County Economic Development and Community Affairs returns to Dubai to promote life sciences

Business development representatives from Oakland County will return to Dubai this week to promote Medical Main Street, the county's health care and life science initiative, and October's INNO-VENTION 2014 Conference at Arab Health, one of the largest medical conferences in the world. Few counties in the United States can claim the international diversity of Oakland County's business community--more than 900 firms from 38 countries call Oakland County home. County Executive L. Brooks Patterson frequently cites the diversity as a critical part of Oakland County's economic signature. "Medical Main Street and health care have generated more than $900 million of investment in the past decade while creating or retaining more than 6,500 jobs in Oakland County," Patterson said. "We are telling Oakland County's story around the world. It makes perfect sense for us to pitch Medical Main Street to a global audience." Business development representatives Nicole Thomson and Alan Weber will represent the county at the conference, which is expected to attract over 112,000 health care professionals and 3,500 exhibitors from 142 countries. The conference runs Jan. 27-30. Last year, the county was invited to participate by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) because the recognition the Medical Main Street name is getting nationally and internationally. Oakland County will once again join the MEDC in the U.S. Pavilion. Six Michigan companies will make the trip, including three from Oakland County: MAKS, Inc. (Rochester Hills)--design, development and manufacturing of electronic products and components; Clinton River Medical Products (Auburn Hills)--power assist wheelchair technology; and Oxus (Rochester Hills)--portable oxygen concentrator manufacturer. The companies look forward to increasing export sales. Last year, Deputy County Executive Matthew Gibb made a connection with his equivalent in the Polish government who was looking for a Midwest market in North America for Polish technology companies. Poland has one of the fastest growing technology sectors in the world, Gibb said. A similar connection was made with a South Korean official. "We need to make sure our life science companies know the export markets available to them," Gibb said. "This is a unique opportunity to use our strengths to attract companies from a country like Poland. If we can do that, this is worth 10 trips, and I think we will." Thomson and Weber will also be touring Dubai Healthcare City to assist existing companies increase export sales, attract new companies, as well as promote Medical Main Street and INNO-VENTION 2014. For additional information about Arab Health, see ArabHealthOnline.com. For additional information about Oakland County Economic Development efforts, visit AdvantageOakland.com. Published: Mon, Jan 20, 2014

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