Patrick to lead Mass./Asia mission

BOSTON – Gov. Deval L. Patrick will lead a coalition of the state’s government and industry leaders on the Massachusetts/Asia Innovation Partnership Mission in December that seeks to strengthen partnerships with Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as expand opportunities in the region.
From Dec. 7-17, the Innovation Economy Mission will make stops in Kyoto and Tokyo in Japan, as well as Singapore and Hong Kong, where Patrick and the delegation will visit companies in the innovation sector, speak with various business organizations and associations and meet with top business and government leaders to highlight Massachusetts’ value to global economy. The focus will be expanding opportunities for job creation in the life sciences, IT, water technology, “clean” energy and transportation sectors, Patrick said.
According to a news release, in 2012, Japan had the world’s third-largest gross domestic product and was the third-largest export partner to Massachusetts, with the state exporting approximately $2 billion worth of goods and services to Japan. In 2012, Japan was also the state’s seventh-largest import partner, with Massachusetts importing approximately $926.21 million worth of Japanese goods and services. •

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