The CU Business Advancement Center, part of the University of Colorado at Â鶹¹ÙÍø, has won a national award for developing international markets for Colorado environmental companies.
The project, "Malaysia-Colorado Cleaner Production Policy and Technology Exchange," was named "outstanding" in the economic development category of the Project of the Year Awards competition sponsored by the National Association of Management and Technical Assistance Centers.
The 18-month project focused on the use of organizational partnering to encourage Colorado and Malaysian business, government and academic leaders to share information, expertise and ideas about sustainable economic development and the policies and technologies that support environmentally sound industrial production practices.
The process gave small Colorado environmental companies the opportunity to initiate international business contacts that will generate future economic benefits for the companies and for Colorado, while addressing environmental issues at home and abroad.
For example, Environmental Training and Consulting International in Denver expects to continue work in Malaysia as a result of contacts made during the project, said Leslie Wildesen, principal and owner. "We are strongly considering opening a representative office in Kuala Lumpur."
More than 20 organizations in Colorado and Malaysia partnered with CU-BAC and the Colorado Environmental Business Alliance to conduct the project, under the guidance of Karen Eye, director of CU-BAC, and co-project directors Ellen Drew and Sharon Westmoreland. CU-BAC supports the growth of technology industries in Colorado through research, consulting, information and networking services to businesses and organizations.
For more information visit the CU-BAC Web site at or call Susan Kelley at (303) 492-2823 or Karen Eye at (303) 554-9493, ext. 13.