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04-14-2010, 02:24 AM
Ambassador visits a region ‘on the radar’
April 14, 2010
By Greg Mercer, Record staff
WATERLOO REGION — U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson paid his first visit to Waterloo Region — a place known around the world for innovation, he said — with radar, BlackBerrys and theoretical physics on his mind.
Before returning to Ottawa late yesterday afternoon, the former Chicago lawyer and President Obama fundraiser made three official visits here: at Research In Motion, the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and Waterloo radar systems maker Raytheon Canada. The places he chose may say a lot about how this region is viewed as a centre for technology and research by his administration in Washington.
“I’ve known about Waterloo for quite some time, particularly about the innovation that goes on here between the business community, tech community and the universities,” Jacobson said, during an interview at the Record. “Waterloo is on the radar of every business person in the world.”
He described himself as “one of BlackBerry’s best customers” — and one of its first — and said the chance to meet with co-CEO Jim Balsillie at RIM’s world headquarters was a thrill. His boss, Barack Obama, is a well-known user of RIM’s smart phones.
“It’s kind of like going to the Holy Grail for me and my boss, the president,” Jacobson said.
He described his visit as a learning trip, part of his broader plan to get to know Canada better since becoming ambassador last October.
Yesterday afternoon, he was given a crash course in string theory and other out-there ideas in the world of physics from the Perimeter Institute. The ambassador met with institute director Neil Turok and wanted to know about how PI’s model of bringing together experts from various backgrounds could work for similar “centres of excellence” in African nations.
“I’m very interested in their efforts in math and science in Africa,” he said, before his visit.
Perimeter spokesperson John Matlock said the institute is “happy to share our model with the world,” and pleased the ambassador has taken an interest in its work. But Jacobson is far from the first international visitor to want to see the region’s successful formula for combining research and innovation with commercial ventures.
Jacobson’s final stop of the day was at Raytheon Canada, the company that makes all the radars used at U.S. airports. Jacobson wanted to know how the company’s high-frequency surface wave radar systems, recently bought by the Romanian government for surveillance on the Black Sea, could be used to improve American border security, said Raytheon general manager Brian Smith.
“He understood we had some very interesting technology in that sector and he wanted to see it first hand,” Smith said. “We’re not just on his radar, we are his radar.”
Jacobson also touched on a few issues that resonate outside the region, too. He said only Canadians should decide what kind of role the country takes in Afghanistan after 2011 — and that Washington has not asked Canada to do anything beyond that.
He stepped carefully on the issue, perhaps in light last month’s comments by Hillary Clinton that she was disappointed with Canada’s commitment to end its combat role next year. And he was speaking on the week that Canada lost another soldier in the Afghan mission — this one from nearby Bright, Ont.
Jacobson said he’d like Canada to remain in Afghanistan, but wouldn’t say in what capacity that should be.
“The United States wants all of its coalition partners, and that includes Canada, to stay as long as they can,” the ambassador said.
And he said his government has no interest in re-opening NAFTA, which may disappoint, but not surprise, those who feel the accord needs to better protect workers and the environment.
Jacobson also said the U.S. has more work to do to improve efficiency at the border, though he pointed out wait times for drivers have been reduced by a third since 2006 and by half for goods.
April 14, 2010
By Greg Mercer, Record staff
WATERLOO REGION — U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson paid his first visit to Waterloo Region — a place known around the world for innovation, he said — with radar, BlackBerrys and theoretical physics on his mind.
Before returning to Ottawa late yesterday afternoon, the former Chicago lawyer and President Obama fundraiser made three official visits here: at Research In Motion, the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and Waterloo radar systems maker Raytheon Canada. The places he chose may say a lot about how this region is viewed as a centre for technology and research by his administration in Washington.
“I’ve known about Waterloo for quite some time, particularly about the innovation that goes on here between the business community, tech community and the universities,” Jacobson said, during an interview at the Record. “Waterloo is on the radar of every business person in the world.”
He described himself as “one of BlackBerry’s best customers” — and one of its first — and said the chance to meet with co-CEO Jim Balsillie at RIM’s world headquarters was a thrill. His boss, Barack Obama, is a well-known user of RIM’s smart phones.
“It’s kind of like going to the Holy Grail for me and my boss, the president,” Jacobson said.
He described his visit as a learning trip, part of his broader plan to get to know Canada better since becoming ambassador last October.
Yesterday afternoon, he was given a crash course in string theory and other out-there ideas in the world of physics from the Perimeter Institute. The ambassador met with institute director Neil Turok and wanted to know about how PI’s model of bringing together experts from various backgrounds could work for similar “centres of excellence” in African nations.
“I’m very interested in their efforts in math and science in Africa,” he said, before his visit.
Perimeter spokesperson John Matlock said the institute is “happy to share our model with the world,” and pleased the ambassador has taken an interest in its work. But Jacobson is far from the first international visitor to want to see the region’s successful formula for combining research and innovation with commercial ventures.
Jacobson’s final stop of the day was at Raytheon Canada, the company that makes all the radars used at U.S. airports. Jacobson wanted to know how the company’s high-frequency surface wave radar systems, recently bought by the Romanian government for surveillance on the Black Sea, could be used to improve American border security, said Raytheon general manager Brian Smith.
“He understood we had some very interesting technology in that sector and he wanted to see it first hand,” Smith said. “We’re not just on his radar, we are his radar.”
Jacobson also touched on a few issues that resonate outside the region, too. He said only Canadians should decide what kind of role the country takes in Afghanistan after 2011 — and that Washington has not asked Canada to do anything beyond that.
He stepped carefully on the issue, perhaps in light last month’s comments by Hillary Clinton that she was disappointed with Canada’s commitment to end its combat role next year. And he was speaking on the week that Canada lost another soldier in the Afghan mission — this one from nearby Bright, Ont.
Jacobson said he’d like Canada to remain in Afghanistan, but wouldn’t say in what capacity that should be.
“The United States wants all of its coalition partners, and that includes Canada, to stay as long as they can,” the ambassador said.
And he said his government has no interest in re-opening NAFTA, which may disappoint, but not surprise, those who feel the accord needs to better protect workers and the environment.
Jacobson also said the U.S. has more work to do to improve efficiency at the border, though he pointed out wait times for drivers have been reduced by a third since 2006 and by half for goods.