Economy

CleanTECH San Diego Goes Global

By Ed Joyce / Reporter

Published December 1, 2010 at 3:02 AM PST

This story was published more than 14 years ago.

San Diego's clean technology trade group is now part of a worldwide organization that seeks to expand opportunities for the growing sector. An event Tuesday night at the University of San Diego marked the new partnership.

"San Diego has been chosen as the North American home of the Global CleanTech Cluster Association," said Jim Waring of CleanTECH San Diego over loudspeakers in front of the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at USD.

More than 250 people turned out for the U.S. launch of the Global CleanTech Cluster Association or GCCA.

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The association includes more than 20 of the world's leading cleantech clusters, including CleanTECH San Diego.

GCCA Co-Founder Shawn Lesser said the goal is to give companies more exposure to investors and world markets.

"I think this is the starting point of getting San Diego more involved on an international level," said Lesser. "Because, it's normal. First thing you do is look local. But once you get some success locally, you need to look outside that scope because there's opportunities all over the world that you might not even be aware of."

CleanTECH San Diego President Lisa Bicker said global connections translate into profits and jobs.

"We're now partnering with international players which can only help improve our economy," said Bicker. "We hope that we continue to grow innovative companies and export those products and services around the globe."

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CleanTECH San Diego was formed in 2007 and now includes 758 companies.

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Ed Joyce was the environment reporter and afternoon news anchor for KPBS-FM. Before joining KPBS, he worked as an editor/columnist with Copley News Service in San Diego. Ed has an extensive background in newspaper, radio, web and TV journalism. After graduating with a B.A. in Communications from the University of Washington in Seattle, Ed began a career in broadcast journalism. His work has included stints in public broadcasting, commercial broadcasting and education -- working as an affiliate professor of communication and reporter at the University of Idaho and Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. During the past 20 years he has worked in radio, TV and print as a news reporter, anchor, writer, editor and producer. Along the way he has won numerous awards for general news reporting, newswriting, feature and issue reporting and breaking news reporting from The Associated Press, The Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego Press Club and other organizations. During the mid-1990s, while working for Oregon Public Broadcasting, he was a frequent contributor to National Public Radio, including a feature report on the memorial service for 14 U.S. Forest Service "hotshots" who died fighting a wildfire in Colorado (the crew was based in a central Oregon town). He’s also filed reports with Marketplace, KQED’s California Report and Climate Watch and with national and regional networks throughout the United States. At KPBS, Ed continues his contributions to National Public Radio and other national and regional news organizations. He has won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and San Diego Press Club for his environmental reporting at KPBS-FM-TV and for producing and anchoring radio newscasts. In 2007 he was selected a National Press Foundation fellow for Understanding Violent Weather II program. The seminars were held at the National Weather Center in Norman, Okla. In 2008 he spoke at a UC San Diego conference on U.S. National Security as part of the school’s Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation. Ed led a discussion with the 18 foreign government officials and academics about the political debate over climate change. In 2010, Ed was elected to a three-year term on the board of the San Diego Press Club.

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