, to accompany artist Marta Minujín in the presentation of her latest work, the “Golden Multidirectional Obelisk.”

ArteBa fair, an event held from June 25 through 29 in La Rural, ended with 120,000 visits, an unparalleled figure. For the last three decades, the major art galleries in Argentina present works by the best artists in what has become an actual world-class showcase.

This year release was featured by a strong presence of Latin American artists brought by a number of art galleries from Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, and México. Like Argentina, these countries are also celebrating their Bicentennial.  READ MORE

“A little piece is added, inserted, and coupled to the other, just like any territory’s unity. By doing so, we all express a wish, a longing, and a dream. We are joining each piece to create a whole: The unity of all the inhabitants in this world.” This has been the concept that Corporación América and Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, in cooperation with artist Nora Iniesta and Rasti Company, wanted to share to celebrate the 200th anniversary of our Mother Country.

From May 26 de through mid July, Corporación América and AA2000 invited passengers, their companions, and the employees alike to have an active role in the building of this artistic work located in the main hall of Ezeiza international airport. READ MORE

EspacioArte Aeroparque formally opened its 63rd exhibition with an opening cocktail on July 1. It can be found in the arrivals hall at Jorge Newbery City Airport in the City of Buenos Aires.

EspacioArte is a non-profit project aimed at promoting culture and art. This venture jointly undertaken by Corporación América and Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 came to life in 2003 with a first stand at Jorge Newbery City Airport in Buenos Aires. However, since 2008 it has extended to the airports of Bariloche, Resistencia, Salta, Córdoba, Jujuy, Mar del Plata, Iguazú, Mendoza, Neuquén, Tucumán, Viedma, and Bahía Blanca, and to Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 Corporate Building in Palermo, in the City of Buenos Aires. READ MORE

Yesterday, Chancellor Jorge Taiana has opened the Argentine Embassy in Yerevan, Capital City of Armenia. He highlighted that “we have to be grateful and value the contribution made to our society by the more than 100,000 immigrants of the Armenia community back in Argentina”.

Taiana said that “we are sure that the visit to Armenia will generate a new stage in the growing bilateral relation we already have. As Chancellor of Argentina I really thank the friendship gesture President Sargsyan has showed when I was welcome as well as the productive meeting we have held throughout 45 minutes and at which we have looked at our intense bilateral relation as well as at the various aspects of the political reality both countries are undergoing. He has also ratified the personal invitation for President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to visit Armenia.

The Argentine Chancellor had a meeting at the Armenian Foreign Affairs Ministry’s headquarters with his colleague Edward Nalbandyan and he guaranteed that “it is a true pleasure for the Argentine Republic to open this brand-new Embassy in Armenia”. READ MORE

The businessman submitted José ‘Pepe’ Mujica’s Government a project for development of new airports in the interior of the neighbor country such as Colonia, Rocha and Rivera.

Eduardo Eurnekian wants to replicate in Uruguay the same airport terminal operating scheme developed in Argentine through Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, responsible for the concession of 32 air stations since 1998. Although on the other side of the River Plate they have control just over Carrasco Airport –Montevideo-, and Punta del Este, now he is moving forward and aims to expansion of the above business in other cities of the interior such as Colonia, Rocha and Rivera.

This initiative adds to the one submitted to Montevideo’s Mayor for building a motorway to join the city’s central area with Carrasco area and which will need an investment of 170 million dollars in a 36-month period. READ MORE