The Habitat For Technology (HFT) was formed five or so years ago by local business, education and government officials who shared a vision of creating a “Silicon Prairie” economy in Eden Prairie. The HFT did not achieve that goal, but actually turned out to be a valuable venue for the same representatives from Eden Prairie’s education, business and local government institutions to come together and work on matters of mutual concern.
Recently, the group has turned its attention away from continuing its work in the world of high tech economic development and towards a new goal: developing and sustaining business, educational and governmental relations with China. I represent the City on the HFT Board of Directors. The Board met last night and agreed to change the group’s mission and vision to be consistent with this new goal.
What will the mission and vision of HFT mean? What will the HFT do to carry out this new mission and vision?
The HFT will work with the School District to support the establishment of a relationship between Eden Prairie Schools and schools in Loudi, China. HFT has agreed to financially support the travel costs to send two representatives from the School District to Loudi late this year in order to meet their counterparts and talk about how this relationship will be set up. The HFT will also financially sponsor other exchange trips between the two school systems, including some student exchanges.
The HFT will support the establishment of a relationship between the two city governments. One of the potential goals for the HFT in that regard is to facilitate a joint electronic meeting of city officials from the two cities. HFT would also financially support travel costs for sending city officials from here to Loudi in order to assist in the develop of business relations between businesses in the two cities.
State Representative Erik Paulsen (R-Eden Prairie) wrote an opinion piece in yesterday’s Star Tribune that is right on point with what the HFT wants to do. The Governor and the state government have the lead role in this venture. However, I don’t think that you can underestimate the importance of encouraging local government officials to be involved too. More connections with Chinese officials at the local government level just has to be better than a single connection at the top of our respective State-Provincial governments. The HFT is going to do our part to facilitate a relationship with China this year. Keep watching.
