Ecuadorian
Telecommunications Firms here to do business
The
Honourable Ecuadorian Ambassador to Canada, Sr. Suarez, Industry
Canada and International Trade Canada hosted a seminar featuring
Ecuador's leading telecommunication firms on September 14.
Two
way trade between Canada and Ecuador has increased steadily over
the last five years and now tops $300 million per year.
More
than 40 business leaders in Telecommunications attended the event
to hear presentations from the heads of Andinatel and Pacifictel,
Ecuador's two leading telecommunications firms, as well as
Ecuador's telecommunication regulators. The presentation is
available online at www.ottawaregion.com.
Danish National Parliament's Committee on
Industry and Trade visits the Capital
The Danish
National Parliament's Committee on Industry and Trade visited
Ottawa from September 18-21st. The delegation met with Industry
Canada, National Research Council, Canadian Parliamentary
Committee on Industry, Science & Technology, Canadian
Manufacturers & Exporters and the Conference Board of Canada.
The
committee is especially focused on service and high-tech
industries, and Ottawa's success in promoting and establishing a
cluster within a sector.
March
Networks hosted the group at the BreconRidge facilities.
Presentations from March Networks, OCRI Global Marketing and
Skypoint Capital highlighted the benefits of Ottawa' s high tech
industries and the importance of venture capital financing. Two
local biotech companies were also toured.
Russian Delegation Visits Ottawa, Montreal
A 12
member delegation from Russia visited the Capital on September
23rd. The group was in the city to learn about Ottawa's
semiconductor industry.
At a
meeting hosted by Gowling Lafleur and Henderson, the delegation
heard from OCRI Global Marketing Executive Director, Michael Darch
as well as Denis Colbourne, President of DC Technologies.
Highlighted in these presentations was the strength of the
industry and Ottawa's innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.
A
representative from Gowlings was also able to discuss Doing
Business in Canada in the delegations' native language.
On-site visits were also arranged at Semiconductor Insights
and BreconRidge.
Carleton- University of Arizona Research
Symposium
The
two universities sought to further strengthen the relationship
that began in August 2003 with a Memorandum of Understanding. The
23-member delegation, including Sandra Matthews and Mike Darch,
met at Carleton University from September 27th-28th. The objective
was to provide an overview of the progress and to present the
anticipated future direction for each individual research
collaboration effort. The symposium was held alongside Photonics
North, where some of the researchers presented their work. The
University of Arizona and OCRI Global Marketing co-sponsored
"Tucson Night" at Photonics North on Tuesday, September 28th,
2004.
The Competitiveness Institute, 7th Annual
Conference, Ottawa
More
than 240 of the world's best minds in innovation, clusters and
global competitiveness, representing 35 countries, were in the
capital from September 27th- October 1st to examine how
cluster-based development can fuel economic growth. This was their
largest conference ever.
TCI's
7th annual conference, Creating Competitiveness, Growth and
Prosperity through Innovation and Clusters - Ottawa 2004, closely
examined and exchanged experiences concerning how firms can be
grown in a cluster, how clusters can be branded and get products
to market, how clusters interact, and how an active strategy can
either grow or stunt the future prospects of a cluster. The
conference included cluster workshops, an Academic Summit, and
tours to give delegates a first-hand look at some of the
facilities used by Ottawa-based clusters.
TCI
president Alec Hansen said the meeting in Ottawa was designed to
showcase best practices and allow participants to explore how
clusters around the world can better work together. "Ottawa has
distinguished itself by forming business relationships with other
high tech centres across North America and overseas," said Hansen,
who has participated in cluster projects in Latin America, Africa,
Russia and across the United States. "This city's experience in
promoting cluster development and then forming partnerships with
other centres worldwide is an example of what we'd like to see
happen elsewhere," he stated.
The
local organizers for the event were Michael Murr of the City of
Ottawa and Michael Darch of OCRI Global Marketing.
Photonics North 2004 and the International
Photonics Forum
Photonics North is a regional symposium focused on Canadian
and international business and technology innovations in optics
and photonics. This year's conference was held at the Congress
Centre in Ottawa from September 27-29th, 2004. This year's
conference exceeded all targets set by the Canadian Photonics
Consortium. In addition, over ten official international
delegations participated in the conference.
The
three day Conference included a trade show featuring more than 110
exhibitors from Canada, the United States and overseas, and more
than 350 papers focusing on the latest research in the field. This
included the International Photonics Forum featuring Germany,
exploring the potential for collaborative research and business
opportunities.
"The
International Photonics Forum at Photonics North brings together
the photonics business community from around the world," says
Canadian Photonics Consortium president Ruth Rayman. "Canada holds
a leadership position in photonics and is respected worldwide for
its research capabilities and commercial success. The presence of
international industry experts in the capital this week indicates
there's keen interest in Canadian photonics technology the world
over."
World-class experts from Hong Kong, Mainland China, the
U.K., Arizona, Germany, and Canada, including OCRI Global
Marketing's Executive Director Mike Darch, presented an overview
of photonics in their region. Please visit www.ottawaregion.com to
view presentations from the International Photonics Forum.
Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre Reception
and Tour
The
Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC) was introduced to
Photonics North participants and international delegations on
Wednesday, September 29th. The CPFC's primary aim is to support
growth of the Canadian photonics sector by offering companies,
universities and others access to fabrication services that will
enable these organizations to develop leading edge photonic
devices.
The
CPFC is located on the National Research Council's (NRC) campus in
Ottawa, allowing it to draw upon the existing facilities and
research expertise in photonic materials and devices at NRC's
Institute for Microstructural Sciences (IMS).
FreeBalance turns 20
The
Honourable Mauril Belanger, Deputy Leader of the House and
Minister responsible for Democratic Reform, joined FreeBalance Inc
and over 100 guests to celebrate the company's 20 years in
Ottawa's business community on September 30th. FreeBalance also
announced its acquisition of a local company to help secure its
position in the E-Government market.
Since
1984, Freebalance has gained a global reputation as the leading
supplier of software to democratic governments and governments in
transition. Governments using the software include Kosovo, Ireland
and Afghanistan.
France E-government study
tour
20
representatives from different regions and municipalities
throughout France visited Ottawa to learn about the Federal
government's e-government initiatives, successes, planed
implementation. The delegation met with representatives from
Public Works and Government Services Canada. Gowlings hosted the
group where they were given presentations by Gowlings, the City of
Ottawa, OCRI Global Marketing and Smart Capital about Ottawa's
strong Information Technology sector and why Canada has been so
successful with respect to e-Government.
8th Annual Ottawa Venture Fair
The
eighth annual Ottawa Venture Fair was held on October 7th and 8th,
2004 at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier. The Venture Fair offers
participants the opportunity to network with leading U.S. and
Canadian VC's, discover Ottawa's next generation of technology
ventures and hear from analysts and customers on what to expect in
the coming months and years. Over 100 representatives of the
Canadian and U.S. investment community attended this year's event.
Attendees, companies and investors had the chance to listen to
expert insights from keynote speakers Mary MacDonald of MacDonald
and Associates, and the Honourable John Manley, senior counsel at
McCarthy Tetrault LLP.
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