ASEAN Consulates General in Vancouver Explore Opportunities in Surrey

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke accepts the token of appreciation from (L-R) Thai Consul General Rutch Soratana, Indonesian Consul General Hendra Halim, Philippine Consul General Arlene Magno, and Malaysian Consul General Mohd Afandi Abu Bakar during the ACGV’s Surrey Familiarization Tour. (Photo by Vancouver PCG)

Vancouver, 21 May 2024 – The ASEAN Consulates General in Vancouver embarked on a familiarization tour of Surrey, British Columbia, on 15 May 2024, to explore economic opportunities and foster stronger ties with the City of Surrey.

The Philippine Consulate in Vancouver, as current Chair of the ASEAN Consulates General Vancouver (ACGV), organized this event, in coordination with the City of Surrey.  The program commenced with a walking tour of Simon Fraser University's (SFU) Building for Sustainable Energy Engineering, which earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification in recognition of its sustainable design and operations.

The tour continued with a presentation on Economic Strategy and SFU programs at the SFU Innovation Plaza, which is home to the Quantum Algorithms Institute, B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation, and the Charles Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship.

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke delivers her welcome remarks before the ASEAN Consuls General in Vancouver (ACGV) delegation. (Photo by Vancouver PCG)

(Left photo) Mr. Kirk Fisher, CEO of Health Tech Connex, shares with the ACGV delegation the future plan for the Surrey Health and Technology District. (Right photo) The delegation also embarks on a walking tour to see the future infrastructure plans in the City. (Photos by Vancouver PCG)

The day concluded with a roundtable discussion with the Surrey Board of Trade, providing the ASEAN Consulates General with valuable insights into Surrey's business ecosystem and opportunities for partnership.

Consul General Magno, on behalf of the ACGV, expressed her appreciation for the warm welcome and insightful discussions during their visit to Surrey. The Consuls General are optimistic about the prospects of strengthened diplomatic and economic ties between Surrey and ASEAN nations.  END

Ms. Nikki Anderson, Clinic Manager, and Mr. Mathieu Gagnon, Brain and BodyTeam Lead, both from the Surrey Neuroplasticity Clinic, welcome the ACGV delegation during the latter’s visit to the HealthTech Connex. (Photo by Vancouver PCG)

(Right photo) Mr. Juan Tomasino, VP of Engineering and Operations, explains how data from the NeuroCatch, the Centre for Neurology Studies and Surrey Neuroplasticity Clinic at the HealthTech, is processed in their lab and how supplies/inventory are allocated. (Photo by Vancouver PCG)