WASHINGTON, D.C. | 12 June 2018 – The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) unveiled its first-ever “WTCA Trade & Investment Report: Global Connections, Local Growth” at a private event at the Foreign Policy (FP) Group Offices. The report was conducted in partnership with FP Analytics and reveals that cities are positioned to lead in this time of geopolitical turmoil by focusing on stakeholder networks, human capital and connective infrastructure.

According to the study, 71 percent of WTCA members polled believe that a significant disruption in trade and investment is likely to occur this year with investments being put on hold amid global economic uncertainty. Additional key findings include:

• Urban outperformers create cities without borders: Strategic partnerships between global and local stakeholders are the critical enabling factor for cities competing for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and seeking to expand local businesses’ access to new markets. Cities with a WTCA member on average draw FDI per capita at twice the rate of their country, and export goods at 1.55 times the national level, per capita. These thriving FDI destinations are also engines of job creation, with every USD 1B in annual FDI being associated with a 1.5 percent higher workforce participation.
• Planes, brains and connectivity: Hard infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and digital connectivity constitute core building blocks differentiating and strengthening cities’ relative competitiveness. For every 1,000 passengers transiting through an airport, one can expect a USD 7.3M increase to local GDP and a USD 30K increase in FDI inflows. Additionally, adding just 1,000 people with tertiary education to a city’s population is associated with a USD 381K increase in FDI inflows by. Among cities with below average internet penetration (less than 54.5 percent), every 10-percentage-point increase in household internet penetration was associated with an acceleration in GDP growth by more than half a percentage point.
• Small companies are big business: SMEs drive local growth and employment, constituting 50-60 percent of value added, and 70 percent of jobs in the OECD. Still, the share of SMEs engaged in international trade is typically under 10 percent, underscoring the importance of trade-related support services—like those offered by WTCA Members—to unlocking their potential and making them an economic force multiplier for cities.

“These findings show that not only do our WTCA members have their fingers on the pulse of their local economies, but they can deliver great insight into the issues impacting the larger trade and investment communities,” said Scott Ferguson, chief executive officer of the WTCA. “By leveraging our global network, members help to integrate their home cities into the international marketplace, which can have a profound positive effect on the strength and resilience of the economy by drawing Foreign Direct Investment, increasing exports and generating jobs.”

TRIESTE, Italy | May 23, 2018 – Representatives of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) and the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP) today officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two organizations. The agreement is meant to pave the way for individual science parks to partner with their local World Trade Centers to fuel local economic growth through scientific innovation.

Based in Malaga, Spain, the IASP is a worldwide network of science parks and areas of innovation with nearly 400 members in 76 countries. Focused on connecting professionals managing science, technology and research parks, all of which have a tremendous impact on economic growth, the organization is a natural partner for the WTCA whose Members work at the grass-roots level to find global trade and investment opportunities for local businesses. For its part, the WTCA counts more than 320 Members located in nearly 90 countries.

“Both the World Trade Centers Association and the IASP operate as nonprofit, non-political membership organizations with a global point-of-view,” remarked Andrea Garwood, Executive Director of WTC Trieste, WTCA Board Member, and signatory to the agreement representing the New-York-based association. “The opportunities that are created in connecting both of their vast global networks are significant and hold great potential for the cities where this agreement makes such cooperation possible. We have, in fact, seen this very kind of development here in Trieste, in partnership with our own local science park.”

Luis Sanz, IASP Director General who was in Trieste to sign the MOU, commented: “Two global organizations reaching agreements to develop actions that will benefit their respective members is something to celebrate, especially considering that as well as both being worldwide networks, we both deal with companies, business and economic activity. Building bridges for companies to cross from shore to shore is absolutely essential in an increasingly networked global society. WTCA and IASP have reached a clear common vision and have begun work to make it happen.”

Signatories vowed to identify appropriate opportunities to connect Members of both organizations in order to:

• Identify potential “living labs” inside WTCs where science park tenants can test market new products
• Connect projects affiliated with members of both organizations with potential investors or buyers
• Explore potential pricing benefits on facilities and services to extend to members of both organizations

Scott Ferguson, CEO of the WTCA added, “As an organization we are always looking for new partners to help fulfill our mission of ‘connecting the business world.’ In today’s ever-advancing technological revolution, science parks and areas of innovation are vital incubators for the next big idea, and we are delighted at the opportunity for our Members to play a part.”

