Above: Honorary Global Ambassador for Houston and former Rockets basketball player Yao Ming joins the Houston delegation in Beijing
eas where the city has unique exper-
tise. Mayor Turner and/or the city’s
business leaders signed a series of of-
ficial memoranda of understanding
expressing plans to widen commerce
with the country. The delegation
held meetings and business forums in
Shanghai, Beijing and Houston’s sis-
ter city, Shenzhen.
South Africa
Houston serves as the permanent sec-
retariat of the World Energy Cities
Partnership. While in South Africa for
the rotating annual general meeting of
the organization, Mayor Turner and a
delegation from Houston met with
officials of Cape Town, Tshwane, and
Johannesburg. The meetings primar-
ily focused on energy, aerospace and
healthcare opportunities. Houston’s
exports to South Africa include motor
vehicles and parts, industrial machin-
ery, chemical products, electrical ma-
chinery, oil and refined products, plas-
tic products, optic and photographic
instruments and precious metals. Im-
ports include organic chemicals, min-
eral fuels, iron and steel, aluminum
products, motor vehicles and parts and
edible fruit and nuts.
26 iF Magazine | January 2019
Israel Mexico
With plans in the works for Hous-
ton’s new Innovation Corridor, May-
or Turner led a delegation to Israel
in June 2017 to meet with govern-
ment and industry leaders to hear
first-hand how Israel has become the
country with the with most high-
tech start-ups per capita. Leaders
shared valuable insights in this area
and provided leads for collaboration
opportunities. While in Israel, Mayor
Turner took the opportunity to visit
the Palestinian territories and partici-
pating delegates had the opportunity
to hear from officials and business
leaders there. In November 2016, Mayor Turner
and the Greater Houston Partnership
led a delegation of top Houston-area
business representatives on a trade
mission to Mexico City. More than
1,000 Houston companies report
doing business with Mexico and
Mexico is Houston’s number one in-
ternational trading partner.
The Houston delegation hosted two
high-level business forums: one fo-
cused on exchanging best practices
and intellectual capital in the en-
ergy industry featuring a keynote
“I found the Mayor’s Trade Mission address by Roberta Jacobson, U.S.
to Israel to be one of the most infor- ambassador to Mexico; and a medi-
mative and useful visits in my pro- cal research forum led by Dr. Bobby
fessional career,” said Lone Star Col- Robbins, then-president and CEO of
lege System Chancellor Steven Head. the Texas Medical Center, to explore
“While I had traveled to Israel previ- collaborative opportunities on ge-
ously, this visit included four inten- nomic medicine and obesity-related
sive days of meetings with business, diseases. Additionally, delegates met
political and educational leaders that with various government officials in-
provided an in depth understanding
cluding Mexico City Mayor Miguel
of opportunities and challenges in
exchanges with the country of Is- Mancera.
rael,” he added.