A group of North Carolina lawmakers visited Finland last week on an education and economic development trip tied to attracting investment in military-related technology and manufacturing.
The trip was sponsored by Opportunity for North Carolina, a privately funded group that favors conservative, free-market policies. The goal is to “fuel transformative economic growth,” according to the group’s chair, Wilmington lawyer Woody White.
While North Carolina is often ranked as a top state for business, “we must keep innovating and recruiting to stay ahead of our peers,” White said in a release. He is a member of the UNC System Board of governors and a former New Hanover County Commission chairman.
Among those in the delegation were N.C. State Senators Michael Lee of Wilmington, Bob Brinson of Beaufort County and David Craven of Asheboro, along with N.C. State Reps. Hugh Blackwell of Burke County and Kyle Hall of King. They were joined by representatives of the N.C. Department of Commerce and Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, plus UNC Chapel Hill, Duke University and NC State University. Other participants included Raleigh lobbyists David Powers and Jim Cain; Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney; and Krista Covey, CEO of the First Flight Venture Center in Durham.
During the trip, the group visited key research and government organizations and met with various public and private sector leaders involved in the Finnish defense industry.
Finland ranks 46th in world GDP and has consistently ranked among the most innovative nations in surveys published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. Its population is about 5.6 million, or roughly half the size of North Carolina. Perhaps its most famous company is Nokia, a communications business.
Craven, Hall and Lee also attended an Opportunity for North Carolina-sponsored trip to last year’s Olympic Games in Paris with other state lawmakers. The goal was to learn about organizing massive sports events, officials said.
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