South Central Indiana Economic Development (SCIED) resumed international travel with a Foreign Direct Investment trip to Austria and Germany September 4-11.  Meetings were held with European advanced manufacturing and mobility companies considering new operations in North America, including meetings in Vienna, Linz, and other areas in Austria, and concluding with appointments at the IAA Mobility show in Munich.  Representatives from five U.S. regions and one utility sponsor participated with the delegation, with each region allowed one representative.  Member Jason Hester, president of Greater Columbus Indiana EDC, represented SCIED.

“With more than 87 foreign enterprises employing nearly 26,000 persons in South Central Indiana, we have a compelling story to share in Europe,” said Hester.  “We were able to highlight our region’s highly skilled manufacturing workforce, 11-hour reach of 2/3 the U.S. population, and nation-leading industry strengths vs. other competitive U.S. locations.”

The trip was organized by the Transatlantic Business Investment Council (TBIC) of Berlin, which organizes and facilitates live and virtual Foreign Direct Investment missions throughout the year.  SCIED has been a member of TBIC for three years as part of its FDI promotion efforts.