Oceans Companies Set to Sail and Sell
Representatives of Nova Scotia's ocean technology sector will head to Europe later this week as part of a Team Canada mission on board the Canadian Coast Guard ship Louis S. St. Laurent.
The icebreaker will travel to five European ports, where 28 Nova Scotia business leaders, scientists and researchers will demonstrate their products and expertise to potential customers.
"This trade mission is a tremendous opportunity for our local companies to gain profile and introduce themselves to the European marketplace," said Manning MacDonald, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. "And for our new exporters in particular, it's a real door-opener."
Economic Development and Tourism, with the departments of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Environment, have collectively contributed $50,000 toward the floating trade show. Nova Scotia's private sector is investing $250,000 in the mission.
The funding provided by the three government departments will give Nova Scotia industry representatives prime space on board the icebreaker to promote their oceans expertise. Economic Development and Tourism is also working with Canadian offices abroad to arrange meetings between Nova Scotia companies and European businesses.
The participating companies hope to establish links with European companies, develop opportunities for joint partnerships and make direct sales.
One member of the Nova Scotian delegation, DDS Exports of West Pubnico, has built a 13.5-metre (45-foot) vessel and loaded it with top-of-the-line electronics for the trade mission. The $350,000 DDS-45 was built with a loan from the Nova Scotia Business Development Corp.
"Diminishing local markets in the industry make it necessary for us to diversify and sell outside our own areas," said Donny Amirault, DDS marketing director. "Europe is an ideal market."
The icebreaker will set sail from the Canadian Coast Guard dock in Dartmouth on Saturday, May 30, at 1:30 p.m. She is expected to arrive in Stavanger, Norway, on June 10. Other ports of call include Goteborg, Sweden, June 14 to 16; Hamburg, Germany, June 18 to 20; and South Hampton, England, June 22 to June 26. On June 29, the icebreaker will arrive in Lisbon, Portugal, as part of Canada's official participation at the 1998 World's Fair.
The Team Canada mission, known as OceansTec, is a partnership between the federal government and the provinces, territories and municipalities. The government partners pool their resources to work with business and help Canadians succeed in the global marketplace.