Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation President & CEO Don Cunningham joined economic development leaders and corporate executives from around the world at the FDI Leaders Network Forum earlier this month in Vienna to discuss the global economy and international trade and investment. 

Cunningham was one of three American delegates invited to engage with representatives from Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The Lehigh Valley was selected because it is a hub of manufacturing, a key sector impacted by global policy debate.

The forum, founded by Cathy Dawson and hosted by René Tritscher MD of the Austrian Business Agency in Vienna, focused on foreign direct investment, tariffs, talent supply, and trade upheaval.

“Global supply chain disruptions, geopolitical issues, and rapid technological advancements all influence what happens in the Lehigh Valley’s back yard,” Cunningham said. “Economic development is about relationship building. It’s important to take advantage of forums where we can build international relationships so we can have honest, informed discussions about complex issues.”

The FDI Leaders Network is a high-level membership group of executives of national and regional FDI and investment agencies and departments in selected countries and regions, who stand at the forefront of investment promotion.

The Network meets bi-annually for frank and open discussion in an informal manner and in a confidential and closed environment. The Network previously met in London and Tokyo in 2023 and Frankfurt and Calgary in 2024. In addition to Vienna this year, the Network met in Doha.

The Vienna meeting included heads of Economic Development Organizations (EDO) from Austria, Bermuda, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Dawson said.

“There are two big differences between the FDI Leaders meetings and other meetings. One is that fact that all participants must be CEOs or heads of EDOs, and the other is that the group is truly global,” Dawson said.

Internationally based companies have historically had a strong interest in the Lehigh Valley because of its access to the Northeast market and talent. A third of U.S. consumers are within a day’s drive, and there is a labor force of 1.8 million within an hour's drive.

The Lehigh Valley has more than 80 international companies, including the U.S. headquarters of Olympus Corporation of the Americas (Japan) and B. Braun Medical (Germany). It is home to operations of global leaders like Mack Trucks (Sweden), Evonik (Germany), and Air Liquide (France).

In recent months, Lehigh Valley welcomed investment from these global companies:

• Gesellschaft für Micronisierung mbH (GfM), a German company, bought the former IQE Building, a high-tech space with cleanrooms in south Bethlehem. GfM specializes in micronization of pharmaceutical, food, nutritional, and cosmetic ingredients. The project will bring up to 100 jobs.
• Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, a multinational manufacturer based in India, opened a logistics center in Upper Macungie Township.
• Bosch Rexroth Corp., a German manufacturer of industrial hydraulics, started an expansion in Bethlehem.
• Messer, a German industrial and medical gases company, opened an office in Hanover Township, Northampton County.
• Safran Landing Systems, a French aviation maintenance company, moved into larger space in Bethlehem.

Of the companies that have made inquiries to LVEDC about locations in the region, more than half are internationally based.

(Photo courtesy of FDI Leaders Network)