Chinese links may boost N.B. business opportunities
NB Telegraph-Journal | Local Economy As published on page C1/C10 on October 1, 2004
ECONOMIC TIES Chinese links may boost N.B. business opportunities
BY DAVID SHIPLEY SPECIAL TO THE Telegraph-Journal
Mike Tilley, president of CANLink Global Solutions Inc. in Saint John says educational links are fostering business opportunities in China.
Educational links may be helping to create business relationships and stronger economic ties between New Brunswick and China.
"Through strong education comes business opportunities," said Mike Tilley, president of CANLink Global Solutions Inc., a Saint John firm that promotes business between Atlantic Canada and China.
Mr. Tilley credits Francis Pang, a wealthy Chinese-Canadian businessman, with establishing a strong foundation upon which business opportunities can be forged between colleges he has financed and various groups in New Brunswick.
Mr. Pang’s education links include the New Brunswick Community College, the University of New Brunswick and the provincial Department of Education.
The relationship with Mr. Pang has helped Mr. Tilley meet networks of business people in China, and has helped teach him Chinese business practices.
And now Mr. Tilley is using what he has learned to help other New Brunswick companies sell products and services in one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. He will be traveling to Beijing on Oct. 10 for a high-tech trade fair with representatives from a handful of local companies, including Innovatia.
Mr. Pang is joining the delegation at the trade show.
The educational links forged between New Brunswick and China are having an effect on business because many Chinese students educated in the province return to China with fond feelings for the province and have a desire to do business here.
"There’s now this network of graduated students, a majority of whom are back in China, that have a natural link to New Brunswick," Mr. Tilley said.
The Aliant-owned Innovatia and Votemail Express, a firm that provides web-based voting and polling services, are among the firms that will be represented in Beijing.
Others travelling with Mr. Tilley include DFS International, an architectural firm, Risk Capital Strategies, an investment company, and Atlantic Education International, a branch of the Department of Education.
The New Brunswickers are hoping to meet with emerging equipment manufacturers in order to provide them with the solutions they will need to sell and support their products in western countries.
Kelly O’Brien, general manager of international sales for Innovatia, describes it as a knowledge solutions company.
"They’re going to need partnerships as they move from China and the eastern markets into western markets and compete against some of the major industry players in North America," said Kelly O’Brien, general manager of international sales for Innovatia, a knowledge solutions company.
Mr. O’Brien hopes to find partners that will take his company’s extensive training library and adapt it to the Chinese market.
He will also be looking to meet with representatives from Chinese universities to discuss launching educational software programs using Innovatia’s expertise.
"So there’s kind of an import and export play going on here."
