Gov. Deval Patrick will head back to Israel in a couple weeks for what is dubbed an “innovation mission”.
It’s the second trade mission Patrick has led to the Middle Eastern country in the past three years. Greg Bialecki, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development, says the second trip signifies the successful business opportunities that have grown out of Patrick’s 2011 trip.
“Israel has been the most successful international mission that we have taken, not just in terms of what we did while we were there in Israel, but in terms of the follow-up and connections and partnerships that grown since then,” Bialecki said.
Over 200 Israeli-founded businesses have called Massachusetts home since 2012, bringing in $6.2 billion in revenue that year. Bialecki says the governor wants to foster that kind of growth.
"Within the innovation economy, we wanted Massachusetts to be Israel’s preeminent partner, the ones they think of first when they think of doing business in the U.S. or looking for research partner in the U.S.," he said. "And we think we’ve come a long way in that regard, but we want to grow that reputation even further."
Patrick will also lead the coalition to the United Arab Emirates, where he will meet with leaders from the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.
