Montgomery County Executive Elrich Leading Economic Development Mission to Taiwan to Promote County and to Recruit High-Tech Companies and Talent

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich this week is leading an economic development mission to Taiwan to promote the advantages for Taiwanese organizations to establish or expand their U.S. operations in Montgomery County.  The trip is an outgrowth of an invitation he received from the Taipei Computer Association (TCA) to speak at its 2023 Smart Cities Summit and Expo the County’s Climate Action Plan and Net Zero activities. Montgomery County now is a featured delegation at this Summit, which has more than 1300 attendees from 47 countries around the world.

Montgomery County, which is viewed as the economic leader of Maryland, now is a featured delegation at the Smart Cities Summit and Expo, which has more than 1,300 attendees from 47 countries around the world at its 2023 event.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to promote all the great things happening in Montgomery County on an international stage,” said County Executive Elrich.  “I’m looking forward to meeting with Taiwanese business and academic leaders to learn more about their activities and to speak with them about why Montgomery County is a top location for them to enter or expand their presence in the United States.”

Joining the County Executive for the trip are County Councilmember Natali Fani-González, chair of the Council’s Economic Development Committee; Kevin Beverly, board chair of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC); Gail Roper, Montgomery County’s chief information officer; and Judy Costello, Montgomery County’s special projects manager for Business, Innovation and Economic Development. Five businesses in Smart Cities-related technologies are also attending the conference as delegation members. They are DFSFederal, Lumo Imaging, Machfu, Person Clinic, and TSS, LLC.

“Getting Montgomery County’s economy moving and working for everyone is my top priority as the Chair of Council Economic Development Committee,” said Councilmember Fani-González. “That is why I am thrilled to join the County Executive and County business leaders on this delegation to Taiwan to bring investment and jobs to the County. We will aggressively court businesses and academic and research institutions to choose Montgomery County for their next location.”

MCEDC is hoping to have a significant impact during the visit.

“I am pleased to accompany our County Executive, Marc Elrich, and others of our delegation on our global trade mission to Taiwan,” said Mr. Beverly. “The opportunity to expand our understanding of the international landscape and expand our opportunities with Taiwanese companies through new partnerships on the global stage is good for business in Montgomery County.”

Meetings for the delegates started today, Monday, March 27, with visits to Taipei Medical University and National Taiwan University to meet with university leaders and top AI researchers.  On Monday afternoon, the County is hosting an information session about Montgomery County for 50 business or business incubation leaders including many who would like to establish a presence in the United States. On Monday evening, delegates will be meeting with the chair of the Taiwan External Development Council (TAITRA) and leaders in the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On Friday, March 31, County Executive Elrich will meet with Chiang Wan-an, the mayor of Taipei. Mr. Elrich is one of only four members of the 1,300 conference participants who will have the opportunity to participate in the mayor’s conference-ending press conference.

Throughout this week, delegates will be meeting with potential collaborators, customers, and suppliers on the exhibit floor and in pre-arranged partnering/matchmaking meetings. They will also visit leading high-technology companies such as Advantech, Taiwan AI Medical, Mitac and Umicron Technology to learn about their work and discuss future collaboration opportunities. Mitac already has a project started with Montgomery County-based National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence.