Guest blog post by Brian Lenihan,  Acting Executive Director of SelectUSA

From expansive freeways and bridges to thriving seaports and airports, infrastructure is the backbone of the U.S. economy, fueling U.S. competitiveness by creating efficient supply chains, reliable energy information, as well as modern and secure transportation systems.

However, years of underinvestment in infrastructure have partially handicapped U.S. growth potential. As the United States now turns toward reinvesting in its infrastructure, there are countless business opportunities for domestic as well as international firms.  

On Friday, June 22, April Palmerlee, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia, will lead a panel on rebuilding and modernizing America’s infrastructure at the 2018 SelectUSA Investment Summit. The panel will highlight President Trump’s “Building a Stronger America” initiative with a focus on regulatory reduction in the permitting process and creative financing, both key to addressing these needs through public-private partnerships as a source of funding at the state and federal levels.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau will also lead a session during the Investment Summit Academy on Wednesday, June 20. Roger Bohnert, Director of the Office of Outreach and Development, will explain how local and state-level economic development organizations can find support for infrastructure projects through the Department of Transportation.

The SelectUSA Investment Summit’s focus on infrastructure this year is demonstrative of the Trump Administration’s commitment to restoring the infrastructure of this country to its full potential, creating economic growth and American jobs in the process.

The 2018 SelectUSA Investment Summit (June 20-22) is the highest-level foreign direct investment event in the United States. U.S. economic development organizations and international business investors will converge in Washington, D.C., to hear from industry experts and high-ranking government officials providing insight into several key areas of U.S. strength: workforce development, the burgeoning commercial space industry, and advanced manufacturing.