Page 42: of Marine Technology Magazine (April 2012)

42MTRApril 2012Adelegation of eight ocean technologyresearchers, industry representatives, and agents/distributors from the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy visited Halifax and St. Johns from September 25th to 30th, 2011 to explore opportu- nities for collaboration, technology transfer, and product distribution in the European market. The Government of Canadas Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) initiated the Inbound European Ocean Observing Mission which was supported by DFAIT and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. This visit followed the Italian Embassy in Romes trade mission to the NEPTUNE Canada and VENUS observa- tories in British Columbia in January 2011, when Italian delegates involved in the sector met with SMEs and research laboratories, and in 2009, a Spanish trade and R&D mission to Halifax, St. Johns, and British Columbia that focused on ocean observatories. Last year, we added ocean technologies as a new priority sector,? said John Picard, Director of Science and Technology for the Trade Commissioner Service in Rome, Italy who led the European delegation to Atlantic Canada, in discussing the European Delegation Visits St. Johns to Explore Potential for Ocean Tech Collaboration By Andrew SaferEuropean Mission delegates and trade commissioners: L to R (front) Keith Birch, Alessia Baldini, Noelia Ortega, Andrea Faccioli, Adolfo Uriarte, Giorgio Budillon, Isidro Garcia, Daniel Tibbetts; L to R (back) Lorenzo Motos, Stephen de Mora, Alejandro Palmeiro, John Picard.