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The U.S. Connection |
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Arizona hot for Canadian business
March 10, 2006
Arizona hot for Canadian business
During his recent visit to Arizona, Canada’s National Science Advisor Dr. Arthur Carty, declared
Canada ready to do business in the ‘Grand Canyon State.’ The purpose of his first trip to Tucson
was to explore opportunities for research collaboration and innovation commercialization
between Canada’s research centres and the University of Arizona, the leading research institution
in the State.
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Downtown Tucson, Arizona, with a view of the University of Arizona in the background
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The visit was also an ideal occasion to promote Canada as a leading knowledge-creating society
focussing on its research capabilities and to build on the six-year relationship in optics and
photonics research between the University of Arizona and Ottawa’s Carleton University. The
latter ranks 14th in the U.S. in university research with an annual budget of some $585 million.
The University of Arizona is a world leader in optics, astronomy, lunar and planetary research
and is ranked as one of the nation’s leading centres of research in biomedical science and
biotechnology, management information systems and sustainable development. Efforts are
underway to identify a number of strategic areas of leading-edge research that will form the basis
for further scientific partnerships between Canada and Arizona leading to increased
commercialization of innovation.
Arizona is booming
For the past several years, Arizona has ranked second in the nation in terms of State growth, with
the cities of Phoenix and Tucson ranking among the fastest-growing cities. The State is also
ranked first for entrepreneurs.
Arizona is undergoing a significant economic transition from an agriculture and tourism base to
that of a knowledge-based economy with significant strengths in aerospace and defence,
semiconductors, electronics, advanced manufacturing, communications and optics. A number of
high-tech industry clusters have been spawned around the research activities of the University of
Arizona in Tucson, including those in the aforementioned sectors, plus bioindustry,
environmental technology, e-learning and nanotechnology.
Relations evolving
Business activity between Canada and Arizona is diverse and longstanding. Traditionally,
Arizona has been a winter destination for Canadian visitors, which more than 350,000 visiting
every year, contributing more than $320 million annually to the State.
Canada is also the largest foreign investor in Arizona with major Canadian companies such as
Montreal-based Bombardier Aerospace and Edmonton-based Stantec Consulting having
substantial operations there. Clearly, the building boom that sprung out of the massive movement
of people into Arizona has been a boon to Canadian lumber companies which saw their exports
to Arizona double last year over the previous year.
These are just a few of the reasons why the Canadian Consulate Trade Office in Tucson was set
up. With a strong presence in Phoenix as well, and a staff eager to assist, Canadian businesses
and research centres should explore opportunities for new partnerships in an economy that is
growing at an annual rate of 4.5 %.
For more information, contact:
The Canadian Consulate in Phoenix
Tel.: (602) 508-3572
and
The Canadian Consulate Trade Office in Tucson
Tel.: (520) 622-3641
Website: www.phoenix.gc.ca
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