Exploring collaborations in Germany
Andrew Crowder, Commerce International Trade Specialist
Our second full day at Hannover Messe, the world’s largest industrial technology expo, was dominated by group events. First thing this morning, the Washington delegation visited the German State of Niedersachsen booth in Hall 27, one of the three halls devoted to energy at Hannover Messe. We met with the12 featured businesses from Niedersachsen.
Later, acting undersecretary of the US Department of Commerce, Ken Hyatt, visited our booth in Hall 13 and met representatives of the companies in our delegation. Mr. Hyatt also promoted collaboration with the Seattle US Export Assistance Center, which is co-located with Commerce offices in downtown Seattle.
Our delegation ended the day by attending a special briefing by a senior energy policy specialist from Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), a cabinet-level agency of the German federal government. GTAI has delivered this briefing to Washington state delegations every year since 2013. The collaboration between us and GTAI has resulted in two Washington companies participating in energy-related demonstration projects in Germany to date.
Traffic at the show was heavier Tuesday than Monday. On Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Hannover Messe, and security measures reduced turnout.
Follow our delegation this week on social media @WAStateCommerce, #hm17