Thursday , while some of the delegation remained at the show for the final day of meetings , Lt . Governor Denny Heck and Keith Swenson , Deputy Assistant Director for Washington State Department of Commerce , along with several sector leads , met with UK government officials to sign a trade MOU to deepen the trade and economic development relationship .
After the trade meeting a group of 20 delegates traveled up to the North West of England to Chester to cultivate new connections in the region . They toured Chester Town Hall , met with Lord Mayor Razia Daniels , and explored the historic streets .
Friday , in North West of England and Wales the delegation had the incredible opportunity to connect , tour , and collaborate at several manufacturing sites , including Airbus UK , AMRC , Electroimpact UK , and HyNet NW , further strengthening industry partnerships .
In addition , three delegates met at the Irish Embassy in London , hosted by EACP ( European Aerospace Cluster Partnership ) / GACP ( Global Aerospace Cluster Partnership ), to collaborate and welcome two new cluster organizations to the fold – Chihuahua Aerospace Cluster from Mexico and CAMASA South Africa . The final workshop activity was an opportunity for the clusters to share ideas on how to support one another across borders with common supply chain gaps .
Now that the teams are back in the U . S ., the real work begins . Commerce ’ s business development and international trade teams , as well as the many small businesses and economic development officials who attended from partnering organizations , have a lot of follow-up to do with the many contacts they made at this prestigious show .
Lt . Governor Heck commented , “ The show exceeded all expectations with a strong showing of both cutting-edge sustainable technology and next-generation aircraft . The Department of Commerce and the Washington businesses we traveled with worked tirelessly to make this record-size trade delegation a success . Washington state is a global leader in the movement to sustainable aviation , and the Farnborough Airshow reaffirmed to me the bright future this industry has in our state and globally .”
With the Paris Air Show fast approaching ( June 16 – 22 , 2025 ), now is the time to secure your spot in the Choose Washington Pavilion . Don ’ t miss the opportunity to be part of this eminent event . Contact Joanna Boatwright at 206-485-8541 or email joanna . boatwright @ commerce . wa . gov for more information .
OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024 ISSUE NO . 41 51