San Diego Hosts North American Competitiveness, Innovation & Clean Energy Conference

SAN DIEGO--As the global marketplace becomes increasingly competitive and environmentally sensitive, representatives from the U.S., Canada and Mexico are coming to San Diego April 14 to collaborate at the North American Competitiveness, Innovation and Clean Energy Conference.

The creation of new, sustainable, high-paying clean energy jobs is the centerpiece of the 2010 conference, which features a keynote address from U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Canada Minister of Industry Tony Clement and Mexico Secretary of Economy Gerardo Ruiz Mateos.

The daylong conference will highlight trilateral North American cooperation as a driver for 21st century job growth, with panel discussions on transitioning to a low-carbon economy, creating a 21st-century green-energy workforce, establishing integrated supply chain improvements, implementing border infrastructure projects that facilitate efficiency and increase trade opportunities, and exploring financing for new industries in North America.

Recommendations based on the conference’s outcomes will be presented to Mexico’s government officials when the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Mexico Business Center travels to Mexico City April 26-29.

Invited participants include California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Baja California Gov. Jose Guadalupe Osuna Milan. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and Tijuana Mayor Jorge Ramos will introduce the dignitaries during the keynote luncheon address.

The North American Competitiveness, Innovation and Clean Energy Conference is a joint effort of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Mexico Business Center, University of California San Diego’s San Diego Dialogue research center and the University of San Diego’s Trans-Border Institute. The San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., San Diego World Trade Center and CONNECT are cooperating organizations. The event is made possible through support from Sempra Energy, Kyocera and SENTRE Partner/Vesta Baja California.

The conference will be held Wednesday, April 14, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., in the Main Theater at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice, University of San Diego, located at 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego. For more information, directions, ticket prices and parking permits, visit http://www.sdchamber-members.org/MBC2.htm.

For media inquiries and press passes, contact Price Arnett at pa@nstpr.com, or 619-296-0605, ext. 234.