Belgium’s top diplomat in the Southeast used the occasion of King’s Day in mid-November to highlight his country’s strong economic ties with the region, even as President Trump’s renewed threats of European auto tariffs fanned trade tensions. “The President has suggested that the European Union is a threat to the USA,” William De Baets was Read more
Economic Development
Puerto Rico Commerce Secretary: Want to Help Us? Invest Now
From an investment promoter’s perspective, Puerto Rico has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in recent years. On the heels of a massive debt crisis came Hurricane Maria, which happened a year ago in September, laying bear problems with the island’s infrastructure as well as its disaster preparedness plans. Beyond the power Read more
Savannah Is Prioritizing These Six Countries for Trade and Investment Outreach
The World Trade Center Savannah’s most recent deep dive looking into where to focus its international outreach has turned up at least a few results that might seem unconventional to those outside the city. Three out of the five top contenders were European partners — Germany, the United Kingdom and Ireland — with longstanding investment Read more
Georgia Investment Targeted on Bahamas Roadshow
The Bahamas may be “open for business” from anyone, but the island nation is betting that Georgia companies will be well suited to walk through its front door. “We will take advantage of all of the opportunities and the technical assistance and the joint ventures and the transfer of knowledge that we hope to be able Read more
Aerotropolis Atlanta in Talks With New Beijing Airport
The Atlanta Aerotropolis Alliance is in talks with Beijing to cross-promote their airport areas for investment in a partnership similar to what the city has maintained with Paris in recent years. Alliance President and CEO Shannon James traveled to China in October for a Sustainable Airport Areas seminar hosted by Hubstart Paris, the economic development Read more
Georgia Tech Scholar Applies Computer Science to Economic Development
Dr. Michael Best‘s latest initiative at the Georgia Institute of Technology is to launch a Center for Computing and Society that will continue his work applying computer science to international development. As a member of Georgia Tech’s faculties of both the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and the School of Interactive Computing, he is Read more
Hall County Thanks German Investors on October Trade Mission
Following on the heels of a successful trade mission to Japan in August 2016, it must have only been natural for Hall County leaders this year to target Germany. A nine-member business delegation from the Gainesville area reportedly visited the country in October, thanking firms like ZF on their home turf for their steadfast investment Read more
Strong Korean Relationships Worth the Investment, Say Atlanta Execs
If there’s one complaint Devinder Ahuja has about South Korea’s regulatory framework, it’s that the country’s labor laws make it nearly impossible to fire employees — or even discipline them for nonperformance. But in the Novelis senior vice president’s experience, investing in understanding Korean culture goes a long way toward ensuring you never have to. Koreans, Mr. Read more
After 20 Years, Atlanta’s Ties With Nuremberg Go Beyond Cultural Roots
“Exchange” was the buzzword of the evening as Nuremberg and Atlanta celebrated 20 years of sister-city partnership Monday with the visit of a delegation focused on ratcheting up the business side of their relationship. During a reception held at Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, a moment of silence was held for the 11 congregants killed in Read more
Bullish on Atlanta, Turkish Airlines Opens New Buckhead Sales and Operations Office
Turkish Airlines opened a new sales and operations office in Buckhead Thursday as part of a broader plan to provide more hands-on service in the Atlanta market, where it flies five days per week from Istanbul. “As the latest destination of Turkish Airlines in the U.S., one of our major goals is to increase our Read more
