GOVERNOR PATRICK LEADS INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP MISSION TO DENMARK, UNITED KINGDOM AND FRANCE TO GROW THE MASSACHUSETTS GLOBAL ECONOMY
Mission will strengthen relationships with key global centers of growth, foster new partnerships in Europe
BOSTON – Thursday, September 4, 2014 – Governor Deval Patrick today announced he will lead a coalition of the Commonwealth’s government and industry leaders on an innovation partnership mission to Denmark, the United Kingdom and France to expand opportunities between the Commonwealth and these three European countries for economic development and job creation in the innovation economy, clean tech, digital gaming, financial services, workforce training and education sectors.
From September 14, 2014 – September 19, 2014, the Innovation Partnership Mission will make stops in Copenhagen in Denmark, London in the United Kingdom and in Lyon and Paris in France. The Governor and members of the delegation will visit companies and business organizations in sectors important to the Commonwealth’s continued economic growth, and meet with top business and government leaders to highlight all that Massachusetts has to offer.
“In today’s competitive economy, the way we grow jobs is by building partnerships not just locally, but globally,” said Governor Patrick. “This mission is a tremendous opportunity for us to cultivate new relationships and strengthen existing ones with key global growth centers in Europe to compete for jobs and position Massachusetts as the prime destination for business growth.”
During the mission, the Governor will meet with leaders of the global offshore wind industry to tour the Lilligrund Wind Farm off the coast of Copenhagen, meet with England’s Financial Secretary to Her Majesty’s Treasury David Gauke and other top government officials in the United Kingdom, and deliver an address at the Movement of the Enterprises of France (MEDEF) International and Paris Chamber of Commerce’s event in Paris. MEDEF International is France’s largest union of employers. The Governor and members of the delegation will also make announcements relative to educational partnerships and expansion in key innovation economy sectors throughout the mission.
“I am very pleased the Governor will be visiting the UK for a second time, later this month,” said British Consul General Susie Kitchens. “This certainly speaks to the strength of the relationship between Massachusetts and the UK and the significant potential we see for transatlantic collaboration relevant to the Massachusetts economy.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Governor Patrick and his delegation to France,” said French Consul General Fabien Fieschi. “This visit will provide Massachusetts businesses and agencies with opportunities to discover two major French hubs for industry and innovation, Lyon and Paris, and to exchange ideas and explore collaborations with French leaders in business and government on a wide range of issues, from building smart cities to creating a supportive environment for innovation in clean tech, biotechnologies, robotics or video gaming. We are confident this visit will give a new momentum to the already strong trade and cross-investment relation between France and Massachusetts.”
"Massachusetts is recognized worldwide as a leader in education, research and industry, producing some of the brightest minds in science, finance and technology," said John Hailer, Chairman of the New England Council and President and CEO, Natixis Global Asset Management - The Americas and Asia. "We have created a culture of innovation that encourages the creation of new companies and welcomes well-established companies to our state every day. It's an honor to represent the business community as a part of the governor's business development delegation. These visits allow us to identify opportunities to create jobs and enhance the economy in the Commonwealth, London, Paris and around the world."
“As a single market, the European Union remains the number one global trading partner for Massachusetts,” said Richard Elam, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office of International Trade & Investment. “This trade mission will be an opportunity to recognize the importance of the relationship and to forge even stronger and new alliances, most notably in the innovation sectors where we have so much in common with the countries to be visited.”
Since taking office, Governor Patrick has led coalitions of the Commonwealth’s leaders from business, academic, financial services and cultural sectors to 14 countries including the United Arab Emirates, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Israel, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Chile and Brazil. These visits focused on expanding opportunities for job creation and partnership in the life sciences, IT, water technology, clean energy, transportation and education sectors and have produced tangible results for residents and businesses across the Commonwealth.
The Massachusetts-Denmark Connection:
Last year, Denmark was Massachusetts’s 40th largest export partner, with Massachusetts exporting approximately $60.3 million in goods and services to Denmark. Denmark was Massachusetts’s 48th largest import partner in 2013, with Massachusetts importing approximately $48.9 million in goods and services.
Denmark is also a leading region for the life sciences, making up part of Medicon Valley, a region that is included in the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center’s (MLSC’s) International Collaborative Industry Program (ICIP). The ICIP is a program that promotes and funds joint research and development projects between companies in Massachusetts and six partner regions around the world. Medicon Valley is one of the strongest life sciences clusters in Europe.
The Massachusetts-United Kingdom Connection:
In 2013, the United Kingdom was Massachusetts’s 7th largest export partner, with Massachusetts exporting approximately $1.4 billion in goods and services. The United Kingdom has been Massachusetts's 4th largest import partner since 2011. In 2013, Massachusetts imported approximately $2.41 billion in goods and services from the United Kingdom.
