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Pulse Energy is making headlines.
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
The Province Covers Green Businesses, Pulse Energy, En Route to China
Vancouver Mayor, local firms head to China to court green-business deals
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson is off to China on Sunday, pitching the city as a green capital.
Robertson will lead a delegation of 22 local firms to press the flesh and ink deals with Chinese customers.
“The purpose of this business mission is to land investment and jobs for Vancouver companies in China’s growing market,” Robertson said Wednesday.
The cost of the trip — dubbed the Vancouver Green Capital Business Mission — for Vancouver taxpayers is estimated at $45,000. The 22 companies joining the delegation will kick in another $350,000.
Robertson said he wants to capitalize on the city’s global exposure attained during the 2010 Olympics. It will be the first trade-focused mission to China by a Vancouver mayor.
Robertson will be in China from Sept. 5 to 16 visiting such cities as Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
The highlight of the trip will be Vancouver’s “Green Capital Day” at the Vancouver Pavilion Sept. 10 during the World’s Fair in Shanghai, Robertson said.
“We will introduce Vancouver’s world-class technology companies to Chinese companies and government officials to help deals happen, and ensure the Chinese understand the opportunity here in Vancouver for them,” said Robertson.
Pulse Energy, one of the Vancouver firms going with Robertson, is making its first foray into China to market its energy-efficiency software.
“They are jumping head-first into the world of energy-efficiency,” said Pulse CEO David Helliwell. “Vancouver is clearly being recognized.”
Bernie Magnan, chief economist with the Vancouver Board of Trade, said other North American cities, including Portland, are also vying to become clean-energy cities. But he called the China mission a “step in the right direction” for Vancouver.
“It’s who you know,” said Magnan, who has done business in China. “You have to establish trust over time. It doesn’t happen overnight.”
“It’s a good opportunity for the City of Vancouver to market in China,” added Kenny Zhang, senior research analyst with the Asia Pacific Foundation.
China is paying more attention to green-thinking, he said, and this is a chance for Vancouver to position itself in the field of green technology.
“People in China would know that Vancouver is a nice place to live, but they may not know that it’s a place to do business as well,” he said. “They will probably not know until we tell them.”
jbermingham@theprovince.com
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