Archive for April, 2010

April 28th, 2010

A cost-effective tool for sustainable development

Undertaking a process of sustainable development is profitable for the company that chooses to go green, but it is sometimes difficult to know where to start.

Thus, choosing a sustainable development approach enables companies to increase productivity, reduce waste and energy consumption and therefore be more competitive on the market.

But where to start? One thing is certain, help is needed and that is what the Enviroclub formula suggests. An Enviroclub is a grouping of 10 companies that wish to implement a sustainable development approach in order to achieve a project. In addition to receiving funding, companies have access to 80 hours of customized consulting and coaching to enable the establishment of their project, and three workshops, all over a period of approximately 10 months.

Projects eligible for the Enviroclub:

  • Establishment of eco-efficiency measures
  • Substitution or reduction of the use of toxic substances
  • Optimization of production processes and better use of resources (raw materials, energy, water)
  • Improved operational procedures and maintenance
  • Recycle or reuse materials on site

Three interactive workshops on various topics such as:

  • Eco-efficiency
  • Environmental performance as a factor in competitiveness and profitability
  • The identification and selection of profitable eco-efficiency projects
  • Environmental Management System
  • Emergency Planning
  • Greenhouse gas emissions (climate change) and eco-efficiency energy

You have a sustainable development project for your business and are hesitant to implement it? Take advantage of the Enviroclub, currently being created for the 3L (Laval-Laurentides-Lanaudière) regions, which will begin this summer.

For more information or to join the Enviroclub 3L 2010, contact Maude Lauzon-Gosselin at mlauzongosselin@environaccess.ca.

Sophie Mainville

April 15th, 2010

Free and complete guide on the use of Web 2.0

One member of the International Business Centre Network Centre’s, export segment has shared with us a guide that summarizes the main tools and web strategies that can be beneficial for businesses. This guide was written by SIMAWAY, a French consulting firm, under the Étoile + project and put forward by the European community and various organizations in northern France and Wallonia (Belgium).

To interested parties, the same firm, also in the Étoile + project, also published in fall 2007, a guide explaining in detail the seven of the most popular web marketing strategies. The guide presents the characteristics of each strategy, the advantages and disadvantages, with some recommendations on how best to use them. This guide is available free via download here, but this time you must register to get it.

Bruno Seguin

April 9th, 2010

More about China…

Have you had a good experience trying to establish business ties in China or were you so frustrated that you not longer believe it’s possible?

Chinese suppliers and partners have changed a lot in that they have learned to better respond to North American needs and requirements. So those who have tried unsuccessfully to develop this market should think about giving it another shot. And those who haven’t yet considered this market as a way of rounding out their product lines or cutting costs would also do well to explore this huge country brimming with opportunities. If you already have a presence in China, think about expanding your network in order to benchmark your practices and experiences, and capitalize on continuous innovation.

The Laval Technopole International Business Centre is studying the relevance of conducting a trade mission to China this fall to help Laval companies:

  • Find and evaluate potential partners for complete or partial sourcing;
  • Find competitive suppliers for their materials, accessories and components;
  • Find and acquire new technologies or tools;
  • Find products to expand or complete their product line;
  • Conduct technology intelligence and benchmarking;
  • Understand how this market works and find opportunities for their products or services.

Since our missions are personalized, space is limited, and prior preparation is necessary to ensure the mission’s success. During the trip, participants meet a limited number of qualified companies and are provided with coaching and local interpreters.

For more information, contact Samir Naoum at 450 978-0991.

Samir Naoum

April 6th, 2010

How does the new Chinese law on patents affect our businesses?

On February 1, the third revision of the Implementing Rules for Patent Law took effect. The new law contains a number of measures that are consistent with practices elsewhere in the world, such as the absolute novelty standard, which invalidates a patent application if the invention is disclosed in China or elsewhere before filing (for example, disclosure in a scientific journal, magazine or at a conference).

The new law also establishes measures to address national concerns. For instance, a confidentiality examination is now compulsory for any foreign patent application pertaining to inventions “in which the substantive contents of their technical solutions have been completed in the PRC.” This confidentiality examination can take up to six months and allows China to keep exclusive rights to technologies developed in the country. Such a measure could discourage foreign companies from conducting R&D in areas of national interest or security. Many foreign groups will also have to set up local operations to manage the patents on the inventions of their Chinese subsidiaries because they will want to first file in China or file their international PCT applications from there.

A new principle of the law that could have a major impact on Laval and Québec SMEs pertains to international exhaustion of patent rights.  According to this principle, importing a patented product into China without the patent holder’s consent no longer constitutes an infringement if the product has already been sold on the international market by or with the patentee’s consent. This measure was implemented because China believes that its industrial development hinges on importing cutting-edge technologies whose intellectual property rights are almost always owned by foreign companies. What this means is that foreign firms or inventors who don’t want their patented products to be sold in China for fear that they will be copied can no longer legally prevent this from happening.

To find out more, read the article published by the Institut national de la propriété intellectuelle et le Service économique of the French Embassy in China. I also recommend this page on the Université de Montréal research site, which contains an excellent summary of the general concepts of patents and intellectual property.  Lastly, here a few recommendations from the Canadian Embassy in Peking for protecting your intellectual property rights in China.

Bruno Séguin