On 26 June, the SFA Acting Director and a number of SFA members met with Terry McAuliffe, Governor of Virginia.

The Governor was in Dublin as part of a seven-country tour to encourage foreign companies to locate in Virginia. He told the SFA delegation that Virginia is a pro-business, low-tax state, with particular strengths in the cyber security, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, defence and intelligence sectors. He shared information about policy initiatives that have driven enterprise and growth in the State, including curriculum and funding changes in education, investment in infrastructure (even a runway specifically for drones) and attraction of new industries to traditional mining areas.

The SFA delegation emphasised the importance of the two-way economic relationship between the USA and Ireland. They highlighted the strengths of the Irish business community and the depth of the ecosystem that includes both foreign multinationals and small businesses.

These themes will be discussed in more detail at the E3 conference in Dublin on Thursday. SFA members can use discount code SFA50 to avail of a 50% discount on the ticket price.