The Welsh Government will seek to strengthen trade, inward investment and commercial collaboration with the United States during its first transatlantic visit since taking office.
Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport Heledd Fychan will travel to New York and Washington D.C. this week, using Wales’s cultural influence and creative strengths to develop new economic opportunities.
The programme will place technology, innovation and the creative industries at the centre of Wales’s economic diplomacy, while promoting the country as a destination where American businesses can invest, innovate and grow.
The United States is the largest export market for Welsh companies and Wales’s largest source of inward investment. Technology and the creative industries are among the fastest-growing contributors to that economic relationship.
The visit comes as the United States marks its 250th anniversary, providing an opportunity to recognise the historical links between the two countries and the contribution Welsh people and culture have made to American life.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, the Minister will present a special gift of music on behalf of the people of Wales at the Library of Congress.
Promoting Wales’s technology and creative sectors
“Building Digital Bridges” will be a central theme of the visit, demonstrating how Welsh technology, creativity and culture can reach international audiences and support commercial partnerships.
In New York, the Minister will meet Emmy-nominated Welsh actor Matthew Rhys to discuss the Welsh arts and creative sector in the United States, including opportunities for Welsh talent to develop international audiences and partnerships.
She will also meet representatives of the Gotham Center for New York City History at Fraunces Tavern.
The organisation has worked with Welsh creative technology company Sugar Creative on Echoes of Revolution, a digital project developed around the USA250 celebrations.
The project brings together storytelling, technology and creativity to connect audiences across the Atlantic. It will also provide a platform for promoting Wales’s wider technology and creative industries to American businesses, investors and cultural partners.
The Minister will use the visit to encourage further trade and collaboration, while highlighting Wales’s skilled workforce, growing technology and creative sectors, universities and distinctive cultural identity.
The programme will demonstrate how the country’s cultural strengths can open doors to investment and long-term commercial relationships.
Building commercial and political relationships
In New York, the Minister will meet the UK Trade Commissioner to the United States and engage with American businesses and investors interested in Wales.
She will also host a Cultural Partnerships Reception in Manhattan, bringing together Welsh and American businesses, cultural organisations and other partners.
In Washington, the Minister will meet members of the Friends of Wales Caucus on Capitol Hill. Discussions will focus on strengthening links between Wales and the United States and identifying opportunities for further cooperation in trade, investment and culture.
The Minister will also visit the 9/11 Memorial in New York ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks. She will pay tribute to those who lost their lives and recognise the enduring solidarity between Wales and the people of the United States.
Speaking ahead of the visit, the Minister said:
“The United States is one of Wales’s most important international partners, and this visit is an opportunity to build on that relationship and create new opportunities for people and businesses in Wales.
“Our culture is one of our greatest assets. It gives us a unique platform to build relationships, open conversations and create new economic opportunities. From music and our shared history to the world-class digital and creative talent working in Wales today, we have a compelling story to tell.
“As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, we will celebrate the deep and enduring links between our nations, while looking firmly to the future.
“We want American businesses to see Wales not just as a place with which they can trade, but as a place where they can invest, innovate and grow. This visit is about building those digital, cultural and economic bridges for the years ahead.”
Strengthening Welsh connections across North America
Following her engagements in New York and Washington, the Minister will travel to Springfield, Massachusetts, to attend the North American Festival of Wales.
The event brings together Welsh communities from across North America to celebrate Welsh culture, music, language and heritage.
It will give the Minister an opportunity to meet members of the Welsh-American community and recognise the long-standing connections between Wales and the United States.
Through its programme in New York, Washington and Springfield, the Welsh Government will seek to turn those relationships into new cultural, digital and economic partnerships.
