Gov. Jared Polis, Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock and more than 20 Colorado leaders traveled to Japan this week to explore opportunities and tout Colorado's business acumen in the aerospace, renewable energy, innovation and research sectors.
This mission, held from Sunday to Friday, aims to promote foreign direct investment into Colorado. Polis, officials within the Global Business Development Division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) and a Colorado delegation participated in meetings in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan.
The missions were apparently separate -- though notice came from both the Mayor's office and Polis' office, neither mentioned that fact.
"Each mission had its own focus/delegates," according to an OEDIT spokesperson Tuesday.
This trip also marks the 10th anniversary of the inaugural Denver-Tokyo international nonstop flight by United, which began on June 10, 2013, according to Hancock's office.
“Ten years on, this flight continues to drive Denver’s increasing global connectivity,” Hancock said in a press release. "The opportunities to build on the economic development, cultural and tourism connections between Denver and Japan can’t be overstated, and it’s critical to advance those priorities on this mission.”
It is the governor’s second international trip, the first was to India.
The state's business leaders focused on large company stocks in advanced technologies to support the state’s long-term economic goals. Japan has high rates of outbound foreign direct investment, venture capital investment and import volumes, according to a news release.
In 2021, Japan was the United States’ fourth-largest trading partner and Colorado’s sixth largest export trade partner, according to the release. Colorado imported $182 million worth of goods from Japan in 2022, which was 2.6% of the state’s imports from Asia.
“I am thrilled to help Colorado build new social and economic bonds and partnerships with Japan,” Polis said in a press release. “Colorado’s economy is thriving and we must continue to seek out new and exciting investment opportunities and technology that could help create jobs to further boost our aerospace, renewable energy, and other booming industries.”
Representatives on the trip are from University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, Colorado School of Mines, Maxar, Boeing, United, Sumitomo, Sakura Square, National Renewable Energy Lab, Quantinuum, Starfire Energy, Deloitte, Pterodynamics, Tynt Technologies, CO Air and Space Port, Total Helium, Coorstek, OrbitFab, Astroscale, Japan American Society of Colorado, Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, Vartega, and Barn Owl.
When asked who footed the bill for the trip, Polis' office responded:
“Delegates are required to pay for their own travel and expenses, additionally, two delegates were funded through OEDIT’s Advanced Industries Accelerator (AIA) program which was created in 2013 to promote growth and sustainability in Colorado’s advanced industries,” a spokesperson from the Governor’s office said. “The Governor paid for his own travel."
A spokesperson for Hancock's office said Wednesday the mayor and a member of his team had to return early "due to a personal family matter"; thus, final costs and where the money is coming from was not available "with cancellation of reservations and reimbursements currently being processed."
City Delegation Members:
- Alan Salazar, Chief of Staff
- Evan Dreyer, Deputy Chief of Staff
- Georg Hill, Mayor’s Office Director of Scheduling and Advance
- Jen Morris, Executive Director, Denver Economic Development and Opportunity (DEDO)
- Stephanie Garnica, Director of Global Business Development, DEDO
- Laura Jackson, VP for Air Service Development, DIA
- Penny May, EVP/Chief Commerical Officer, DIA
- Derek Okubo, Executive Director, Agency for Human Rights & Community Partnerships
- Kerry Tipper, City Attorney
Non-city Delegation Members:
- Flavia Light, vice president VISIT DENVER
- J.J. Ament, president & CEO, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
- Kate Barton, vice president External Relations, Downtown Denver Partnership
- Eric Hiraga, Executive Vice President, Matrix Design Group
- Tish Maes, President, PradoMaes Inc.
- Kyle Chism, business development, Turner Construction
- Jeff Darnell, director, PCL Construction Services, Inc.
- Debbie Brown, president, Colorado Business Roundtable
- George Burciaga, managing partner, US Mayoral Roundtable
- Tim Wolfe, director, Colorado Tourism Office
- Andrea Blankenship, director of International Tourism for Colorado Tourism Office
- Jessica Acosta, board member, Denver Metro Leadership Foundation
- Matthias Frenz, CEO/president, Logplan
- Anthony Albanese, senior vice president, CBRE
- Jon Moellenberg, managing director, RBC Capital Markets
- Matt Bell, senior vice president, Kroenke Sports
- Charlie McDaniel, managing director, GSSG Solar (Takayama only)
- Adrian Archambault, director, GSSG Solar (Takayama only)
- Gil Asakawa, Chair, Denver/Takayama Sister City Committee (Takayama only)
