In its 11^th year, the Texas-EU Business Summit is the premier event for Texas businesses, entrepreneurs and economic development professionals seeking to expand their footprint in Europe. The summit provides Texas businesses, entrepreneurs, policymakers and target businesses with an overview of trade and expansion business opportunities in Europe as well as information and connections to make the most of those opportunities.

11th Annual Texas EU Business Summit

May 12, 2022

8:30am-4:30pm CDT

San Jacinto Residence and Events Hall

309 E 21st St., Austin, TX 78705

SAVE on Texas-EU Business Summit Registration!

Register before May 1, 2022 using code Summit20 and receive $20 off your registration!

The Center for European Studies, World Affairs Council Austin, and Texas-EU Business Summit Organizing Committee recognizes the values of peace, democracy, prosperity, and self-determination are at the core of the Atlantic Relationship. We offer our firm support to all nations struggling to secure those values.

Registration is open for the 2022 Texas-European Union Business Summit. Now in its 11^th year, the event has become the premier forum for connecting the state’s businesses, entrepreneurs, and economic development agencies with trade representatives from nations of the European Union. The EU is a market of approximately 450 million people with a combined economy of around $15 trillion, encompassing many different markets, needs, and comparative advantages.

From as far back as our years as an independent republic, Texas has always been outward looking. As part of the US, we have pursued trading and international investment relationships more aggressively than any other state. This is a key reason Texas has been America’s largest exporter for almost two decades, worth $375 billion in 2021 and more than twice the value of #2 ranked California. The Texas-European relationship is a cornerstone of our state’s economic success and the Texas-EU Business Summit provides businesses with information and connections to help to grow that partnership further even as new opportunities and technologies emerge. The summit is not only for corporations and large businesses, in 2018 small and medium-sized enterprises accounted for 39.3% of all Texas exports.

Participants in the May 12^th event will be briefed by knowledgeable experts on the business climate and opportunities within key EU markets and sectors. They will also have the opportunity to interact and make connections with European trade representatives and European enterprises.

While detailed profiles of individual sessions will appear in this and future newsletters, highlights of the 2022 summit include:

• Detailed examination of EU market access
• A case study of the International Venture Bridge program between the Government of Hungary and Austin's Tech Ranch.
• Remarks by Pjer Šimunović, the Ambassador of Croatia to the United States
• Discussion of the Smart Cities Project

The Texas EU-Business Summit Preview takes place May 12, 2022. To learn more or to register for the summit, visit: https://conferences.la.utexas.edu/texaseusummit/.

The 2022 summit will feature a presentation on the Texas-Hungary Venture Bridge program, launched by Austin-based venture accelerator Tech Ranch in conjunction with the government of Hungary. Gábor Markocsány, Consul at the Vice-Consulate of Hungary in Houston, and Kevin Koym, founder and CEO of Tech Ranch, will explore how the program connects promising Hungarian tech ventures with American counterparts, to the benefit of both.

“Most of our trade with Texas is in high value sectors,” explained Consul Markocsány. “The International Bridge idea builds on that, putting together local guys with local guys.” A successful pilot project saw Tech Ranch interact with more than 40 Hungarian technology companies, bringing some of their top people to Texas to experience the local business environment and assist them with finding local partners. Markocsány said while the trade bridge concept may be cliché, it is cliché for a reason. “They are essential for the small and medium-sized enterprises that are essential to economies.”

Hungary’s choice to partner with a Texas-based entity was no coincidence. “The US is one of our main non-EU trading partners,” Markocsány explained. “And every fifth dollar of trade or FDI we do with the US is with Texas, about the same value as we do with Canada.”

While the Venture Bridge highlights that Texas is important for Hungary, it also sends a message that Texas enterprises should pay attention to Hungary as well. Hungary’s value as a tech partner interconnects with the country’s other advantages. It has a strong educational system and well-developed occupational training similar to Germany’s. Hungary offers a great location and robust international business ties not only with other EU members but with the Middle East and North Africa. Americans are already a familiar business presence in Hungary. The US is the country’s largest non-EU investor, totaling more than $8 billion in investment supporting over 100,000 jobs. Serious about recruiting the right kind of investment and partners, Hungary has put into place innovation-friendly policies and R&D incentives to recruit high value-added projects.

For Hungary, participation in the Texas-EU Business Summit is an opportunity to showcase the maturation and globalization of Central Europe and convey to Texas businesses and entrepreneurs that the advantages offered by Hungary and its neighbors today are different from the ones that existed 30 years ago. “Today, we’re not really looking for job creation, we’re looking for upscaling. Here you will find great talent, great distribution and logistics, great marketing, and great quality of life,” Markocsány said.

Have further questions? Please contact the Texas EU Business Summit organizers at [email protected]