My Compliments, Comrade

Needing to expend a little energy after a long week at work, I just went for a run on the treadmill in the gym in my building. Before I started running I switched on the TV to the Opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. What I saw during the opening ceremonies was both inspirational for my rat-like run on the treadmill but also as a lover of technology and innovation. I managed to push myself a little harder as I imagined what it would be like to be a proud Canadian athlete representing my country at the games but my thoughts soon turned to what these games mean to China and the rest of the world.


The immaculately executed opening performance of the Olympiad was truly a spectacle to behold. There are very few examples that come to mind where the blending of art and technology create such an impressive result. Not only was the opening ceremony a showcase of China's rich culture and history, but it was also obvious how far China has come to reach this moment and its readiness to prove itself as a global super power. In years gone by, the peoples Republic has sought to prove its greatness by launching invasions and fighting wars. No longer does China have to broadcast giant military parades through government produced propaganda footage to showcase the power of its nation, they now have NBC and CBC piping it all over the world in Hi-Definition.

I was amazed at the integration of technology into the performance and I am sure that more than a few American's were left choking on their potato chips and wondering, "How'd they do that? The answer is twofold; technology, and a determination to succeed that seems to have been largely forgotten in Western society. There remains a small chance that the Games will be disrupted by political dissidents or random acts of violence, but China has set a very high bar as far as organization. When pulling off an event with the magnitude of the Olympic Games, or the modernization of the most populous country on the planet, sometimes it helps to run things like a Communist State, literally.

I don't want to seem insensitive to the fact that China still has a long way to to in their road to being a world leader. Their human rights record and ability to work positively within a global framework are largely unproven. These are things that China can work on throughout the games in the future, but at this point it seems like now is the time for the world to start taking note of China's progress as a leader in technology and quite simply, "getting it done right".

One of the next tests China faces on its march to superpowerdom, is the ability to limit the environmental impact of the industrialization of its modern economy and the energy and consumption needs of its giant population. China's success in meeting its environmental challenges will require the same determination and innovative spirit they have demonstrated while hosting the Olympics. Clean technologies will lead the way to China and the worlds ongoing progress.

China’s economy is booming, why shouldn’t the country’s cleantech sector follow suit. According to a new report by The Cleantech Group, cleantech venture funding in China is on the up and up and will surpass $720 million in 2008. Canadian Cleantech companies should be constantly evaluating their position within the global economy. Having a domestic market for their goods is great, but having a market the size of China's (1.3 billion) to tap into will be essential to their long term prospects.

I think Canada and our struggling technology industry should not look at China as a competitor or a threat, but as the ultimate trading partner for our emerging clean technology industry.

In the meantime, BEST of luck to all of Canada's athletes competing in the Games!

-DO