Guest Blog Post by Brian McGowan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development.

21 Economic Development Organization’s (EDOs) from across the nation are working today to create new jobs in their regions by participating in the U.S. Trade & Investment Program to HANNOVER MESSE 2011, the world's largest industrial technology showcase. The event runs from April 4-8, 2011 in Hannover, Germany.

The purpose of the program is to promote the Obama administration's National Export Initiative (NEI) as well as to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the U.S. By leading regional business clusters abroad, the Department of Commerce is aiding communities in promoting their regions as ideal locations to do business.

The program is the product of a unique partnership formed by the Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the International Trade Administration’s U.S. Commercial Service (USCS), and Invest In America (IIA) programs. 

Following an orientation session and opening ceremonies on Sunday, the participants got down to business today, meeting with numerous business and trade representatives from around the world. Participants also helped U.S. Ambassador Phillip Murphy open the Invest in America Pavilion, which provides exhibition space to showcases their communities.

Later in the day, participants joined U.S. Ambassador Murphy, Deputy Assistant Secretary McGowan, Minority Business Development Administration (MBDA) Director David Hinson and ITA Assistant Secretary for Market Access and Compliance Michael C. Camuñez for the National Exports Initiatives Forum, the dedicated foreign trade and investment conference at HANNOVER MESSE 2011.

U.S. program participants consist of state and local government officials focused on economic development, university officials engaged in economic development, and other non-profit economic development practitioners.   

Participating Economic Development Organizations include:

• FL—Hillsborough Community College
• GA—State of Georgia
• IN—Anderson/Madison County Economic Development Corporation
• IN—City of Anderson
• IN—Vermillion County-West Central Indiana
• MA—Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• MI—Detroit Regional Economic Partnership
• MI—Macomb County
• MI—Oakland County
• MI—City of Auburn Hills
• NY – New York’s Creative Core
• OH—Northeast Ohio Trade & Economic Consortium
• PA—York County Economic Development Corporation
• PA—Berks Economic Partnership
• TN—State of Tennessee
• TN—West Tennessee Industrial Development Association
• TN—Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce
• TN—City of Humboldt
• UT—State of Utah
• WI—State of Wisconsin
• WV – State of West Virginia

HANNOVER MESSE is a huge draw for the world’s top industrial automation companies, including many poised for global expansion and provides the industrial community the opportunity to promote business initiatives in 13 industries – Industrial Automation; Motion, Drive & Automation; Energy; Power Plant Technology; Wind; MobiliTec; Digital Factory; ComVac; Industrial Supply; CoilTechnica; SurfaceTechnology; MicroNanoTec; and Research & Technology.

Participants will continue their outreach efforts and attend major networking and learning workshops throughout the week.