Cities with both a local IASP-affiliated science park and a local WTC include: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Abuja, Nigeria; Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia; Almaty, Kazakhstan; Barcelona, Spain; Beijing, China; Berlin, Germany; Bogota, Colombia; Boston, United States of America; Brasilia, Brazil; Brest, France; Bucaramanga, Colombia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cairo, Egypt; Casablanca, Morocco; China (Beijing), China; Chongqing, China; Curitiba, Brazil; Daejeon, South Korea; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Dulles Airport, United States of America; Edmonton, Canada; Eindhoven, Netherlands; Guanajuato, Mexico; Guangzhou, China; Guiyang, China; Havana, Cuba; Hong Kong (AF), China; Hong Kong International Airport, China; Islamabad, Pakistan; Istanbul, Turkey; Jakarta, Indonesia; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Kunming, China; Lima, Peru; Lund, Sweden; Luxembourg, Luxembourg; Madrid, Spain; Malmo, Sweden; Marseille Provence, France; Medellin, Colombia; Merida, Mexico; Milan, Italy; Montreal, Canada; Moscow, Russia; Muscat, Oman; Nairobi, Kenya; Nanjing, China; Nantes Atlantique, France; Nice/Sophia Antipolis, France; Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; Panama; Poznan, Poland; Punta del Este, Uruguay; Qatar; Ramallah, Palestine; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Seoul, South Korea; Sevilla, Spain; Shanghai, China; Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Shenzhen, China; Sofia, Bulgaria; Sofia (AF), Bulgaria; Stockholm, Sweden; Suwon, South Korea; Taichung, Taiwan; Tallinn, Estonia; Tianjin, China; Tokyo, Japan; Tokyo (AF), Japan; Trieste, Italy; Turku, Finland; Utrecht, Netherlands; Utrecht-Papendorp Branch, Netherlands; Wuhan, China; Wuhan CBD, China; Zaragoza, Spain; Zhengzhou, China; and Zurich, Switzerland.

About the World Trade Centers Association 

The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) is a network of more than 300 highly-connected, mutually supporting businesses and organizations in nearly 100 countries. As the owner of the “World Trade Center” and “WTC” trademarks, the WTCA licenses exclusive rights to these brands for Members to use in conjunction with their independently-owned, iconic properties, facilities and trade services offerings. Through a robust portfolio of events, programming and resources that it offers its Members, the goal of the WTCA is to help local economies thrive by encouraging and facilitating trade and investment across the globe through Member engagement. To learn more visit www.wtca.org.

For media inquiries:

Alex Brown
World Trade Centers Association
abrown@wtca.org
+1 212 432 2605

Andrea Mencía
World Trade Centers Association
amencia@wtca.org
+1 212 432 2644

LEEUWARDEN, Netherlands – More than three dozen World Trade Centers (WTCs) from across the globe officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on agriculture during the World Trade Centers Association's (WTCA) 49th General Assembly, taking place from April 22-27. This marks the Association's largest MOU in recent history.

As signatories on this important agreement and Members of the WTCA's proprietary global network, the MOU will build a robust framework for collaboration on agricultural trade issues. Spearheaded by WTC Harbin (China), each Member of the group of participating WTCs has deep ties to their local agriculture industries and the challenges they face. This group of organizations from more than one dozen countries offers a stable platform to foster trade ties during a time of increasing uncertainty.

Steven Lo, Executive Director of WTC Harbin remarked, "As a Member of the WTCA I understand the great potential in working together to find new opportunities for our home regions. The objective of this signed understanding is to equip participating Members with a robust knowledge base, specialized services, and a means of collaborating so that each WTC may, in turn, enable their local business communities with tools to access and participate in global agribusiness."

The ceremony memorialized the occasion and encouraged other WTCs to join the initiative. Signatories vowed to work on increasing opportunities for trade, as well as bridge the gaps that exist between their local agricultural sectors and the global trade community. "This is a prime example of a benefit that our global network can offer," remarked Mr. Scott Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer of WTCA. "As an association whose Members are intricately woven into the fabric of their local economies, we are incredibly well positioned to connect local communities to global opportunities, even in an environment that may not always seem conducive to this kind of collaboration. My sincerest congratulations to all of the signatories of this important agreement—this is what our association is all about."

Participating WTCs include the following from across the globe: Accra, Ghana; Algiers, Algeria; Amman, Jordan; Anchorage, United States of America; Arkansas, United States of America; Beirut, Lebanon; Bengaluru, India; Boston, United States of America; Brussels, Belgium; Chandigarh, India; Chennai, India; Curitiba, Brazil; Cyprus; Delaware, United States of America; Denver, United States of America; Dublin, Ireland; Edmonton, Canada; GIFT City, India; Haiti; Harbin, China; Houston, United States of America; Indianapolis, United States of America; Joinville, Brazil; Kochi, India; Leeuwarden, the Netherlands; Miami, United States of America; Montana, United States of America; Monterrey, Mexico; Mumbai, India; New Orleans, United States of America; Noida, India; Perth, Australia; Greater Philadelphia, United States of America; Porto Alegre, Brazil; Qatar; Saskatoon, Canada; St. Louis, United States of America; Sydney, Australia; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Trieste, Italy; Twente, the Netherlands; Vancouver,Canada; Washington D.C., United States of America; Washington Dulles Airport, United States of America; and Winnipeg, Canada.

For press inquiries or interviews, please contact Alex Brown or Andrea Mencía at media@wtca.org.

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About the World Trade Centers Association

The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) is a network of more than 300 highly-connected, mutually supporting businesses and organizations in nearly 100 countries. As the owner of the “World Trade Center” and “WTC” trademarks, the WTCA licenses exclusive rights to these brands for Members to use in conjunction with their independently-owned, iconic properties, facilities and trade services offerings. Through a robust portfolio of events, programming and resources that it offers its Members, the goal of the WTCA is to help local economies thrive by encouraging and facilitating trade and investment across the globe through Member engagement. To learn more visit www.wtca.org.