N&L Marine Technology Companies Going On Trade Mission To US & Mexico

The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology Industries (NATI) will lead a group of 10 ocean technology companies and organizations from Newfoundland and Labrador on a trade mission to San Diego, California and Ensenada, Mexico from April 7 to 11, 2008. Thanks to an investment of more than $43,000 from the Government of Canada, trade mission participants will have the opportunity to explore new international export opportunities.

“Exporting is a key way to access business opportunities that help local companies advance and strengthen our economy,” said the Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Regional Minister for Newfoundland and Labrador, on behalf of the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). “The Government of Canada, through ACOA, is committed to trade and investment initiatives that help support the development of growing sectors in Atlantic Canada such as ocean technologies.” 

As part of the trade mission, participants will have opportunities to develop market and business relationships in the San Diego, California and Ensenada, Mexico markets through meetings with local buyers and representatives in the marine security sector. 

The participating companies and organizations are: Marport, Virtual Marine Technologies, GRI Simulations Inc., NavSim Technology Inc., ICAN, Compusult Limited, Q5 Systems Limited, C-CORE, the Marine Institute and Rutter Technologies. Partners in organizing the mission include Oceans Advance, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Aerospace and Defence Industry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador.

San Diego is a leading region of the United States for marine technology development and has one of the largest and busiest harbours in the world. It has a significant Navy and Coast Guard presence, as well as several universities with extensive maritime expertise. While in Mexico, delegates will meet with representatives from the division of Oceanography at the Centre de Investigacion Cientifica et de Educacion Superior de Ensenada. “NATI recognizes the importance of international markets to the technology industry in our province,” said Paul Dubé, executive director, NATI. “Through this trade mission, we are working with our members to increase their knowledge of export opportunities and to become more competitive in markets like California and Mexico.”

NATI is a not-for-profit industry association formed in 1991 to stimulate the growth of Newfoundland and Labrador's advanced technology industries. NATI is an energetic, focused and forward-looking organization that delivers results to four key sectors: information and communications technology, biotechnology/life sciences, ocean technology and geomatics. Success for the association is its ability to demonstrate the positive linkage between NATI policy initiatives and the business results in the advanced technology sector of Newfoundland and Labrador.