Newsletter: Houston MOTIA November Highlights

Dear Friends of the Mayor’s Office of Trade and International Affairs (MOTIA),

At its core, Houston is a city built on global trade. Founded at the intersection of numerous railroads with a large port facility, what started as trading post has grown to the city with the most exports in the U.S., and the largest port for foreign gross tonnage. More than 45 different countries have total trade with Houston in excess of $1 billion.

In November, we moved forward our global trade agenda, with a focus on “Energy 2.0” as Houston continues to be a leading voice in energy transition and the next generation of energy. Through our global trade strategy, our Climate Action Plan, and our Resilient Houston plan, Houston will continue to be the energy capital of the world as we build a lower carbon future.

As we return from Thanksgiving and enter the holiday season, thank you for your continued support and we wish everyone continued health and safety.

Sincerely,

In November, we hosted our first ever virtual World Energy Cities Partnership - Annual General Meeting (AGM). The WECP supports our 19 member cities efforts to foster the energy transition by serving as a forum for the exchange of knowledge and experiences, providing a platform to promote successful initiatives, connecting innovation hubs and businesses with opportunities in partner cities, and facilitating partnerships with other international organizations.

In 2020, the WECP welcomed Ulsan, South Korea to the partnership. Ulsan is a leading city in hydrogen, accounting more than 50% of Korea’s total hydrogen production. In 2013, Ulsan began mass production of hydrogen-powered cars; since then Ulsan has established itself as a leader in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles through the next generation of Nexo, a hydrogen fuel cell that can run for 378 miles after a 5-minute charge.

While were unable to meet in Dammam, Saudi Arabia for this year's AGM due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were happy to welcome our member cities virtually and look forward to meeting in Dammam in 2021. Thank you to all the Mayors and Officers that joined the meeting making it a record breaking event!

From November 16 - 18, MOTIA together with the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) and the Netherlands Business Support Office hosted a bi-lateral, virtual trade mission with Rotterdam, Netherlands focused on the theme of Energy 2.0. Both cities are leading voices in the energy transition, and specific topics of conversation included commercial opportunities related to hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and digital technology.

Mayor Sylvester Turner gave remarks on Houston and Rotterdam's shared experience as members of the C40, leaders of the Resilient Cities Network, and highlighted both cities' commitment to global leadership on the most critical and challenging issues of our time. Mayor Turner was joined by Mayor Aboutaleb of Rotterdam to witness the MOU signing ceremony between GHP and its counterpart in Rotterdam, Rotterdam Partners, as we seek additional opportunities to build on the already strong relationship.

MOTIA joined the Consulate of Canada, representatives from cities across Canada, and many of our local and international partners for a round-table discussion to celebrate the 15-year anniversary of the opening of the Consulate of Canada in Houston. Partners around the table discussed the strong economic and trade relationship between Canada and Houston, founded on energy but diversified across numerous industries. Showcasing this diversity, the event featured the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Consul General of Canada in Dallas, Rachel McCormick, and the Director of the Rice Space Institute, David Alexander, on future collaboration on science and technology related to the space industry. With the rapid growth of commercial space worldwide and the strength of the aerospace industry in Houston, it presents a pathway for future cooperation between the Canadian industry, commercial entities in the Houston region and partners around the world. Read the Rice University press release: Rice Space Institute, Canada agree to collaborate.

On 20 November, 1920, the Consulate General of Mexico was established in Houston. To commemorate this 100th anniversary, the Consulate in partnership with the Houston Public Library hosted a series of virtual events honoring the relationship between Mexico and Houston.

One of the highlights of the celebration was a virtual exhibition that displayed historic images and documents paying homage to the long history of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Houston. The Mexican Consulate: 100 Years of Mexican American History in Houston exhibit showcased numerous important milestones and historical records of the Mexican and Mexican American experience, with featured archival materials coming from a variety of collections housed at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center.

From early 1900s photographs of Mexican entrepreneurs in Houston to official documents requesting the opening of the Consulate, this interactive exhibit serves as a testimony to Houston and Mexico's century long relationship. View the virtual exhibition here.

After the groundbreaking July 2020 MOU between the University of Houston- Clear Lake and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, MOTIA Director, Christopher Olson joined UHCL and other leaders for the inaugural open house for the Diplomacy Institute.

The Diplomacy Institute aims to provide an expanded range of educational services and training opportunities specifically designed to meet the needs of diplomats and consular officials throughout Houston and the U.S.. It will also offer new degrees and certifications to students, new opportunities for faculty to participate in seminars, lectures, and student and faculty exchanges, and the opportunity for partnership development with other institutions of higher education, governmental entities, NGOs and businesses. In July, Mayor Sylvester Turner highlighted the importance of the Houston-Qatar relationship and the value that the Diplomacy Institute will bring to the community.

MOTIA would like to extend our congratulations to Dr. Ira Blake, UH-Clear Lake President, Dr. Gigi Do, UH-Clear Lake Associate Vice President of Global Learning and Strategy, and the UHCL Advisory Committee behind the Diplomacy Institute for putting together this inaugural event. The City of Houston is excited to be a part of this journey, and we cannot wait to see more incredible programs from the Diplomacy Institute!

How do you diversify the economy of a city? As Calgary tries it looks south for inspiration (Houston)
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, cities are suffering from a global shift in the energy industry. As Calgary looks to diversify its economy, they are looking to Houston as an example of how to move forward from a traditional oil and gas economy. Cities around the world are experiencing mass layoffs in order to reduce inefficiency and cut costs. Houston is serving as an example to cities around the world as Houston continues to find ways to increase our talent pool, rebuild the city's attractiveness for investment, and continue diversifying our economy. See the publication here.