TEAM CANADA 2002 DELIVERS NEARLY $70 MILLION IN NEW BUSINESS DEALS IN BERLIN

February 19, 2002
Berlin, Germany

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today witnessed the signing of 29 new business deals in Berlin, Germany, during the second leg of Team Canada's first mission to Europe. The deals signed are valued at $69.73 million and include 9 contracts worth $19.93 million, 18 memoranda of understanding and letters of intent worth $20.1 million, and two investments valued at $29.7 million.

"Team Canada 2002's visit to Berlin has proven to be an unprecedented occasion to explore the emerging trade, investment and science and technology opportunities that will underpin the future of our strong economic partnership," said the Prime Minister. "The deals signed today, in areas such as education and joint research, information technology, housing, food and entertainment, demonstrate the breadth and sophistication of Canadian and German business cooperation."

More than one third of the new business deals signed today are in education and joint research in fields such as spectroscopy, photonics, health care, microscopy and environmental remediation. Canada and Germany trade over $11 billion in goods annually and have over $10 billion invested between the two countries.

The Team Canada 2002 mission travels to Munich today through February 22.

Alcan, Montreal, Quebec

Alcan signed an investment agreement with Alcan-Reinickendorf to build a new $27.7 million metalizing plant at its Berlin facility. The expansion will almost double the capacity of Alcan's packaging business in Berlin. Construction is expected to be completed by early 2003.

Avanti Pictures Corporation, Vancouver, British Columbia

Avanti Pictures signed a contract with Dragon Ciné Venture Images Entertainment of Hamburg to co-produce a feature film, primarily in Canada, entitled David Four, which is the story of a young man's search for identity. The contract is valued at $4 million, of which an estimated $1.6 million is Canadian content.

BioDentity Systems Corporation, Ottawa, Ontario

BioDentity Systems Corporation signed a contract with Bundesdruckerei GmbH of Berlin, enabling sales and distribution of BioDentity's ID²Pass Border Clearance Systems in Europe. This new generation border clearance system allows border control authorities to strengthen overall controls, including the ability to fully identify travellers through face recognition technology. The agreement is valued at $6.93 million over the next twelve months, all of which is Canadian content.

Bioniche Life Sciences Inc., Belleville, Ontario

Bioniche Life Sciences signed a contract with BioGenerix AG of Mannheim to secure exclusive manufacturing rights for a new pharmaceutical product developed by BioGenerix.

Breakwater Books Ltd., St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

Breakwater Books signed a contract with the Berlin Agency of Berlin, licensing the company to sell and promote German translations of Breakwater's Newfoundland-based titles in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Concordia University College of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

Concordia University College of Alberta signed a letter of intent with University of Hamburg to participate in student and faculty exchanges and to explore research opportunities of mutual benefit.

Demtec International Ltd., Princeville, Quebec

Demtec International signed a contract with Kacheti International Ltd. of Karlsbad to deliver a complete package of 50 homes in Lübeck, Germany. The contract is valued at $6 million, all of which is Canadian content. The two partners also signed a memorandum of understanding for phase two of the housing project that will see the construction of 150 additional houses. This agreement is valued at $16 million, all of which is Canadian content.

Demtec International and their German joint venture partner, Le Clou GmbH, signed a contract with Infram A.S. of Prague for the first phase of a housing project, leading to the construction of 50 houses. The contract is valued at $1.9 million, all of which is Canadian content. The two partners also signed a memorandum of understanding for phase two of the housing project that will see the construction of 100 additional houses. This agreement is valued at $3.9 million, all of which is Canadian content.

Forest Insight Limited, Sandfield, Nova Scotia

Forest Insight signed a contract with Gerd Frorath & Laumer-Anton GBR of Hann for the sale and distribution in Germany of Forest Insight's pre-finished hardwood flooring. The contract is valued at $3.5 million over two years, all of which is Canadian content.

Government of Ontario

The Government of Ontario signed a letter of intent with Andreas Rothe Export-Import of Ruednitz, which will invest $2 million to establish a presence in Toronto, Ontario. Andreas Rothe plans to found an export-import company to work as a Canadian distributor for European companies, primarily in the gift and tableware area, to co-operate with an Ontario silver manufacturer to market their products in Europe and the United States, and, to give Canadian companies the possibility of exporting to Germany.

Konzelmann Estate Winery, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Konzelmann Estate Winery signed a letter of intent with Erwin Laich GmbH- Feine Weine of Ostfildern, Ruit, renewing the company as the sole European general distributor of Konzelmann's complete range of wines. The agreement is valued at $200,000 for over 2000 cases of wines, all of which is Canadian content.