In recent years several UK-based life sciences companies have chosen Massachusetts as the best place to locate their US operations. Most recently, Xenetic Biosciences relocated its operations to Lexington, Massachusetts as a direct result of Governor Patrick’s last mission to the United Kingdom, and UK-based GE HealthCare announced last month its plans to locate its US life sciences headquarters in Marlborough, Massachusetts, creating more than 220 new jobs.
“This trade mission will be an opportunity to showcase the MLSC's programs for international collaboration and further expand the strong ties between the life sciences clusters in Europe and Massachusetts,” said Susan Windham-Bannister, Ph.D., President & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. “Governor Patrick’s 2011 trade mission to the U.K. yielded concrete results, including the decision by Xenetic Biosciences, Inc. to relocate its global headquarters to Lexington, and decisions by several other companies to locate or expand in Massachusetts. During the upcoming trade mission we look forward to building on these successes.”
The Massachusetts-France Connection:
Last year, France was Massachusetts’s 13th largest export partner, with Massachusetts exporting approximately $647.3 million in goods and services to the country. In 2013, France was Massachusetts’s 7th largest import partner, a 16 percent increase from 2012, with Massachusetts importing approximately $958 million in goods and services.
France is home to many leading life sciences companies, including several that have chosen to expand in Massachusetts over the past six years, such as Sanofi, the company that now owns Genzyme. The Alsace Region of France is also part of the MLSC’s International Collaborative Industry Program.
“This mission is another opportunity to expand the reach of our innovation industries,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Greg Bialecki. “We look forward to collaborating with our foreign counterparts to ensure that Massachusetts remains an active player in the 21st century global economy.”
“With Massachusetts-based business leaders at our side, we aim to expand our partnerships with European governments and companies working in the growing global clean energy sector,” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton. “Denmark and the United Kingdom are the heart of the global offshore wind industry. As Massachusetts looks to become the hub for offshore wind in North America, this trip will build connections that with strengthen our opportunities to grow jobs at home in this emerging industry.”
“Through this Innovation Partnership Mission, we will highlight to international audiences how the Commonwealth supports key technology industries," stated Pamela Goldberg, CEO of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. “In the Big Data sector specifically, this mission allows us to highlight the 500 advanced analytics companies that call Massachusetts home, and showcase the Commonwealth’s vibrant and collaborative culture of innovation.”
“This mission is a great chance for us to showcase how we’re thinking creatively about how we deliver transportation services to our customers and to learn from those who are committed to doing the same,” said MassDOT Secretary Richard A. Davey. “I am excited to explore new partnership opportunities that will help us continue to move the ball forward in transportation.”
“This is an enormous opportunity to foster new partnerships in the clean energy industry,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett. “Massachusetts is already a national clean energy leader, and has positioned itself to be the center of the emerging offshore wind industry in the United States. We look forward to making connections that will help us grow the industry here at home.”
Government and Business Delegation for the Innovation Partnership Mission:
Delegation members will participate in various portions of the mission.
- Governor Deval L. Patrick
- Gregory Bialecki, Secretary of Housing & Economic Development
- Maeve Vallely Bartlett, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs
- Richard A. Davey, Secretary of Transportation
- Susan Windham-Bannister, PhD, President & CEO, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
- Pamela Goldberg, CEO, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
- Alicia Barton, CEO, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
- Richard Elam, Executive Director, Massachusetts Office of International Trade & Investment
- Joe Rull, Chief of Operations for Mayor Martin J. Walsh, City of Boston
- Bill White, Senior Director Offshore Wind Sector Development, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
- Marcy Reed, President, National Grid Massachusetts
- John Hailer, Chairman of the New England Council and President and CEO, Natixis Global Asset Management - The Americas and Asia Management
- Bruce Magid, Dean, Brandeis International Business School
- Phil Edmundson, CEO/ Chairman, William Gallagher & Associates/The Alliance for Business Leadership
- Michael Greeley, General Partner, Foundation Medical Partners
- John Harthorne, Founder & CEO, MassChallenge
- Tom Pincince, President & CEO, Digital Lumens
- David Brewster, President & Co-founder, EnerNOC
- Tim Loew, Executive Director, Mass Digital Games Institute
- Monty Sharma, Managing Director, Mass Digital Games Institute
- Robert Johnson, President, Becker College
- Kristen Rupert, Executive Director, Associated Industries of Massachusetts, International Business Council
- Tom Dretler, CEO, Shorelight Education
- E. Ashley McCown, President, Solomon McCown & Company
- Edvaldo Morata, ENEAS International
- James Paul, United States Department of Commerce Director, Boston Export Assistance Center
- Keon Holmes, Managing Director, Cambridge & Associates
- Chris Todd, Senior Vice President of Operations and Chief Services Officer, Kronos Incorporated
- Herb Healey, Senior Director for Regulatory Affairs, EnerNOC
- Jill Macoska, Executive Director, Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy
- Francois Ducroux, President, French American Chamber of Commerce of New England
- Emily Reichert, Executive Director, Greentown Labs
- Mark Vasu, Executive Vice President, Greentown Labs
- Al Bunshaft, Senior Vice President, Dassault Systemes
