LSU Hosted High-Level International Business and Economic Development Delegation
April 05, 2022
Business, economic development and government senior officials from Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. visited LSU on a tour to promote long-term, multinational commercial, trade and investment partnerships in the region.
– Credit: Katherine Seghers, LSU
BATON ROUGE – LSU recently hosted about 70 business, economic development and government senior officials from Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. to promote long-term, multinational commercial, trade and investment partnerships in the region. The visit was organized by the Americas Competitiveness Exchange, or ACE, and Louisiana Economic Development. ACE is the premier economic development, innovation and entrepreneurial network of the Americas and its program is one of the leading high-level events of the Organization of American States.
“Opportunities to network with global leaders and showcase our world-renowned expertise and cutting-edge technology can help lay the groundwork for future capital investment and job creation in the region,” said LSU Vice President of Research & Economic Development Samuel Bentley. “It was a pleasure to welcome and meet this impressive delegation.”
The delegation included representatives from Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, St. Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S., Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
The delegates aimed to share experiences and knowledge; build networks to enhance competitiveness in the Americas; promote sustainable and inclusive economic development; stabilize the supply chain; and increase trade and investment opportunities.
“Exchanging ideas is critical to fostering a dynamic innovation ecosystem. We look forward to continued conversations with these thought leaders,” said LSU Associate Vice President for Research – Innovation & Ecosystem Development Andrew Maas.
The delegation toured more than 30 sites in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette and Acadiana last week to engage with innovation hubs, advanced technology centers, leading firms, educational and research institutions, exploring local, regional, urban and rural economic development models. In addition to visiting Louisiana’s flagship university, the dignitaries also visited Pennington Biomedical Research Center to learn more about how researchers here are developing innovative solutions to solve the world’s challenges.