Governor Ron DeSantis will lead an international mission to Italy focused on trade, economic development, and strengthening relations between Florida and Italy. The delegation will visit Rome, Viareggio, Florence, Turin, and Milan and will consist of 85 representatives from key sectors of the State of Florida.
Particular emphasis will be placed on higher education, scientific research, and technological innovation, alongside the transportation and logistics, aerospace and aviation, military and defense, life sciences, health technology, and manufacturing sectors.
The presence of numerous Florida academic institutions underscores the strategic role that universities, research, and higher education can play in developing new international relationships. The delegation includes state agency leaders and university presidents, including J. Alex Kelly, Secretary of FloridaCommerce; Rob Long, President and CEO of Space Florida; Jared Perdue, Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation; Jason Weida, Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration; Cord Byrd, Florida Secretary of State; Richard McCullough, President of Florida State University; Richard Corcoran, President of New College of Florida; and Rhea Law, President of the University of South Florida.
The mission will also include representatives from the University of Central Florida, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida International University, and Florida Polytechnic University, further strengthening the academic component of the delegation and opportunities for collaboration with Italian institutions.
The participation of university leaders provides an important opportunity to develop partnerships among universities, research centers, businesses, and Italian institutions, with particular attention to knowledge- and technology-intensive fields. Aerospace, engineering, life sciences, healthcare, and advanced technologies are areas in which collaboration between Florida and Italy can lead to new research projects, academic exchanges, training opportunities, and technology transfer.
“Italy and Florida share a special relationship as peninsular entities, with many industries in common, and I am grateful to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for inviting our Florida delegation to visit Italy,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This mission will strengthen the ties between our state and their nation and bring new and greater opportunities and investments to Florida.”
“This mission represents an opportunity to build political and economic relationships for the benefit of the State of Florida,” said FloridaCommerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly. “There are numerous opportunities for cooperation and mutual growth, as Italy is Florida’s 14th-largest international trading partner, and both have strong military and defense, aerospace, marine, life sciences, and health technology industries.”
The mission therefore takes on a dimension that goes beyond trade, placing university and scientific cooperation between Florida and Italy among the strategic elements for building lasting relationships. Collaboration among academic institutions can create new opportunities for students, faculty, and researchers while contributing to the joint development of expertise and technologies in strategic fields.
Italy is among Florida’s leading international trading partners, with $4.4 billion in annual bilateral trade. The strengthening of economic ties therefore goes hand in hand with the desire to further consolidate institutional, academic, and scientific connections between the two regions.
The initiative is coordinated by SelectFlorida, Florida’s international trade organization, in partnership with FloridaCommerce.
