Emory University Mission to Israel Scheduled for Early April 

Durign the week of April 11^th, 13 individuals from Atlanta, Georgia will be in Israel under the auspices of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Southeast in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Economic Development.  The group, whose prime interest area is the life sciences, will be headed by Dr. Raymond F. Schinazi, the Frances Winship Walters Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology at Emory University as well as a world renowned AIDS researcher.  During their visit the group will meet with various Tech Transfer Organizations (TTOs) around the country, including those at the Weizmann Institute, Hebrew Univeristy, Tel Aviv University and the Technion, among others.  EDI is arranging the appointments for the group and will accomnpany the mission during its stay in Israel as well.  

EDI Representative to attend the ECOTEC Show in Athens 

As part of its expanding role in the region, EDI’s Associate Director, Seth Vogelman, will be in Athens, Greece at the end of April to attend the ECOTEC Conference and Exhibition being held there.   This particular show highlights activities in environmental technologies and photovoltaic systems, two areas where there is a heightended degree of interest on the part of EDI’s client states. 

Delaware Mission to Visit Israel 

At the end of April, a high level trade and academic delegation will visit Israel as part of the state’s increased desire to upgrade the level of its business interactions with Israel. The state will exhibit at the Analiza-MEDAX Show in Tel Aviv on April 26-27 as part of EDI’s space there (along with client states Georgia and Illinois).  In addition, academic members of the delegation will meet with TTO’s throughout the country to discuss further cooperation between the university R&D communities in both locations.  EDI represents the trade and investment interests in the region of all three states. 

Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania Economic Developer to Visit Israel 

Early May will see the visit to Israel of Pete Reinke, Vice President for Regional Development of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation.  During his visit to the country he will meet with a number of Israeli companies interested in looking at the Lehigh Valley as a foreign direct investment desitnation and conduct an “Invest in Pennsylvania Seminar” scheduled for May 4^th in Tel Aviv.   He will also meet with a number of Israeli companies who are already operating facilities in the Valley and thank them for their activities there.  This is a part of a two week trip to the Europe and the Middle East to increase interest in the Lehigh Valley. 

Virginia to Send Trade Mission to Turkey 

During the first week of May six Virginia companies will travel to Turkey for a week long trade mission arranged and administered by EDI’s associates in Istanbul.  The event, under the auspices of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership will features dozens of one on one meetings with interested potential business partners in Turkey all designed to increase the level of trade between the two countries.   

EDI Presents Business Seminars Across the US 

During March EDI representatives presented seminars on doing business in Israel and the Middle East in four locations across the United States.   The events, held in cooperation with the local World Trade Centers and state Departments of Economic Development, were held in Denver (Colorado), Portland (Oregon), Jackson (Mississippi) and New Orleans (Louisiana).  In each location, where between 35-45 local business people participated, attendees were given an economic overview of the region with a focus on 6 specific countries:  Egypt, Greece, Israel, Jordan, Turkey and the UAE.  Following that EDI’s representatives spoke in depth about what the company could do for US companies seeking export opportunities in these markets or looking for detailed market information in any of these areas.  EDI President Sherwin Pomerantz and Vice-President Ben Dansker made the presentations on behalf of EDI.  

Business Development Visits Made to Multiple States 

EDI representatives were in the US in force during March to make presentations about business opportunities in the region to companies in various client states.  Over a two week period EDI Associate Director Seth Vogelman visited each of Pennsylvania’s 10 economic development regions to meet with companies for one full day in each location.  EDI President Sherwin Pomerantz and Vice-President Ben Dansker were in Atlanta, Georgia as well mid-month and held meetings with over 30 companies seeking more information about doing business here and this was followed by a day in Richmond, Virginia to meet with companies there on the same topic.   EDI represents the trade and investment interests of Pennsylvania and Georgia in the Eastern Mediterranean while acting as a consultant to Virginia for the same purpose.