The webinar explains all the supports you can find for innovation and creating startups in France, with :

- a testimonial from Sébastien Payen, Founder and Chief Operations Manager of Fruition Sciences, company incorporated in France and in the US
- a presentation of the VC landscape and incentives for investment in France, by Emmanuelle Deponge, Project Manager – OTC Asset Management
- a presentation of the public support from Didier Chaton, Program Manager at OSEO Innovation – International Department
- the overall supports for innovation and entrepreneurship in France and the specific case of US based entrepreneurs : why incorporating in France, by Géraldine Quetin, Project Manager for the Young Entrepreneurs Initiative program – French Embassy.

The webinar is introduced by Michel Israel, scientific counselor at the Office for Science and Technology of the French Embassy, and moderated by Randy Mitchell, International Trade Strategist for Venture Capital, Senior Adviser for Entrepreneurship, U.S. Department of Commerce.

An NCET2 event

The Young Entrepreneurs Initiative (YIE) is a non-profit network managed by the Office for Science and Technology of the French Embassy in the United States.

It’s mission is to promote the French environment for innovation and entrepreneurship, help US-based entrepreneurs leverage resources and partners to start a technology venture in France, and foster collaboration in both directions between French and American entrepreneurship ecosystems.

http://www.france-science.org/innovation/yei

The luncheon comes on the heels of a new CDN $178 million dollar program by the Alberta Advanced Education and Technology Ministry that includes initiatives to attract and strengthen venture capital investments in Alberta, a science and research tax credit to boost research and development in Alberta, and innovation vouchers for young companies that can be redeemed for access to labs and design and fabrication centers.

$100 million will be set aside to create the Alberta Enterprise Corporation, which will be a venture capital fund of funds for co-investment in early stage venture capital funds focused on advanced technology sectors. The investment funds in turn will make individual investments targeting life sciences, environmental technologies, information and communications technology and nanotech. It’s a clear example of the province of Alberta using tar-sand oil windfalls to diversify and broaden the provinces economic base.

The 10% tax credit for Alberta companies provides a refund for up to $400,000 against eligible expenses for science, research and experimental development. It is intended to encourage companies to do more R&D in Alberta and draw more R&D intensive knowledge based companies to the province.

More details are on the website for the province of Alberta’s Advanced Education and Technology Ministry.

Thursday, June 19, 2008
Networking Luncheon
11:45 to 13:15
Program to begin at 12:15

SRI International Headquarters
International Building
333 Ravenswood Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Over the past two decades Alberta has invested significant resources in its education system, research infrastructure and people to create a diversified knowledge-based economy, based on the foundation of the oil and gas and agriculture sectors. The objective is to foster a culture of innovation, generate new ideas and approaches, attract leading thinkers and create value. This luncheon, with a keynote speech by the Honourable Doug Horner, will provide investors, researchers and companies an introduction to new government initiatives in technology commercialization and to business and partnership opportunities in Alberta.

AC Venture partners expertise and pools of capital with investors and entrepreneurs across California and Alberta. Sponsors include Ernst & Young, Price Waterhouse Coopers, the Angel Capital Network and the Keiretsu Forum.

The strong Canadian dollar and robust economy is a boon for California technology companies looking to sell products into Canada, as Canadian buyers have improved purchasing power.

Step number one in getting your cleantech innovation adopted by producers in the booming Alberta, Canada oil and natural gas industry: Introduce it to one of the many Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) firms supplying Alberta producers. Step two: Go to Edmonton.

So says Amanda Babichuk, Investment Attraction Manager for the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Babichuk spoke at the Canadian Consulate office in San Francisco at an “Insider’s Breakfast – Opportunities in Canada.” Alberta’s economy is booming with crude oil trading at near record highs, and oil producers there are keen on clean technologies to minimize the environmental impacts of the production of synthetic crude from Alberta tar sands oil while maintaining Canada’s place as the number one supplier of oil to the United States.

[wpvideo lUnA5u2b w=400]

Cleantech startups should identify EPC firms specializing in Geologic and Petroleum Engineering that are supplying the Canadian producers such as SunCor Energy and Syncrude Canada and then reach out to them directly or through the EEDC and then ultimately make one or several trips up to Alberta to demonstrate commitment.

Startups should also contact TEC Edmonton, a not-for-profit joint venture of the University of Alberta and the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) that helps inventors and entrepreneurs access expertise, management and financing for their technology venture. Entrepreneurs can also contact the Alberta California Venture Channel which is aimed at matching investors and entrepreneurs from Alberta and California. 

A brochure produced by the Bay Area Economic Forum and part of the handouts at the event noted that from 2002 to 2006, “approximately 20 Canadian venture firms invested in Silicon Valley, in deals totaling nearly $230 million.” And Barbara Giacomin, Canadian Consul and Trade Commissioner in the San Francisco office, noted that Canadian Direct Investment Abroad (CDIA) – over CAN$500 billion in 2006 – is on the increase, with the United States receiving the biggest share, at 43%.  

http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Engineering/Geologic_and_Petroleum_Engineering/

http://www.edmonton.com/eedc

http://www.tecedmonton.com/

Alberta is looking south to find best practices in advanced manufacturing, cleantech (tar sand oil is not the cleanest source of crude) and for professional services as well. Canadian Direct Investment Abroad (CDIA) was over CAN $500 billion in 2007 and is increasing – and the U.S. is the biggest recipient, capturing 43% of that. Two-way trade between Canada and the U.S. was CAN $712 billion in 2007, and Statistics Canada is estimating Canadian GDP growth to be 1.9% for 2008-2009.

Opportunities abound in Alberta for U.S. firms that can support the petrochemical industry and also help Alberta diversify their economy beyond oil and gas – Alberta went through a boom-and-bust cycle in the past, and they don’t want to repeat the mistake.

Two starting points for connecting to opportunities in Alberta are the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation and TEC Edmonton.