Governor Leads Green Business Development Mission to Sweden
Opens new foreign office in Stockholm to tap region's strengths in bio, alternative energy
Click here to see more photos from the Governor's trip to Europe.
ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 10, 2009) –Governor Martin O’Malley led a Maryland delegation through a packed agenda today in Sweden, meeting with Swedish bio and clean technology companies, touring an eco-friendly city, and addressing an American Chamber of Commerce reception. The Governor’s visit is designed to expand international investment and trade with Scandinavia and advance sustainable business practices in Maryland. DBED Secretary and Sweden native Christian Johansson accompanied the Governor on the one-day tour to illustrate ways that European clean and green technologies could be implemented in Maryland to solve environmental and agricultural challenges.
“In many ways, Maryland’s future will be determined by how quickly and effectively we employ greener and cleaner technologies to create jobs, drive our economy and power our cars and homes,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “This economic development mission is an important way we can learn from our European partners to create a smarter and greener Maryland as well as identify partnership opportunities for Maryland clean energy companies.”
Governor O’Malley began the day with Sweden’s Deputy Prime Minister, Maud Olofsson, discussing details of a unique partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy, Sweden’s Energy Agency and Volvo to advance hybrid technology. This $48 million international collaboration will directly benefit Maryland in the coming years as most of the research and development is slated to take place in Volvo’s Hagerstown facility.
The Governor then attended a breakfast meeting with Swedish bio industry leaders to discuss the State’s BioMaryland 2020 initiative and lay the groundwork for a Swedish delegation visit to Maryland later this year. The Governor then toured Hammarby Sjostad, a lakeside, eco-friendly model city for urban redevelopment where waste, sewage and water is recycled to power houses and offices. The delegation then met with 20 Swedish clean technology companies looking to expand in the U.S. as well as a Swedish alternative energy company that is successfully using poultry manure as a fuel source. Governor O’Malley finished the day at an American Chamber of Commerce reception where he was asked to share details of his successful Smart, Green and Growing initiative as well as Maryland’s International Growth Strategy.
During the reception, Governor O’Malley announced that Stockholm would soon be the site for Maryland’s eighth new foreign office, joining India, South Korea, Japan, Montenegro, Canada, Brazil and South Africa. All eight offices operate on a contingency basis, with no up-front expense to Maryland taxpayers, where State funding is based entirely on company attraction and job creation in Maryland. Maryland’s Scandinavia office will be run by Swedish company Salesgen AB and is slated to be operational by July 1, 2009.
“Like Maryland, Sweden is a leader in sustainability and clean technologies,” said DBED Secretary Christian Johansson. “This mission helps strengthen our international relationships and position Maryland as the ultimate location for a growing international clean energy or green technology enterprise.”
Today’s announcement is one of many international accomplishments for the O’Malley-Brown administration. Earlier this year, Governor O’Malley announced Maryland’s International Growth Strategy, which includes the Maryland International Business Center, a one-stop shop for foreign companies looking to expand their operations into Maryland, as well as provide Maryland companies with export assistance. The Center, which will be managed by DBED, will bring together for the first time key state, federal and private sector partners to give companies significantly improved access to essential resources needed to grow. The Governor also announced the creation of Maryland’s first incubator dedicated exclusively to growing foreign-owned companies, as well as the Governor’s International Advisory Council, which brings together for the first time a diverse group of seasoned Maryland business leaders to guide the State’s international efforts.
In the past year, Maryland has attracted 14 foreign-owned companies, which have the potential to create up to 250 new jobs. The wins are a result of a number of targeted economic development missions to promote the State as a hub for global companies, including a blitz effort in September 2008 when the team visited Russia, China, South Africa and Finland. As a result, numerous foreign business delegations from China, Finland, South Africa, India, Montenegro, Japan, Russia and South Korea have visited Maryland to learn more about the State’s advantages for foreign companies.
Maryland is well positioned for growth in the global market, with more than 550 foreign-owned companies from 30 countries currently calling Maryland home. Foreign-owned firms employ roughly 105,000 Marylanders, or 3.5 percent of the workforce, with companies headquartered in the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Germany as the top three foreign employers in Maryland.
Through its main office in Baltimore and 12 offices around the globe, Maryland’s Division of International Investment and Trade works to stimulate foreign direct investment in Maryland, offers export assistance for small and mid-sized Maryland companies and coordinates international trade and investment missions and trade show opportunities for Maryland companies. In addition to the contingency offices, DBED’s other foreign offices include China (Shanghai), Taiwan, Israel and Europe (Paris). For more information on Maryland’s international efforts, visit www.choosemaryland.org.
