Special Events in Europe

Fairfax County EDA spotlights U.S. market-entry strategies for German IT companies at May 9, 10 events in Berlin, Munich

 

Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) executives will speak at May events in Berlin and Munich to highlight U.S. market-entry strategies for German IT companies.

On May 9, the FCEDA is sponsoring “U.S. Market Entry for Technology Companies in Germany.” The event at the Hilton Berlin will be presented by the Software Industrie Berlin Brandenburg (SIBB), the information and communications technology association of the German capital region.

Günther Stodiek, director of the FCEDA office in Munich, and Jan Mul, director of the FCEDA’s International Marketing Division, will highlight Fairfax County as the technology hub of the East Coast and an entry point for German IT companies seeking opportunities in the U.S. market. Michael Kuhn, counsel at Reed Smith, a law firm with offices in Fairfax County, Munich and London, will address legal issues surrounding business expansion to the U.S. Click here for more information about the event.

On May 10 the FCEDA is sponsoring “Entering the U.S. Market for Technology Companies,” which will be presented at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria.

Mr. Stodiek will speak on opportunities in the U.S. market for IT companies. Mr. Mul will address the audience on Fairfax County as a U.S. entry point for European technology firms. Paul Hughes, director of media relations at Software AG, which is based in Darmstadt, Germany, and is one of the first foreign-owned firms to establish a presence in Fairfax County, will speak about his company’s experience in building a subsidiary in the U.S. Click here for more information about the event.

“Germany is the home of world-class technology companies, and Fairfax County has an office in Munich to help German companies that are interested in expanding to the U.S.,” said Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., president and CEO of the FCEDA. “These events are an excellent way for German companies to understand more about the opportunities here and the challenges of locating in the U.S.”

More than 370 foreign-owned companies, including more than 200 from European countries, have a presence in Fairfax County. The FCEDA has had an office in Germany since 2000 and an office in London since 1998 to work with European companies interested in expanding in the U.S.

“The German capital region in the last several years has had much success in attracting investments in IT companies very similar to the Fairfax County region. So this event is a great opportunity for us to cooperate with the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority,” said René Ebert, the managing director of SIBB. “Within one day more than 40 companies confirmed their participation in the workshop. We are looking forward to the 9th of May.”

“Just as Fairfax County has one of the main IT clusters in the U.S., Bavaria is one of Europe’s largest clusters for IT and telecommunication companies, and we welcome Fairfax County’s interest in holding an event with us to help companies from this region expand in the U.S.,” said Klaus Pelz, managing director of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria.