LG Murray To Lead Trade Mission To Germany
Gov. Deval Patrick has traveled to China, Great Britain, Israel, Chile and Brazil to promote the Massachusetts brand. Now it’s Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray’s turn.
Murray plans to lead a delegation of fellow lieutenant governors to Germany later this month on a trade mission as part of his duties as the new chairman of the National Lieutenant Governors Association. Last year, the NLGA went to China.
“I wanted to go to Germany because I think it helps and is consistent with the administration’s effort to market and build relationships with different sectors in different countries,” Murray told the News Service in an interview on Tuesday.
Murray said Germany’s strong life science, biotechnology and clean energy sectors make it a good international partner for Massachusetts. The trip is scheduled for Sept. 22 through Sept. 30.
Murray will be traveling with a bipartisan delegation that includes Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-Iowa), Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts (D-Rhode Island), Lt. Gov. Gregory Francis (D- U.S. Virgin Islands), Lt. Gov. John Sanchez (R-New Mexico) and NLGA director Julia Hurst.
Though the agenda is still being finalized, Murray expects the trip to include stops in Berlin, Dresden and Leipzig where officials will meet with company executives, visit a German technical university or school, tour a “major transportation construction site” and receive an overview of the German health care system.
“If we can make Massachusetts the beachhead for those life sciences and biotech companies looking to grow in the U.S., we want Massachusetts to be that beachhead so there’s a larger synergy and connection there,” Murray said.
In 2011, Germany was the state’s fourth largest international trading partner for both exports and imports. Massachusetts exported $2.05 billion in goods and services to Germany, while the state imported $1.84 billion from the German economy, which is among the strongest in Europe. Over the first six months of 2012, $912 million in exports to Germany from Massachusetts were up 12.4 percent from the same period last year.
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