By Corin Wilson
Durham College co-op student

Durham Region and innovation go hand in hand and several local companies got a chance to prove that, making global connections at the same time.
The Durham Strategic Energy Alliance (DSEA), along with the Economic Development and Tourism Department, recently hosted a tour of Durham Region to international delegates. The tour consisted of some of Durham’s top energy and infrastructure related businesses.
Some of the companies involved in the tour were Eco-Tec, Global Emissions, Durham College, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), InnerEco and Renewable Energy Management, just to name a few.
The tour was part of a follow-up to the Globe conference in Vancouver, which, according to the official website, is one of the largest and longest-running events dedicated to business of the environment. More than 10,000 professionals from approximately 70 countries took part in the conference to participate in global networking opportunities.
In Durham around 35 delegates, from across Europe and Asia, began the tour in Bowmanville at InnerEco. From there, the tour travelled east to the UOIT campus to see the new Automotive Centre of Excellence. The tour continued with stops at the Durham College Whitby campus, where several companies were ready with presentations and then on to Pickering to see Eco-Tec and Intellimeter.
Jonathan Wheatle is part of the business development team from the Globe conference. He says it is beneficial to have support from the local government to be able to send specific companies to the conference.
“We had originally brought members from six Durham Region companies to the conference,” says Wheatle. “It’s great that some of the companies that couldn’t make it to the conference have an opportunity to make presentations to delegates here in Durham Region.”
Wheatle says Durham Region is moving in a green direction and it is important to show those from various countries how innovative the region has become. It also gives the companies a chance to network globally, he adds.
The DSEA is an organization that combines companies from the energy and infrastructure related industry to find sustainable and reliable energy solutions. For more information or a list of the companies involved visit www.dsea.ca