Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007
Gov. Minner Leads Delaware Delegation on Trade Mission to Sweden and Amsterdam
Dover – Gov. Ruth Ann Minner is leading a Delaware delegation on a trade mission to Sweden and Amsterdam, where the group will meet with business executives, including the corporate research and development leadership of AstraZeneca, and take a look at an existing offshore wind farm.
“This trip is part of our ongoing efforts to retain major corporations in Delaware through face-to-face meetings with corporate leaders to talk about opportunities for potential expansions and job growth in our state,” Gov. Minner said. “These efforts have paid off for us in the past, and my hope is that Delaware will reap similar benefits from this trade mission as well.”
In Sweden, Gov. Minner will meet with AstraZeneca Executives at their R&D Headquarters in Södertälje to discuss future growth opportunities for the company, which is one of Delaware’s major employers. AstraZeneca’s major research and development sites are in Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Gov. Minner also will discuss relations between Sweden and the U.S., as well as export opportunities for Delaware businesses, with U.S. Ambassador to Sweden Michael Wood and other government officials. State officials and University of Delaware President Patrick T. Harker will meet with officials from Kalmar, Sweden to further the ongoing collaboration between the University of Delaware and the University of Kalmar.
In Amsterdam, Gov. Minner will meet with Deputy Chief of Mission Mike Gallagher, as well as Ad van Wijk, Chairman of Ecocern, a wind development company, and Teun Bokhoven, the chairman of the Dutch Renewable Energy Association to discuss advances in renewable power technology and potential benefits for Delaware. The Governor will also have a chance to see and learn about the offshore wind farm off the Dutch coast at Edmond aan Zee, which will give her a firsthand look at how this emerging technology may integrate with Delaware’s existing generation assets.
Gov. Minner arrived in Sweden early this morning and will return to Delaware late this week.
