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Third Americas Competitiveness Exchange on Innovation and Entrepreneurship Concludes in Chicago

The Third Americas Competitiveness Exchange on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ACE), co-organized by the Organization of American States (OAS), concluded today in the city of Chicago, after a week-long tour of economic development sites and innovation centers in the midwestern United States. Participants included 47 ministers, deputy ministers and senior economic officials, private sector leaders, and academics from 27 countries of the Americas.

Participants learned first-hand about innovation and high technology centers, public-private alliances, and investments in three states and nine cities in the United States, including Minneapolis and Rochester, Minnesota; LaCrosse, Viroqua, Gays Mills, Westby, Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Chicago, Illinois. The group was received in each location by local authorities, from governors to mayors, university presidents, and business leaders, who welcomed the opportunity to showcase what is being done in each community to support local business development.

The United States Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, Jay Williams, explained that “the ACE Competitiveness Exchange is a wonderful example and an opportunity to bring together countries from across the hemisphere to tour economic development sites and learn about innovative approaches to economic development that will provide increased opportunities for trade, dialogue, and the discussion of ideas.” Assistant Secretary Williams said “the idea is to continue the Exchange for hopefully many years to come,” highlighting it as a “valuable experience” that showcases the best of public-private partnerships and the collaboration with the Organization of American States. “We are excited about the future opportunities of the ACE Exchange,” he concluded.

The 40 featured sites on the tour come from a diverse array of industries, such as manufacturing, medical devices, water, agriculture, energy, and information and communication technology. “It was indeed a great experience,” said Roselyn Paul, the Executive Director and Minister of Commerce, Enterprise and Small Business Development of Dominica, mentioning that the ACE “allows for the emulation of best practices, networking, and building alliances for the development of enterprise and increased commerce among the participants.” To illustrate its potential for increased trade, another participant, the President of the National Chamber of Exporters of Bolivia, Guillermo Pou Munt, said that thanks to the contacts made at the Exchange “work is already underway to secure representation for Bolivian products in the United States.”

In concluding the week’s activities, the Chair of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development and Permanent Representative of Suriname to the Organization of American States, Niermala Badrising, emphasized that for the region to effectively “leap into the future with the inclusion of innovation, entrepreneurship and technology, as critical elements for promoting social inclusion, our current approach to developing talent and networks needs to change drastically. Success in developing any workforce with the skill sets necessary for today’s reality will require the commitment of both the public and private sector to invest adequately and effectively in technology and innovation.”

Ambassador Badrising acknowledged that the Exchange offered the opportunity to learn from the types of innovative approaches required in the region, and praised the engagement of participants. “My recognition to you and your countries for your commitment, and for answering our call to join us in this program,” she said. “I believe that this is an excellent opportunity to promote high-value regional development, which builds on mutually beneficial cooperation. Your participation and the laudable efforts of our hosts, should allow us to build significant momentum towards achieving the fundamental goals of this Exchange.”

The third edition of the ACE already prompted discussions among its organizing partners to explore future collaboration and ensure that the Exchange continues to be offered in member states, through the Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC). The six-day tour is part of the RIAC’s Work Plan for 2015 to facilitate collaboration on the 150 successful experiences that OAS member states shared in the 2012-2014 Signs of Competitiveness in the Americas Reports The RIAC is an initiative created by member states to institutionalize a mechanism for regional dialogue, promote the exchange of experiences and the development of joint initiatives in areas related to competitiveness.

The Third ACE convening institutions were the U.S. Department of Commerce, through the International Trade Administration (ITA) and the Economic Development Administration (EDA); the U.S. Department of State; the Government of Guatemala, as Chair Pro Tempore of RIAC 2015; and the Organization of American States as the RIAC Technical Secretariat. The program benefited from the financial support of the Governments of the United States and Canada.

More information on the exchange is available here.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-150/15