The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) will once again take an active role at this year’s SelectUSA Summit taking place June 19-21, 2016, in Washington, D.C. This year’s theme is “The Innovation Advantage” and will feature investment opportunities from every corner of the United States for global investors. High-profile business and government leaders will share their insights on the latest innovations and trends.

Participants will include international and domestic companies of all sizes seeking to establish or expand operations in the United States. Economic developers from across the state, regional and local levels will also be there, ready to facilitate and spark business investment.
At the 2015 edition, Italy had the largest European delegation present and sixth largest overall, attending the conference. This year Italy will have close to 40 companies attending the Summit.

Since ITA's signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the US Department of Commerce in 2014, the objectives and aims of the Italian Trade Agency at SelectUSA Summits have been to:

• prior to the Summit(s) circulate announcements on the various opportunities and benefits available at the Summit, to the Agency's vast contact list of companies, informing and encouraging their participation at the Summit;
• provide various opportunities for Italian-based SelectUSA contacts, to promote the Summit to Italian companies via conferences, trade shows, etc. either at those organized by, or which the Agency is directly involved;
• provide on-site assistance to Italian companies participating at the Summit who are considering the US market for potential investments such as M&A, green and brown field investments, etc. acting as a liaison between Italian companies and respective on-site state and federal agencies of relevance at the Summit;
• provide market orientation materials such as trends, statistical data, and relevant information on individual segments within the US which would be of interest for delegates' activities;
• provide and inform Italian delegate companies of the various manufacturing, legal and virtual office services provided by the ITA Offices throughout the US, which could benefit them in their exploratory phase of considering the US market for their activities.
• after the Summit(s), provide continual assistance and support to delegate companies in their further consideration of the US market for investment opportunities. 

Italy and the United States have strong economic ties. Italian foreign direct investment (FDI) stock in the U.S. exceeds $28 billion and 124,700 U.S. workers are employed by Italian-owned firms. Those firms contribute $24.6 billion to U.S. exports and over $2.3 billion to research and development spending in the United States.
For further information on this initiative or to participate to the SelectUSA 2016 Summit please contact info [at] machinesitalia.org (subject: Machines%20Italia%20E-newsletter)