International business opportunities abound on new CME site
by Canadian Manufacturing Staff
Enterprise Canada Network designed to connect Canadian companies with international business opportunities
OTTAWA—Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), in partnership with Export Development Canada (EDC), has launched a website designed to connect Canadian companies with international partners seeking matching products and services.
The Enterprise Canada Network is geared towards small- to medium-sized companies, which often face challenges trying to find time to develop business opportunities and not knowing where to look for them.
“Canadian SMEs possess some of the most promising technologies in the world, yet not nearly enough of them are able to find global partners to catapult such technologies into marketable products and services,” CME president and chief executive Jayson Myers said in a statement.
The network will allow businesses and researchers in Canada to search for a business or technology partner amongst the more than 30,000 opportunity profiles posted through the European Commission’s Enterprise Europe Network.
“Europe is banking on growth among their SME community in a big way as a means to help affect economic growth,” said Peter Hall, chief economist with EDC. “(The network) fits perfectly into this trend and shines a spotlight on where Canadian companies can actually find global opportunities.”
The network also provides users with several tools that allow them to find all publicly-funded trade support and promotion programs from across Canada, according to CME.
Both CME and EDC agree there is a need to better support and promote Canada’s SMEs to strategically capitalize on the impending trade agreements with the European Union (EU) and South Korea.
“Very simply, we all need to do a better job of giving small Canadian companies the right tools to grow their businesses internationally,” said Benoit Daignault, president and chief executive of EDC. “The (network) is a good example of real-world value for Canadian companies, a relevant tool that will help them find buyers and opportunities suited to their specific interests and abilities.”
To find out more, log on to the network website at www.enterprisecanadanetwork.ca.
