LONDON – Governor JB Pritzker says a trade mission of sorts to the United Kingdom has been a successful one.
Pritzker led a trade delegation tour, and says it opened up a lot of opportunities for the state to do business with Britain.
The Governor says the group met with leaders in various industries there, but there’s one industry that stood out to him.
“I have to say the meetings with quantum leaders here in the UK and bringing our quantum leadership from Illinois reinforced for me that Illinois, and Chicago in particular, are leaders in the world,” said Pritzker, on a conference call with reporters Wednesday.
The Governor is signing a memorandum of understanding with Nigel Huddelston, UK Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade, that will boost trade and investment for both countries.
Pritzker says the UK was most interested to hear about the state’s clean energy, workforce development, and education initiatives.
“That’s exciting to me, because it feels like you’re winning over a new customer, so to speak…a new trading partner, a new investor, in the State of Illinois,” said Pritzker. “I’ve seen a reasonable amount of that, particularly in my one-on-one meetings.”
More than 850 companies from the UK already do business in Illinois, and the state says 90,000 Illinoisans work for UK companies.
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