How to
Participate
Be part of the ACE Network:
Louisiana has always been an international hub for trade, a center for economic growth, and a nexus for cultural exchange and is a melting pot of people and cultures that form the gateway to the Americas. In a region defined by its rich natural resources and coastal geography, it is the resiliency of the people that drives the economy forward.
Louisiana is a pioneer in technological growth in advanced manufacturing, energy production, port logistics, biosciences, healthcare, water management, and various rapidly growing sectors.
The Greater New Orleans region was ranked No.1 in Forbes America’s biggest brain magnets.
On the ACE Louisiana Exchange, participants will have a firsthand look into Louisiana’s booming industries and explore newly developed international airports, expansive domestic and international port networks, highly ranked workforce development programs, and cutting-edge research facilities.
The week-long program will display the commerce and cultural connections throughout the cities of Louisiana. Businesses are flocking to this economic cluster because of its established infrastructure and growth potential for generations to come. However, the people of Louisiana remain the most significant asset (history, tradition, festivals, food, and resilience of spirits).
ACE is an opportunity to incubate and accelerate ideas, get inspired, find new partners, and build long-term connections vital for economic growth.
The power of ACE
One of the key features of the ACE is its capacity to connect decision-makers from the Americas and beyond and to serve as a catalyst to strengthen commercial ties and leaders from the region.
ACE was created in 2014 by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of State, and the Organization of American States (OAS). The ACE is convened in the context of the RIAC by its Chair Pro Tempore (revolving every two years- currently Ecuador); the Government of the United States, through the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of State; and the General Secretariat of the OAS as the RIAC Technical Secretariat.
The ACE is one week-long immersion program where 50 top global and regional leaders can deep dive into a community and ecosystem to learn about the sites and projects leading economic development, fostering innovation, and entrepreneurship.
ACE has inspired, facilitated, and provided concrete results and mutually beneficial opportunities from acceleration and incubation programs to soft landing of companies and ventures.
Examples of Recognition and Adoption: ACE was recognized as part of the 2016 North American Competitiveness Work Plan, agreed to by Presidents Obama and Peña Nieto and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the North American Leaders Summit (NALS) held in Ottawa, Canada, and the ACE Network was featured by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) by the Global Partnership Initiative (GPI) on Effective Triangular Co-operation in their report “Triangular Co-operation in the Era of the2030 Agenda”.
Two ACEs occur per year, and thirteen programs have been implemented in total since 2014 in the top ecosystems of the U.S., Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Israel, and Germany.
ACE is a result-based program influencing the creation of Centers of Innovation and Entrepreneurship to incubate and accelerate businesses
ACE History
“Partnerships are an integral part of how we can all become more effective. The quality, the quantity and diversity of participants in ACE and its partners are at the center of development cooperation we are all seeking to put forward where experiences, collective learning, horizontal and complementary efforts are strategic assets for the development of our countries. Economic development 21st century style requires effective, collaborative and institutions focused on advancing mutual gain for the public and private sector, and the ACE is really a true partnership”
Maryse Robert
Director
Department of Economic Development
Organization of American States
Department of Economic Development
Organization of American States
“ACE is not only an opportunity to interconnect and interact, but also to share and discuss ideas, especially in the challenge of recovery after the covid pandemic
Host region can credibly prevent its location strings, hosts and guests can initiate and arrange contacts and collaborations directly, the participants get to know the best innovation approaches in different regions and take many strategic ideas with them, through the direct exchange with other participants during ACE you build channels in all participating countries."
Ole Janssen
Deputy Director General
Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
Germany
ACE Ambassador and Alumni
Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
Germany
ACE Ambassador and Alumni
I want more information
Adriana Bonilla
ACE Program Coordinator
- abonilla@oas.org
Cristina Narváez
ACE Consultant
- cnarvaez@oas.org