The International Student Education Department of the Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District of Nanaimo, British Columbia

The International Student Education Department of the Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District signed a memorandum of understanding with DFSR/CET (Council for Education Travel) Management to recruit German students for high school studies in Nanaimo.

The International Student Education Department of the Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District signed a memorandum of understanding with Melas Sprachen und Kulturreisen of Berlin to recruit German students for high school studies in Nanaimo.

The International Student Education Department of the Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District signed a memorandum of understanding with Okumenishches Gymnasium of Bremen to facilitate the placement of German students in Nanaimo area high schools.

Festival of Flags, Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador

Festival of Flags signed a memorandum of understanding with the German-Russian Museum Berlin-Karlshorst to co-operate in the areas of research, historical documentation, conservation and exhibition. Exchanges with the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst will contribute to the development of the Museum of the Atlantic Allies in Argentia, Newfoundland and Labrador.

National Research Council / Industrial Materials Institute, Boucherville, Quebec

The National Research Council / Industrial Materials Institute signed a letter of intent with Laser-Laboratorium Göttingen e.V. of Göttingen to initiate collaboration on significant research and development projects, especially relating to spectroscopic techniques. The likely benefit areas include the detection of contaminants, control of industrial processes, analysis of composition of products such as polymers and laser micro-machining.

The Nunavut Development Corporation, Rankin Inlet, Nunavut

The Nunavut Development Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding with Fischwirtschaftliche Erzeugnisse of Berlin to develop the German market for processed fishery products from Nunavut. The Nunavut Development Corporation is supported by the Government of Nunavut.

Penumbra Press, Iqualuit, Nunavut

Penumbra Press signed a memorandum of understanding with M.u.H. von der Linden GbR. to translate and publish the book The Voice of the Natives in Germany. The book is written by various First Nation authors and will serve to showcase the Canadian North to a German audience.

Photonics Research Ontario, Toronto, Ontario

Photonics Research Ontario signed a memorandum of understanding with the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Munich to promote collaborative research in photonics between the institutions that will lead to university and industrial collaborations between Canada and Germany.

Research In Motion, Waterloo, Ontario

Research In Motion (RIM) signed a collaborative agreement with T-Mobile International AG of Bonn to distribute RIM's BlackBerry wireless e-mail solution over T-Mobile's General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) networks in Europe. BlackBerry technology provides business users with a seamless and secure link to their corporate email, enabling them to be always connected to their corporate inbox.

River East School Division, Winnipeg, Manitoba

River East School Division signed a letter of intent with ICXchange-Deutschland e. V. of Oldenburg to establish a partnership for international education initiatives such as student exchanges.

St. Boniface General Hospital Research Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre signed a memorandum of agreement with the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine that will lead to the establishment of collaborative research programs and the exchange of scientists and students in areas of mutual interest. The aim is to develop innovative new products of economic importance that will also improve the quality of health care in both countries.

Star-7 International Inc., Winkler, Manitoba

Star-7 International Inc. signed a letter of intent with Human eSource GmbH of Berlin to actively promote employment and lifestyle opportunities in Manitoba and work together to assist skilled workers to relocate to the province.

Uniterre Resources Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia

Uniterre Resources Ltd. signed an agreement with ABB New Ventures GmbH of Mannheim to conduct a feasibility study of a two phase 700 megawatt offshore wind farm in the shallow waters of Hecate strait at the extreme northeast tip of Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands).

University College of Cape Breton, Sydney, Nova Scotia

The University College of Cape Breton signed a letter of intent with Fachhochschule Lausitz (University of Applied Sciences) of Senftenberg and Lausitzer Umwelt GmbH, an engineering company based in Laubusch, to establish a Canadian-German industrial research network. The network will result in cooperative research and development projects related to environmental remediation of industrial sites and other projects, including the clean-up of the Sydney Tar Ponds and Cape Breton Development Corporation mining sites.

University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

University of Alberta signed a letter of intent with JPK Instruments AG of Berlin to develop the prototype for a novel microscopy tool. The instrument is anticipated to impact and assist the nanotechnology developments in the area of life sciences. An early application of this joint university/industry collaboration is expected to impact the development of new ways to deliver drugs through lungs for accelerated drug absorption into the body.

University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario

University of Toronto signed a contract with DAAD - the German Academic Exchange Service of Bonn for funding of academic exchanges and research in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences at the graduate and undergraduate level.