Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty will lead a trade mission to Israel in December to help Minnesota-based companies increase exports to the country, build strategic relationships and explore new business opportunities.

The mission, which is scheduled for December 11-18, 2008, will include visits to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, major IT firms, business incubators and education institutions. Governor Pawlenty will also speak before Israel’s top business and political leaders at The Israel Business Conference. The delegation is expected to include approximately 20 to 30 business, community, educational and government leaders.

“Israel has a healthy economy that, like Minnesota, emphasizes innovation, research and development,” Governor Pawlenty said. “This is an opportunity for Minnesota companies, especially high-tech firms, to connect with promising trade and research partners in that part of the world.”

Israel is the largest U.S. market in the Middle East, importing $121 million in manufactured goods from Minnesota in 2007. Transportation equipment, machinery and computer products lead the list of manufactured items that Israel imports from Minnesota. Overall, Israel imported more than $12 billion of U.S. products in 2007.

More than 100 companies from Minnesota are already doing business in Israel, including 3M., Cargill, and Radisson Hotels & Resorts.

Tony Lorusso, executive director of the Minnesota Trade Office, which is organizing the trade mission, emphasized that the mission will help Minnesota business executives learn about research and development efforts in Israel that might benefit their companies.

“Israel has more than 35,000 high-tech firms, and the country invests about 4.5 percent of its gross national product on research and development, significantly higher than any other country,” Lorusso said.

Minnesota has educational ties with Israel as well, including a medical exchange program involving the University of Minnesota Cancer Center and Poriya Government Hospital in northern Israel. In another relationship, the University of Minnesota and Israeli universities have shared $1.1 million in grants from the Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund in Israel.

The trade mission is being planned in collaboration with the American-Israeli Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Minnesota and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas. This will be Minnesota’s second trade mission to Israel. Governor Arne Carlson led a mission to the country in 1993.

People interested in joining the trade delegation should contact Paul Hansen, 651-259-7486 or paul.hansen@state.mn.us, at the Minnesota Trade Office by the deadline of Wednesday, October 29.