On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Wisconsin-Hessen sister-state partnership, Gov. Tony Evers on Wednesday announced that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC) and Hessen Trade and Invest (HTAI) — which represents all Hessen-based economic development organizations at the state level — have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to increase collaboration in global trade, business attraction and market opportunities.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes and HTAI CEO Dr. Rainer Waldschmidt as part of the trade mission led by Gov. Evers to Germany and France. The agreement aims to accelerate innovation, entrepreneurship, trade and investment, with a special emphasis on promoting startups. The two states also agreed to find new ways for entrepreneurs and innovators in both countries to harness their collective expertise in research, development and investment.
Germany is consistently among the top 10 destinations for Wisconsin exports, ranking fourth in 2023 and 2024. In total, Wisconsin exported nearly $1 billion in goods to Germany in 2024.
