Gov. Ned Lamont will lead a mission of public and private sector officials to Israel this month in an effort to strengthen business ties and court foreign companies interested in expanding their operations to the U.S.
In a statement, the governor’s office said the trip, which will take place Feb. 17-24, will include representatives from the University of Connecticut, state Department of Economic and Community Development, Hartford HealthCare, Connecticut Innovations, the Stamford-bound bitcoin and blockchain tech firm Digital Currency Group, Pratt & Whitney parent company Raytheon Technologies Corp. and the Jewish Federation Association of Connecticut.
The purpose of the trip, officials said, is to foster connections between Connecticut and “members of Israel’s innovation ecosystem,” including venture capitalists, incubators, accelerators and others.
The visit will conclude with a Connecticut Innovations-run “VentureClash” event, where the agency will hear pitches from Israeli companies that are looking to expand in the U.S. and also “have a compelling reason to come to Connecticut.”
“Part of growing Connecticut’s innovation ecosystem includes adding diverse businesses from all around the world,” Lamont said Tuesday. “Israel continues to lead the way in innovation and has one of the strongest economies in the world to back it up. This is an opportunity for Connecticut to strengthen its ties with Israel and provide these innovative companies with an option for any U.S. expansion.”
DECD Commissioner David Lehman said the delegation will also get valuable insight from Israel’s small business community.
“We hope to carry home best practices on how we can work more closely with Israel to provide startups with a soft landing when they arrive in our state,” Lehman said.
The governor is also expected to meet with Israeli government officials during the trip.
