On the third day of Florida's trade mission to Italy, the delegation focused on expanding partnerships in Florence, Maranello, Bologna, and Milan. They met with leaders from Tuscany and Lombardy, two major economic regions in Italy. A significant development was Florida International University's Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) with Insightec, Inc. and Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta to advance research into brain disease treatments.
"Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership this mission is focused on investing in the future of Florida through strong partnerships with Italy," stated Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly. "Today’s meetings lay the groundwork for future partnership between Florida and economic partners in the Tuscany and Lombardy regions, securing the economic success of Florida for generations to come."
The MOU aims to identify facilities and physicians for clinical research on Insightec's Exablate Neuro technology targeting Alzheimer's, brain cancer, addiction, and other brain diseases. The agreement also seeks to develop new therapies for brain health, bring advanced treatments to market, enhance patient care access, and promote knowledge exchange in clinical research.
In these Italian cities, delegates explored potential partnerships with private companies focusing on cultural exchange and research opportunities. Discussions were held with Attilio Fontana, President of the Lombardy Region, about trade linkages between regional industries and Florida. Lombardy boasts Italy's largest GDP due to Milan's status as a global finance center and industrial hub.
Governor DeSantis is leading this international trade mission from November 11-15. Accompanying him are agency heads and university presidents including J. Alex Kelly from Commerce; Rob Long from Space Florida; Jared Perdue from Transportation; Jason Weida from Health Care Administration; Cord Byrd as Secretary of State; Jimmy Patronis as Chief Financial Officer; Richard McCullough from Florida State University; Richard Corcoran from New College of Florida; Rhea Law from University of South Florida; Ken Jessell from Florida International University along with representatives from other universities.