Membership may generate new opportunities for local business

Sept. 20, 2007

Westchester County continues to keep pace with globalization by linking up with an international network of high-tech cities that will provide more opportunities to share information and promote joint initiatives.

As the first U.S. region to join the Global Digital City Network (GDCN), the county will be able to develop partnerships and collaborate with like-minded cities and regions. The ultimate goal is to use the network to generate new business opportunities for local firms as well as promote Westchester as an innovative location for investment. 

The invitation-only GDCN network was launched in 2000 by Kakamigahara, Japan and Chuncheon, Korea to help member cities gain a competitive edge through the exchange of information and technologies. The county was invited as the result of its relationship with Gold Coast City, Australia, through the US Channels initiative.

US Channels is a first-of-its-kind portal launched earlier this year that will allow local companies to promote themselves to a global network. The site, http://www.us-channels.com/, is being made available to local technology firms interested in making connections and promoting their products and services.

The county officially joined the GDCN at the Annual General Meeting in Dundee, Scotland. Legislator Marty Rogowsky was the county’s representative and made a presentation introducing Westchester and summarizing many of the county’s strengths, specifically in the information technology sector.

Other cities that have signed on include Dalian, Jilin, Shenyang and Yanji (China); Dubai (United Arab Emirates); Dundee (Scotland); Gold Coast City (Australia); Inuyama City (Japan); Nizhny Novgorod (Russia); and Taipei (Taiwan).

Members have the opportunity to earn more name recognition on a global scale; jointly develop new technologies, projects, research activities; send personnel to other parts of the world for exchange, study and training; and increase commercial opportunities within some of the largest international markets. Past projects include teacher exchanges, technology development projects and biotechnology programs.