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The Week in Germany: Saxony Special
	With the reopening of the baroque treasure trove the Grünes Gewölbe and Dresden's 800 year celebrations, Saxony's past has received a great deal of attention this summer. In our second Saxony special, we focus on modern Saxony: contemporary art by painters from Dresden and Leipzig in Washington, robust and growing trade between businesses in Saxony and the U.S., and more positive developments in Saxony's alternative energy sector.

September 22, 2006

Saxon Economic Minister and Business Leaders to Visit Southeast U.S.

On September 27, Saxony’s Economic Minister Thomas Jurk and several representatives of Saxony’s business and research institutions will embark on a four day tour of South Carolina and Georgia, where they will work to strengthen economic ties between Saxony and the U.S. Jurk and his traveling companions from Saxony’s business world will meet with politicians and representatives of U.S. industry to promote opportunities for Saxon firms on the U.S. market and attract more U.S. investment in Saxony.

In Spartanburg, South Carolina, Saxony will highlight its competencies in the automobile manufacturing industry. Automobile manufacturing has become an important part of that area’s economy since the region’s textile industry began moving overseas; BMW assembles Z4 and X5 sports cars at a facility in nearby Greer. The visiting firms that provide services to the auto industry include Dürr Systems GmbH, which produces painting and coating equipment and Hiersemann International Ltd, which designs process automation software.

In Columbia, South Carolina, the visitors from Saxony will meet with the Mayor, U.S. government officials, and business leaders to discuss the formation of a network of Saxon companies in the region.

At the final stop in Atlanta, Minister Jurk will attend the German American Chamber of Commerce’s annual gala, where he will promote Saxony as a business location and travel destination.

America is Saxony’s most importable trading partner world wide. As the Saxony’s post-unification economy proved to be the most dynamic among the former Eastern states, exports from Saxony to the U.S. grew by a factor of 20 between 1994 and 2005 to reach nearly € 2.5 million ($ 3.2 million). U.S. imports to Saxony in 2005 amounted to over $ 650 million. Over 11,000 workers in Saxony are employed at about 100 U.S. firms. The largest of these is microchip maker AMD, which employs 2,700 people in Dresden.

Links:

U.S. Chipmaker AMD Plans German Expansion (from TWIG)

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