Businesses in the Portsmouth and wider Solent area are invited to a free event that details a new investment, trade and educational relationship between Portsmouth and a new potential ‘sister’ city in Canada.
Portsmouth and Halifax, in Nova Scotia, have a lot in common. They are both great naval cities with major ports and dynamic marine and maritime sectors. They are also both home to top Universities and both have shared goals in terms of creativity, innovation and green aspirations.
The cities first started building links in February 2020 and were due to visit each other in 2020 but due to the pandemic these were cancelled. They are now holding a Virtual Investment, Trade and Education mission on 25 February.
The event is for businesses and entrepreneurs across the southern region to find out more about the links between Portsmouth and Halifax and how they can be involved. The UK already has a roll over trade deal in place with Canada, with the government planning to sign an even more ambitious trade deal in 2021.
Leader of Portsmouth City Council Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, says: “We know we have businesses and educational institutions in Portsmouth with loads to offer on the world’s stage, and we want to make that happen. This is your chance to come along and meet like-minded people and get involved in a very exciting new offering for the city. This is an unmissable opportunity for any business or educational institution in the Solent to be part of a very special relationship.
“In challenging global times it’s more important than ever to look to the future for ways we can help Portsmouth and the Solent to thrive. I’m excited to solidify our relationship with Halifax by bringing together some of the top business and education leaders in both cities and talk about how we can work together to boost our economy and our reputation internationally.”
The event will be led by the Leader of Portsmouth City Council Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, and the Mayor of Halifax Mike Savage, talking about what their two great cities offer.
The University of Portsmouth will speak about their world-leading plastic recycling research and Dalhousie University will speak about their world-leading work in machine learning for the ocean economy.
Participants will be able to hear from Naval base commanders in both cities as well as BAE systems about how Portsmouth and Halifax are already working together as well including in de-carbonisation, digitalisation and autonomous systems knowledge transfer and opportunities for local businesses.
There will also be four themed business to business networking events covering:
Tickets are free of charge and available on Eventbrite.