Icelandic firm HBT International helps industry to slash energy consumption. Through the Enterprise Europe Network, it is pursuing new business in Greece.

HBT has pioneered a technology that reduces interferences, distortions and surges in industrial-sized electrical systems on ships and in factories, helping clients cut energy and maintenance costs.

To find new opportunities abroad HBT turned to the Enterprise Europe Network Reykjavík branch, based in Innovation Center Iceland. It’s one of nearly 600 partner organisations in 50 countries helping companies access new markets.

“Through the Network’s 17 industry sector groups, we offer SMEs customised support and sector-specific events,” says Amanda Garner, Network project manager at Innovation Center Iceland and a member of the Network’s maritime industry and services sector group.

At a maritime sector-organised event at the European Seafood Exhibition in Brussels, HBT hooked up with Amtenco, a Greek SME specialised in refrigeration for the food industry.  “You could say it was love at first sight between the companies,” says Cristina Pascual, a Network expert based in the National Documentation Centre (Enterprise Europe Network-Hellas) in Athens.

Shortly after the meeting, Amtenco agreed to represent HBT in Greece.

“This market has huge potential for our technology,” says HBT CEO Jóhann Benediktsson. Kostas Arapis, his counterpart at Amtenco, also has high hopes for the new partnership and says would recommend the Network to any entrepreneur. “It’s an ideal way to broaden one’s business horizons,” he says.