B.C. companies will soon have a new resource to help them expand into – and sell products to – China.
Premier Christy Clark, currently in China on a trade mission, has announced that B.C. will partner with Alberta and Saskatchewan to offer a business accelerator program in Shanghai.
The program will operate out of the Shanghai trade and investment office for the New West Partnership – a mechanism that B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan formed in 2010 to pitch Western Canada as an investment destination for natural resources, energy, agriculture and transportation.
Companies will be able to use the space to conduct business and be provided with local connections and development advice from the established trade and investment team. The program is expected to be running by 2012.
“We are excited to be starting the business accelerator in Shanghai, as it will give B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan companies a competitive edge over competitors vying to do business in the world’s most dynamic market,” John McDonald, managing director, B.C. Trade and Investment Office Shanghai, said in a press release.
Currently, B.C. businesses have access to accelerators in Silicon Valley, California and Bangalore, India.
Jenny Wagler
@JennyWagler_BIV