Central Valley AgPLUS Gearing Up for Americas Competitiveness Exchange

The 10th Americas Competitiveness Exchange on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ACE) is coming to Northern and Central California October 21-27, and Central Valley AgPLUS – the food and beverage manufacturing consortium administered by OCED – is a major planning partner.

ACE is an initiative of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC). It gathers high-level, public, private and academic decision-makers from across the Americas to explore thriving models of entrepreneurship, innovation, strategic investments and partnerships that contribute to economic development of selected regions. Locally, the tour will make stops at Bitwise Industries, Fresno State and other Downtown Fresno locations on Wednesday, October 24. Additional local tour stops will be announced in the coming months. The program is an excellent opportunity for local businesses to display their successes, build networks with visiting stakeholders and establish partnerships.

In addition to its Fresno stop, this October's ACE program tour of Northern and Central California will visit sites in Sacramento, San Francisco and Monterey Bay. About 50 visitors from throughout the Americas will participate.

Previous ACE host regions within the United States have included: Florida; Arizona and portions of Southern California; Georgia, North and South Carolina; and Central Texas. Internationally, ACE host regions have included: Ontario, Canada; Cordoba, Argentina; and the Mexican cities of Aguascalientes, Guadalajara and Mexico City.

ACE convening institutions are the U.S. Department of Commerce, through the International Trade Administration (ITA) and the Economic Development Administration (EDA); the U.S. Department of State; the Government of Argentina; and the Organization of American States (OAS) as the Technical Secretariat for the Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC).

The Central Valley AgPLUS Food and Beverage Manufacturing Consortium (AgPLUS) is one of 24 regions across the country designated as an Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) in 2015 by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Local ACE partners in addition to Central Valley AgPLUS include University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources and Valley Vision. To sponsor, host or get involved, contact Erik Cherkaski or Tammy Cronin.