Europe and Asia are on the agenda as Mayor Nirenberg takes his first international trip since his election, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
The Mayor, along with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Jewish Federation will first travel to Israel. The delegation will meet with business leaders in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and will tour UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Jerusalem Old City. He will get tips on how to promote and preserve historic sites like San Antonio's historic Spanish Colonial Missions.
“There is broad recognition in international business and diplomatic circles that economic partnerships don’t just happen,”Nirenberg said. “They require lots of work and relationship building that happens on trade missions just like this.”
From Israel, the Mayor will travel to Darmstadt Germany. He will meet with officials of JANVEST Capital Partners, a firm which invests in CyberSecurity companies.
“Venture capital investment is the lifeblood of many successful startup firms,” said Councilman Roberto Treviño, who will be part of the delegation. “As San Antonio’s tech sector matures, this trade mission will provide valuable insight into how we as a city can better incubate emerging companies and attract more venture capital.”
The Mayor said it is also important to build cultural ties ahead of next year's celebration of San Antonio's 300th birthday.
“In addition to being an amazingly rich cultural experience, Israel is an incredible place of innovation and development in many fields,” said Ronit Sherwin, CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio. “There is a high tolerance for risk in Israeli society and the Israeli psyche, which fosters a fertile environment for new ideas and strategies in all industries. There is a lot for us to learn from the Israeli innovations sector that could further our own economic growth.”