Shanghai World Expo 2010…Don’t Miss It!

While the Winter Olympics in Vancouver have been bringing the world together in traditional Olympic fashion, another event of even greater importance is happening in Shanghai this year that you might not know about.

Starting in May, China’s growing metropolis will host the World Expo, an event that will last until the end of October and will showcase the latest innovations of around 200 countries.  Countries are getting in on the fun by creating state-of-the-art pavilions to showcase innovative individuals and businesses. The pictures of the anticipated sites, available on the Expo website (en.expo2010.cn), are quite stunning. Not only are they to serve as shrines to each country’s culture and heritage, but will also be strategically designed to show their contributions to world society and sustainable development. The Malaysian site, for instance, will be built with palm oil and plastic, which will then be recycled to help the construction of future sites. (They will also have a practice green for putting and chipping…a golfers dream!)

Can Michigan benefit from the Expo?

My message to Michiganders is “keep your eye on the Expo.” To many, the Beijing Olympics was somewhat of a coming out party for the Chinese.

The Expo will dwarf that Chinese moment. The Chinese are certainly pulling out all of the stops for the Expo to position them as a global economic center. Not only are they spending more than they did on the Olympics – to the tune of $45 billion – but are making a statement with the theme of the 6 – month long Expo, “Better City, Better Life.” Though ironic that Shanghai is one of the most polluted cities in the world, China is clearly attempting to emerge as a world leader in sustainable development.

Michigan can seek to learn a lot from this Expo. As new innovative green technologies are introduced during the course of the Expo, it is an important moment for Michigan to see what global competitors are offering. As President Obama stressed in his State of the Union, and our own governor reiterated in her speech, it is important for the U.S., and Michigan, to continue to lead the world in this type of innovation. This will take exposure to world trends in the industry, and to understand how to deliver resources and investment to individuals here in Michigan who can stake claim on this global movement.

It is also an important moment to understand the new dynamics of the growing Chinese economy. China’s urban middle class is growing tremendously. By some estimates, it will reach 600 million people by 2015, with a purchasing power comparable to that of the United States. 70 million visitors are expected to attend the expo, most of which will be these new Chinese middle class consumers. All of these individuals represent potential clients for Michigan businesses, potential students for Michigan universities and technical schools, and potential investors to create jobs.  The Expo will really be the only time in which these individuals will be centered in one place. Unfortunately, there has been little investment thus far to promote Michigan at this important global event.

How can I get involved?

There are ways for you to keep track of the expo, even if you are unable to attend. For one, the Expo website (en.expo2010.cn) will be giving daily updates on all things happening at the Expo. It is the first website ever created for a world expo.

As for a Michigan connection, starting in April, Charles and I will be serving as U.S. ambassadors. You can keep track of our experiences here at shanghai-exposed.com.

China may present many challenges, but the Expo will provide the opportunity to understand what these challenges are, and how we can make their economic growth work for Michigan. For that reason, I think it deserves our attention.

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