Gov. Larry Hogan is on a weeklong trade mission to Israel, during which the Republican hopes to persuade cybersecurity and life-science companies to open offices in Maryland.
Hogan and about 35 business leaders, academics and state officials plan to visit Beersheva, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
The governor's office is sending occasional dispatches from the trip, which began Sept. 19. The Baltimore Sun will compile detail from those releases here.
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Sept. 26: Hogan signed a Sister State agreement between Maryland and the Negev region in Israel Monday, according to the governor's office.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by Hogan and Deputy Minister Nahari.
The governor's weeklong trade mission to Israel ends today. The goal of the trip was to strengthen ties between the Hogan administration and key Israeli officials and business leaders.
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Sept. 25: Hogan and University of Maryland, Baltimore President Jay A. Perman extended a memorandum of understanding with Hebrew University of Jerusalem Sunday, according to the governor's office. The agreement is intended to foster collaboration between the two universities, including a student exchange program. A deal was first reached in 2013.
Later, Hogan visited Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, the governor's office said. He met with Hadassah officials and medical professionals, as well as Israeli biotech companies working on cancer treatments.
The governor met with Professor Zeev Rotstein, director general of the Hadassah Medical Organization, and Barbara Goldstein, deputy executive director of Hadassah. He also participated in a seminar during which he talked about his battle with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
The governor's office said other participants in the seminar included Dr. Aaron Rapoport, Hogan's physician from the University of Maryland Medical System, as well as Dr. Howard Ceder, Israeli cancer expert and winner of the Israeli Prize, and Prof. Michal Lotem, director of the Center for Melanoma and Cancer Immunotherapy.
Hogan then toured the pediatric oncology department with Dr. Michael Weintraub, director of pediatric hematology, oncology, and bone marrow transplantation, as well as the Emergency Medicine Department, with Prof. Avraham Rivkind, director of Hadassah's Shock Trauma Unit.
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Sept. 24: Hogan toured Jerusalem Saturday, including the Garden of Gethsemane and Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and visited the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, according to the governor's office.
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Sept. 23: Hogan visited several holy sites in Jerusalem Friday, according to the governor's office. His visits included the Mount of Olives and the Western Wall, as well as the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and Museum.
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Sept. 22: Hogan met with executives of defense company ELTA Systems Ltd. Thursday, according to the governor's office.
After the meeting, he announced that the company's U.S. affiliate, would triple its footprint in Maryland and ad up to 50 new jobs over the next two-to-three years. The company, which already has a facility in Howard County's Maple Lawn community, plans to move into a new Annapolis Junction location next month.
Later, the governor addressed cyber companies at CyberSpark, the new Israeli Cyber Innovation Arena.
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Sept. 21: Hogan spoke at the GIA TLV 2016 conference at Tel Aviv University Wednesday, according to the governor's office. He encouraged the more than 250 high-tech entrepreneurs in attendance to do business in Maryland.
The conference was hosted by SpeedMind, which links Israeli startup companies with financing opportunities.
The governor also met with executives of Roboteam Ltd., according to the governor's office. The Israeli-based robotics company's North American headquarters is in Gaithersburg.
Later, Hogan announced a memorandum of understanding between UMBC and Tel Aviv University. The five-year agreement establishes a framework for the joint development of research, exchange of academic and administrative staff and students, and the exchange of academic information and publications, according to the governor's office.
The governor also announced a partnership between Baltimore-based Electronic Technology Associates and Israel-based Cyberbit. The companies will collaborate on a training center in Baltimore to instruct cybersecurity professionals in protecting national assets and infrastructure against cyber attacks.
Hogan made the announcement with Bruce Spector, founder and CEO of ETA; Bash Kazi, president and CEO of Kazi Investment Group LLC; Adi Dar, CEO of Cyberbit; and Barry Bogage, executive director of the Maryland/Israel Development Center.
Later, Hogan met with U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Leslie Tsou, a senior official under U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro. The two delivered remarks at a reception hosted at the U.S. Embassy in Israel.
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Sept. 20: Hogan arrived in Tel Aviv Tuesday, where he met with executives at Enzymotec and its subsidiary, VAYA Pharma, according to the governor's office. Dr. Ariel Katz, president and CEO of Enzymotec, welcomed the delegation from Maryland.
VAYA Pharma recently relocated its U.S. headquarters to the University of Maryland BioPark in Baltimore. Steven Dubin, who is traveling with Hogan's delegation, is chairman of Enzymotec's board of directors.
Later, Hogan met with Israeli Ambassador Liora Herzl, deputy director general for North America for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Hogan also announced Israel-based Nayax had opened its U.S. headquarters in Hunt Valley. The governor's office described Nayax as a "global leader in the cashless payment industry." The company opened its new office after acquiring InOne, a Maryland distributor service for vending machines.
