Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram is to lead a 'high level mission' to the United States in a bid to secure tens of millions of pounds in long-term investment, trade and tourism for the Liverpool City Region.
His itinerary includes meetings with civic and business leaders in Boston and New York, promoting the Liverpool City Region as an "innovation powerhouse" ripe for investment and a "must-visit cultural, sports and events destination". The US is the largest export market for the Liverpool City Region, valued at £1.8bn annually, and is the biggest source of foreign investment, presenting opportunities to boost trade and tourism.
His meetings with US health-tech leaders and major biotech firms aim to secure investment and collaboration in the city region's £5bn health and life sciences sector. Cultural leaders from the city region will accompany the Mayor in New York for meetings and events designed to build on shared histories and strengthen ties to boost tourism.
The Mayor will also pay his respects at the Strawberry Fields memorial to John Lennon in New York's Central Park, reports .
Mayor Rotheram said: "This mission is an important and necessary investment in the Liverpool City Region's future prosperity and for º£½ÇÊÓƵ PLC. The US is already our largest export market and a major source of foreign direct investment, creating jobs and wealth in our city region.
"We have strong links through our shared histories and our unrivalled music, sport and culture attracts tens of thousands of US visitors each year. The potential to grow our ties and all the benefits it would bring to both sides is huge, but we need to be having the right conversations with the right people and letting our friends in the US know that Liverpool City Region is not just world famous for its port, sport and culture but also home to world-leading innovation and world-class facilities.
"This mission is about sowing the seeds for future investment, collaboration and economic growth. I've pledged to boost foreign direct investment by 25%, creating jobs and prosperity for local people, and I'm determined to do whatever it takes to make that happen."
Following his attendance at the Bloomberg CityLab Summit in Mexico City, Mayor Rotheram will be heading to the US for a series of meetings with industry leaders in Boston from October 17. The discussions will revolve around potential collaborations and investment opportunities, promoting the city region as an ideal place for business growth and investment.
He is scheduled to meet with Cambridge Mayor Denise Simmons to explore potential health and life science links, given Cambridge's status as home to innovation giants Harvard University and MIT. In New York, Mayor Rotheram will shift focus to culture and tourism, hosting music and Beatles-themed discussions in Central Park, while also exploring Birkenhead Park's influence on Central Park and their respective bids for World Heritage Status.
Liverpool's rich shared history with the US, being the exit port for millions emigrating to America during the 19th and early 20th centuries, will be celebrated at a special reception at the Museum of the City of New York. This event aims to strengthen cultural ties and will feature a lecture by National Museums Liverpool Director Laura Pye titled 'A Transatlantic journey – Liverpool to New York'.
As the Liverpool City Region sets its sights on expanding its major events sector, the Mayor is set to meet with officials from both the Boston Convention and Exhibition Centre and the New York Convention Centre. These discussions aim to harness the power of business events to drive inward investment and explore collaborations for global events.
Director of Culture Liverpool Claire McColgan CBE said: "Our historic cultural links with New York are well documented from Cunard through to the Beatles but I am really interested in the future potential of our two cities' relationship. The USA is a target market for tourism, and we need to accelerate this growth over the next five years by developing creative and innovative content together."
She added, "I'm delighted that Head of Diversity for º£½ÇÊÓƵ Music Eunice Obianagha is with us alongside Head of UNESCO City of Music Kevin McManus. We have high-level conversations booked in with music leaders in New York to start thinking not just of tourism links but creative industry and education ones. These conversations will start a really important strategic relationship building to the 250th anniversary of the founding of America in 2026."
The New York visit will conclude with a trip to Mt Sinai Hospital's Center for Engineering and Precision Medicine to explore innovation opportunities. The Mayor will then return to the º£½ÇÊÓƵ, while a smaller delegation travels to North Carolina. With a GDP of $550bn, roughly equivalent to Sweden, North Carolina was dubbed 'America's top state for business' in a CNBC study last year.
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