For Andrew Gross, the biggest takeaway from his first three-day trip to Dubai was simple. “There’s nothing like being there,” he said.
Gross wasn’t necessarily talking about the United Arab Emirates, but the cityscape (“Everywhere you looked there were tall buildings, and they were new,” he said) and the people. and raved about its welcoming nature (“That never happened to me”). “He was uncomfortable and I never felt stressed,” he said.
He spoke further about the connections he made at COP28, the global climate change summit he attended earlier this month as director of international innovation and partnerships for the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.
Mr. Gross spent a lot of time talking with representatives from some of the biggest sustainability companies around the world about everything going on in New Jersey. He spoke about the offshore wind industry, the push for electric vehicles, and his goal to reduce carbon emissions by 2035. But more than that, Mr. Gross was putting a name on the face of a place.
“The conversations were very preliminary, very introductory level at this point,” he said. “But there was a lot of intrigue about what was going on in New Jersey and in the United States.
“We’re doing a good job of leveling the playing field with some of the biggest names in sustainability, and I think that’s increasing our position globally.”
This is the latest example of the state re-entering global markets, with Gov. Phil Murphy leading a delegation of more than 50 people to East Asia in October and Choosing New Jersey CEO Wes Matthews earlier this year. The same thing happened when he visited India. At the beginning of December.
“This is all part of our goal to open doors to new regions of the world,” he said. “My role at EDA is to explore global alliances and international partnerships that support innovation in New Jersey and accelerate the work we are doing in several areas of our economy.”
Gross went off topic.
“It’s a discussion about our offshore wind aspirations, our commitment to sustainability, and Governor Murphy’s desire to achieve 100% clean energy by 2035,” he said.
“This is also a call to New Jersey, especially for Emirati businesses, to consider investment and partnership opportunities that can help accelerate the path to achieving sustainability goals.”
How the conversation progresses depends on the knowledge of the other players. Many of the attendees at the event knew a lot about New Jersey, while others knew little.
That was expected, Gross said, and was one of the reasons for the trip, which also included stops in Abu Dhabi (capital of the UAE) and Bahrain.
“That’s a big part of why we go out into the world and engage with international delegations, diplomats and multinational corporations,” he said. “The world is a big place. And while New Jersey is a very important state for sustainability, it’s difficult for leaders from other countries to fully understand who New Jersey is and what it brings to the table.”
It’s all about being there, Gross said.
“It was really great to talk about EDA’s competitive incentive program and the various policies from the governor’s office,” he said. “International companies don’t necessarily know everything there is to know about New Jersey, so it’s definitely important to take advantage of the time you can get in front of them.
“There is a lot of investment capital coming from the UAE and Bahrain. They are very important partners in the business field. We hope that these initial conversations will lead to further exchanges in the future.”