Bay Area Council

Congratulations to Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis and John Jumper who have been recognized with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking work with AlphaFold 2. The AlphaFold 2 AI model predicted the structures for nearly all known proteins, a fundamental building block of life, transforming a process that would have taken researchers years for each protein into something that takes minutes. Google Deepmind made AlphaFold publicly available and it’s been used by more than 2 million researchers globally, accelerating scientific discovery in areas like vaccines and cancer treatments. This underscores how critical it is to ensure that leading AI researchers and developers feel comfortable innovating and sharing their models in order for their work to be implemented in ways that benefit humanity. Thank you @gavinnewsom for preserving AI innovation in CA. This is exactly the kind of groundbreaking research and collaboration that SB 1047 would have discouraged. 

The Asia Foundation and the Bay Area Council invite you to a conference on October 21 on the future of Southeast Asia, a region of close to 700 million people that is home to important innovation clusters and dynamic markets and occupies a strategic position in the increasingly important Indo-Pacific region. Speakers will feature key leaders from the Bay Area and Southeast Asia, and the authors of a new report on the economic outlook for Southeast Asia produced by Singapore’s Angsana Council. Topics on the table will include the realignment of global supply chains, digital transformation, climate adaptation, and the implications for the region of geopolitical competition. Register here: https://lnkd.in/g7jFZS49

With Proposition 4, we can invest to increase our climate resilience at scale and protect our communities and economy while keeping down long-term costs for taxpayers, says Jim Wunderman in urging @YesOnProp4CA https://lnkd.in/ed6UGZ9N

It’s been a busy September for the Bay Area Council’s Global Business and Investment Committee. Last Friday (Sept. 20) the Council hosted former Director General of the World Trade Organization Pascal Lamy for a discussion about trends in global governance, French President Macron’s AI Summit, France in the Indo-Pacific, and politics in the European Union. He also addressed escalated tensions between the US and China, and their influence on geopolitical fragmentation. On September 23, the Council hosted Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia H.E. Chanthol Sun. The Deputy Prime Minister led a delegation of sixteen senior officials and business leaders of Cambodia to discuss trade and investment with the United States. Mr. Sun provided insights into Cambodia’s political, social, and economic situation, business environment, and achievements in green energy sector. The Deputy Prime Minister invited BAC members to explore opportunities in Cambodia and get advantage of “the most liberal investment regime in ASEAN”.

The Bay Area Council Economic Institute invites you to join us for a lunch presentation and conversation with H.E. Sun Chanthol, the Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, on September 23. Located in the heart of the ASEAN region, Cambodia’s developing economy achieved over 6% growth last year, attracting $6 billion in new foreign direct investment. The United States is Cambodia’s second-largest trading partner and its largest export market. Deputy Prime Minister Sun will be leading a delegation of senior officials and business leaders to discuss trade and investment with the United States. Before entering government service, where he has held a number of senior positions, Mr. Sun founded an investment and trading firm, SCI Co., and worked for General Electric for 16 years. Educated in the United States, he received his B.S. in Business Administration from American University, participated in the Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School, and completed a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard. During his career he has been selected as a Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum and served as a member and First Chairman of Wharton’s Executive Board for Asia. Register here: https://lnkd.in/guxMY68Q

The Bay Area Council invites you to participate in our upcoming 2024 California Trade Mission to China on November 3-10, 2024. During this trip, the delegation will visit Shanghai and Nanjing to deepen business relations and explore opportunities to grow exports to our state’s third largest trading partner. Throughout the trip, the Council will provide the support necessary to ensure your objectives are successfully accomplished. Our offices in Shanghai and Beijing offer a unique combination of resources through subnational government, business, academic, and investor contacts across the country.   In Shanghai, delegates will meet with Shanghai and Yangpu government officials, attend the grand opening of the California Pavilion at the world’s largest import-themed exhibition - China International Import Expo (CIIE) - and meet with local representatives and importers during business matchmaking events. As a member of the GO-Biz China Trade and Investment Network, the Bay Area Council has proudly hosted the California Pavilion for six consecutive years, showcasing the state's diverse range of products and services to Chinese importers. In Nanjing, the delegates will meet with Jiangsu provincial government officials and Nanjing municipal government officials. They will attend business matchmaking events and visit either Nanjing Hight-Tech Zone or Nanjing Agricultural University and Innovation Center depending on delegates' interest. To learn more, please contact Karina Salomatina at ksalomatina@bayareacouncil.org.

The Los Angeles Business Council Sustainability Summit is a must-attend event for anyone involved in and working to advance California's clean-energy future. Learn more and register today: https://bit.ly/3yUi8pw

Government waste, corruption and ineffectiveness. These are among the topics SF Chronicle award-winning columnist and modern-day muckraker Emily Hoeven discussed in a recent conversation with CEO Jim Wunderman. Watch: https://bit.ly/3XaTNFj

The Bay Area Council is excited to announce the California Pavilion at the upcoming China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, November 5-10. CIIE has evolved into a pivotal event since its inception in 2018, drawing market and government attention from across China. Each year it attracts more than 3000 international exhibitors from various industry sectors: food and agriculture products, consumer goods, trade in services, automobile, intelligent industry and information technology, medical equipment and healthcare products. This year, California Pavilion will be presented in partnership with the USA pavilion, hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. The Council will be further organizing a delegation for California businesses to participate in CIIE and many of the events that will be taking place alongside the expo in Shanghai. Please join us at the Klamath in San Francisco on July 30th for an informational session and happy hour to learn more about participation as an exhibitor or delegation member. Register here: https://lnkd.in/ggvg74cv. If you would like to inquire about joining the California pavilion, please contact Alex Foard at afoard@bayareacouncil.org.