The University of Liverpool’s Professor Iain Buchan played a key role in the Liverpool City Region’s recent mission to the United States to drive trade, investment and tourism.
Professor Buchan, who is Director of the Civic Health Innovation Labs (CHIL), and Associate Pro Vice Chancellor for Innovation, joined Mayor Steve Rotheram on a high-level delegation visit aimed at driving tens of millions of pounds of long-term investment, trade and tourism to the Liverpool City Region.
Arriving in Boston last week, they entered a busy schedule of meetings including with US health-tech leaders and major biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Here they discussed potential collaborations and investment opportunities and promoted the city region as an ideal place to invest and grow business.
Professor Buchan said: “I was delighted to meet with innovators from universities and companies in Boston. There was a common purpose to drive technology innovation for greater societal impact, particularly in healthcare, personal wellbeing and safer, more fulfilling places to live and work. One of the things we found that resonates with the way we work in Liverpool is an interdisciplinary grit for innovation. I think between our US and UK city regions, we’ve got a remarkably complementary set of innovation ingredients. For example, where a cluster of health-tech companies in Boston could thrive in a data-driven public sector innovation environment in Liverpool City Region, which is hard to find the US. I look forward to finding further opportunities to bring these assets together in the future.”
Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “This mission is an important and necessary investment in the Liverpool City Region’s future prosperity and for UK 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.”
Onto New York
Following his trip to Boston, Mayor Rotheram made his way to New York City. Here, along with University of Liverpool Chancellor, District Judge Wendy Beetlestone (pictured below), and Director of National Museums Liverpool, Laura Pye, they hosted a University of Liverpool alumni reunion event at The Museum of the City of New York.
The event celebrated the strong cultural ties between Liverpool and New York and attendees heard a talk from Dr Richard Benjamin, Co-Director of the Centre for the Study of International Slavery, University of Liverpool and Laura Pye, entitled Transatlantic Journey.
Later in the week, the University’s Alumni team hosted an in-conversation event with Coca-Cola CEO, James Quincey in Atlanta, Georgia. The talk was hosted by Chancellor, Judge Wendy Beetlestone who interviewed James about his career and time at the University of Liverpool in 1986.