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Israeli, Dayton officials sign trade agreement

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By John Nolan, Staff Writer 1:24 PM Wednesday, September 9, 2009

DAYTON — A representative of Israeli government and business interests signed an agreement Wednesday, Sept. 9, intended to cement a long-term technology exchange and business development relationship with the Dayton region.

Representatives of the city of Dayton, Montgomery County and Dayton Development Coalition also signed the memorandum of understanding, a highlight of the Israelis’ four-day visit. It was in response to a Dayton delegation’s September 2008 visit to Israel. A crowd present for the brief ceremony Wednesday at the Engineers Club of Dayton stood and applauded.

The agreement commits both sides to three years — and likely more —of cooperative efforts to develop new aerospace technology for military and commercial markets. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, an Air Force hub of weapons and unmanned aircraft research and procurement, is a potential prime customer.

“We’re looking forward for success,” said Shmuel Gants, director general for the city of Haifa, Israel, a Mediterranean port that is home to universities, medical centers and aerospace, biotechnology and nanotechnology research programs. “We found the technology and the specialties here very attractive for the business community in Haifa and Israel.”

“We’re thrilled to be a partner in this,” said Jim Leftwich, president and chief executive officer of the Dayton Development Coalition, whose members include companies and local governments.

Two Dayton-Israeli business ventures are already under way and more are likely to follow, Leftwich said.

The city, county and coalition collectively have formed the Dayton Region Israel Trade Alliance. They are to work with Israeli counterparts to coordinate trade missions intended for economic development in both countries.

Montgomery County officials said $350,000 in private donations has been raised to open a one-person economic development office in Haifa later this year.

That is enough to operate the office for at least three years to match Israeli and Dayton partners in business ventures, officials said. No public money is involved, said Joe Tuss, the county’s director of economic development.

The Dayton-supported office will work with an Ohio Department of Development office based in Israel, Tuss said.

On Tuesday, Gov. Ted Strickland promised long-term state support by declaring Dayton an aerospace hub of innovation and directing that the Department of Development appoint an advisory panel to guide the state’s efforts to build the Dayton region’s aeronautics industry.

Outside the Engineers Club, a lone protester carried a poster with blood painted on it and photos of injured people. The poster read: “This is what Israelis do with technology. Shame on Dayton.”

The protester, who identified herself as Tammy Watts of Bradford, Ohio, said she has been active for years in supporting Palestinian rights to a homeland free from encroachment by others. Israel and the Palestinians have long been at odds over mutually claimed territory.

A key focus of Dayton’s trade agreement is to develop technology for surveillance, including sensor payloads for unmanned aircraft. But the technology to be developed also will be useful for civilian purposes including mapping and domestic law enforcement, Dayton officials said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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