Tuesday 12 November 2013

SelectUSA Investment Summit




Global Innovation Partners was represented at the first ever event which brought together in Washington over 1200 international business leaders, government officials and economic development executives (with a waiting list of over 1400 more).  

Gene DePrez, Managing Partner, was invited to moderate a panel of C-Suite Executives, which discussed using professional service firms to support investment projects coming into the USA. President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker (and Summit host), several other members of the Cabinet and an array of senior administration officials and corporate executives spoke at the event which also featured a variety of panel discussions and n exhibition floor.  Over 60 countries sent representatives along with 46 states.  

Further information, including President Obama’s remarks and other videos are available at: http://new.livestream.com/accounts/4828334/selectUSA2013

St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (USA)

Global Innovation Partners, working with its Partner, Collaborative Strategies, has been selected to assist the new partnership of the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County to engage citizens, businesses, organizations and other stakeholders in the development of a transformative economic development strategy for the City and County and its community partners.  

Gene DePrez, Managing Partner, is serving as senior advisor to the Steering Committee and Core Planning Team.  He also kicked off the public participation aspect of the six-month process with a keynote presentation at the Stakeholder Forum held in late October.  The effort will bring together business, university, community leaders, the Regional Chamber and other civic and professional organizations to build a consensus and an action plan for guiding the economic development of one of the leading economies of the country. 

Kern County, CA (USA)

One of the first strategy grants in the initial round of the Obama Administration’s Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnerships was awarded to China Lake Technologies, with Gene DePrez of Global Innovation Partners providing economic development strategic insight and guidance.  

The US Commerce Department funds will be matched by Kern County and be used by the China Lake Technologies team to develop a regional strategy for Kern County to leverage its unique economic assets to create a vibrant bio-products industry in the region.  China Lake Technologies is a subsidiary of NJ-based InSitech, Inc., a not for profit foundation established to assist in technology transfer from federal military bases to assist in local community economic development. 

Global Innovation Partners is partnering with InSitech to identify and leverage economic development opportunities. 

IEDC Annual Conference “Transformation, Innovation, Reinvention”

Andy Curtis, Managing Partner in the UK for Global Innovation Partners was invited to present on a panel at the Annual Conference of the International Economic Development Council held in Philadelphia, PA.  IEDC, the largest Economic Development professional organization in the world, attracted over 1600 delegates. Andy spoke on “Building the Next Great Start-up City” with the panel exploring how to create technology hubs in communities. (pic below)  


Gene DePrez, Managing Partner in the US, moderated the always popular Site Sectors’ Forum, which this year included 12 well known international and national site selectors from the North America, Europe and Asia.  (pic below)



Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport

Global Innovation Partners partnered with the International Economic Development Council, Washington, DC and Global Logistics Development Partners, based in Scottsdale, AZ to provide DFW Airport’s Commercial Division with a Strategic Action Plan for attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the region and to the airport expansive property.  

The consulting team identified target sectors, niche opportunities and potential investors whose interests would most closely align with the assets and unique advantages that DFW offers as an international destination and intermodal hub.

Headquarters, R&D, engineering, manufacturing, operational centers, logistics, training and conferencing needs were among specific opportunities described as being attractive to international investors.


New York State Economic Development Council

The Annual Meeting of economic developers was held in Saratoga Springs in May. Gene DePrez, Managing Partner of Global Innovation Partners, was asked to give a plenary keynote on technology, innovation, collaboration and the “Future of Economic Development”.  

Following two days of presentations and workshops, he joined delegates from across the Empire State to tour the world class NYS College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and Global Foundries’ half million square foot Fab 8 campus development which is expected to create 3000 new direct jobs, and at $8 billion in investment is currently the largest commercial capital expansion in the USA.