Governor plans trip to tout state in Israel

LITTLE ROCK — Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday that he is departing for an economic development trip to Israel that will begin Saturday and extend into next week.

He said this trip will be his first international economic development trip since the covid-19 pandemic hit in March 2020.

The focus of the trip will be speaking at the prime minister’s International Smart Mobility conference focusing on technology and solutions for the future of transportation, Hutchinson said at his weekly news briefing in the governor’s conference room.

“The fact that I have been invited to speak reflects Arkansas’ leadership in advanced mobility and smart mobility,” the governor said.

He noted the 2019 Legislature passed a law to allow a pilot program for autonomous, or self-driving, vehicles.

Hutchinson said about 5,000 people are expected to attend the conference in Israel from 40 countries, “so it is a great marketing opportunity for the state of Arkansas.”

For 10 years, the Smart Mobility Initiative of the Israeli prime minister’s office has nurtured a thriving ecosystem for the development of advanced mobility technologies and solutions, according to the initiative’s website. Since 2013, the International Smart Mobility Summit sets out to join business leaders, innovators, top researchers and policymakers from around the world for a global dialogue about the future of transportation.

In addition, Hutchinson said he will be focused on the aero defense industry during his trip to Israel and “we have a good partnership with Israel, and aero defense is one of our leading exports in terms of manufacturing.”

Additional details about the trip weren’t available through the state Department of Commerce late Tuesday.