Trade mission will focus on strengthening ties, recruiting high-tech foreign investment to Missouri
JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Jay Nixon announced today that he will lead a delegation of Missouri government leaders on a trade mission to Israel from March 21-28. The trade mission will focus on strengthening partnerships, increasing exports and recruiting new high-tech foreign investment to the Show-Me State.
In addition to being a staunch U.S. ally, Israel has also built a reputation as a global hub of entrepreneurship and innovation, with the third highest number of companies listed on the NASDAQ and more startups per capita than any other country in the world. In 2014, Gov. Nixon signed legislation establishing a Missouri trade office in Israel and this week’s trade mission will further strengthen Missouri’s ties with this important economic and strategic ally.
“Over the past few years, Missouri has become a globally-recognized hub of high-tech jobs and entrepreneurship, and recently led the nation in new business creation,” said Gov. Nixon. “This trade mission is an opportunity to strengthen Missouri’s ties with a vital U.S. ally, encourage even more high-tech investment in our state and bolster Missouri’s reputation as a leader in technology and innovation worldwide.”
In Jerusalem, the Governor and members of the delegation will meet with high-level government officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former President Shimon Peres, and H.E. Ambassador Alon Ushpiz, Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Gov. Nixon will also meet with Mobileye Vision Technologies, a global leader in advanced collision avoidance systems, and with leaders of the Jewish Agency for Israel about their humanitarian efforts, which are supported by the Jewish Federation of St. Louis.
The delegation will then travel to Tel Aviv, where the Governor will meet with U.S. Ambassador Daniel Shapiro as well as companies in Israel’s world-renowned tech sector including Amdocs, a software company headquartered in Chesterfield. The Governor will also participate in a forum hosted by Israel’s Startup Nation Central about the country’s booming startup ecosystem and hear presentations by a number of Israel-based cyber security companies.
Gov. Nixon and members of the delegation will also visit Israel’s Volcani Institute to meet with agri-technology companies and receive a briefing on BioSTL’s business recruitment program in Israel called GlobalSTL-Israel. Missouri and Israel both have growing bioscience sectors, and the Governor will explore opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships and growth in this important industry.
Gov. Nixon is also scheduled to meet with executives at Boeing, which has maintained offices in Israel since 1969. St. Louis is the headquarters of Boeing Defense, which is Missouri’s largest manufacturer. The Israeli Air Force currently employs all versions of the Missouri-made F-15 Eagle.
On Saturday, March 26, the Governor and First Lady will meet with Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and attend Easter Services on Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Joining Gov. Nixon on the delegation to Israel will be First Lady Georganne Nixon; Mike Downing, Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development; Senate Minority Floor Leader Joseph Keaveny, House Majority Floor Leader Mike Cierpiot; and House Minority Floor Leader Jacob Hummel.
The delegation will also include Roey Gilad, Consul General of Israel to the Midwest; Andrew Rehfeld, President & CEO, Jewish Federation of St. Louis; Don Hannon, Chief Financial Officer, Jewish Federation of St. Louis; Maharat Rori Picker Neiss, Executive Director, Jewish Community Relations Council; Guy Bouchard, President, Sinclair Research; Andrea Smithee, Assistant to the President, Sinclair Research; and Margaret Onken, Executive Director of the Hawthorn Foundation.
The Governor, First Lady and other members of the delegation will arrive in Israel on Monday, March 21 and return to Missouri on Monday, March 28. Travel costs for Governor and Mrs. Nixon will be covered by the Hawthorn Foundation; state taxpayer funds will not be used.
Gov. Nixon has made creating opportunities for Missouri businesses to sell their products around the globe and promoting Missouri as an ideal location for investment by foreign companies a top economic development priority for his administration. The Governor has led successful trade missions to China (October 2011); Brazil (April 2012); the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Republic of Korea (March 2013); Western Europe (June 2013, March 2015 and June 2015); Eastern Canada (March 2014); Western Canada (August 2015); Columbia and Peru (February 2016); and Panama (March 2016).
In addition, a Missouri delegation led by the First Lady traveled to Cuba in March 2015 on a historic trade mission to further the sale of Missouri agricultural products. The Missouri team was the first U.S. state trade delegation to visit Cuba since the announcement by President Obama in December 2014 that the U.S. was working to normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba.