U.S. Commerce Department Announces Eighth Americas Competitiveness Exchange

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) and Economic Development Administration (EDA), in coordination with the U.S. Department of State and the Organization of American States (OAS), today announced that 50 high-level representatives from 24 countries will participate in the Eighth Americas Competitiveness Exchange (ACE) on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, December 3-9, visiting sites in Northern and Central Florida. ACE brings together decision-makers from throughout the Western Hemisphere and other nations to explore global and regional partnerships, and economic development opportunities to establish new global commercial relationships in the region.

The ACE-8 delegation will tour advanced manufacturing, bioscience, aerospace, life sciences, IT, and agriculture clusters in Orlando, Melbourne, Cape Canaveral, Palm Coast, St. Augustine, Gainesville, and Tallahassee.  This year ACE will also include sessions on disaster recovery and resiliency to help countries rebuild from current and future disasters.

“ACE has been consistently successful in its goal to encourage and promote development and collaboration throughout the Western Hemisphere,” said John Andersen, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere. “The delegation will have the unique opportunity to share and promote best practices first hand with their hosts in Florida’s STEM and agriculture clusters, learning cutting-edge economic development initiatives that strengthen innovation and promote potential FDI partnerships among the hosts and participants.”

“ACE is a proven vehicle for showcasing the incredible innovation capacity of U.S. regions and for establishing global commercial relationships that can boost business development and job growth in the United States,” said Dennis Alvord, EDA Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Affairs. “We look forward to spotlighting the innovation economy in the central and northern region of Florida and the work that the Department of Commerce is doing in the region to support their efforts.”

For more information about ACE-8 including a complete delegation list and itinerary for the tour, please click here.

International Trade Administration (www.trade.gov)

The International Trade Administration (ITA) is the premier resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace. ITA has more than 2,200 employees assisting U.S. exporters in more than 100 U.S. cities and 75 markets worldwide.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)

The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.