As a representative of UAMMI, I recently attended two European tradeshows within the aerospace and composites industry. The first was the CFK Stade Composites Tradeshow in northern Germany and the second was the Paris Air Show, one of the biggest aerospace events in the world.
At both of these events, I was part of a Utah delegation whose purpose was to strengthen Utah’s global position in the aerospace and advanced materials industry. Delegates included members of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, World Trade Center Utah, Utah Congressman Rob Bishop, and even Governor Herbert himself.
At the CFK Stade event, UAMMI was selected as the host partner and was recognized as a key institution within the United States advanced materials industry. As a result, I was able to share a few remarks with the 500+ attendees, along with Congressman Rob Bishop who wowed the crowd with a video speech in perfect German. The audience listened intently as we talked about Utah’s aerospace strengths and the advantages of doing business here.
At the end of the two week-long events, I was exhausted. However, I came away with a very positive outlook for Utah’s position in this industry. Almost everyone I met was familiar with our vast network of companies and expressed interest in doing more business with them. It was an indication that great things are happening here and many people are aware of it.
This is an exciting time for our industry and I’m proud to play a part in recognizing Utah as the advanced materials, manufacturing and aerospace hotspot that it is.
Jeff Edwards
Executive Director