HRH the Hereditary Grand Duke, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, Étienne Schneider and an official Luxembourg delegation have returned to the Grand Duchy following a promotional mission to the East Coast of the United States.

On 19 May 2016, the delegation was received by Karen Peetz, president of BNY Mellon, which is investing in new technologies by creating a digital collaborative "open source" environment primarily targeted to the financial sector. In this context, the Deputy Prime Minister reiterated the government's efforts in the framework of the "Digital Lëtzbuerg" initiative, including the role of Luxembourg in the implementation of the European supercomputer project High Performance Computing. BNY Mellon has been present in Luxembourg since 1998 and currently employs 250 people.

HRH the Hereditary Grand Duke and the Deputy Prime Minister then discussed the economic situation in its US, European and Luxembourg contexts at a lunchean with members of the Economic Club of New York and other senior executives.

The day's programme also included a visit to the Betworks incubator in New York and the headquarters and studios of Major League Baseball (MLB) Advanced Media. MLB is looking to develop activities, such as online streaming broadcasting offers for sporting events, in Europe and is looking to Luxembourg as a potential site for establishing their European activities.

The following day involved a visit to Industry City in Brooklyn, a renovated former warehouse which today attracts startups, artists and restaurants. The official delegation then visited the premises of Ombligo within Industry City, which is active in the circular economy. The company recycles or repairs servers and computers, enabling it to offer digital equipment at lower prices. During the visit, the company's CEO Harris Edelman was informed of the opportunities in the Grand Duchy as a logistics hub and gateway to the European market.

22 May 2016 was devoted to a tou of the Luxembourg American Cultural Society & Center and the Roots & Leaves Museum in Belgium, Wisconsin. The official delegation was joined by HRH the Hereditary Grand Duchess.

On the evening of 23 may 2016, TRH and Étienne Schneider attended a reception dedicated to the ICT sector, which was held at Luxembourg House in New York. The event brought together members of the FEDIL business delegation with the leaders of twenty US companies.

Organised by Kaye Scholer LLP, a seminar on cyber-security and respect for privacy took place in New York the following day, with Minister Schneider emphasising in his speech: "The approach of Luxembourg in recent years has been driven by the vision of establishing information security and infrastructure at the national level. Last year, our government published the National Strategy for Cybersecurity II with the goal of promoting cooperation at the national and international level."

Afterwards, TRH and the Deputy Prime Minister had lunch with Leonard levie, President of the Board of AIAC Group, owner of Eurofoil Luxembourg SA.

On the evening of 24 May 2016, at the 8th edition of the Luxembourg American Business Award ceremony, HRH the Hereditary Grand Duke presented the award, in the presence of Étienne Schneider and around 330 guests of honour, to the company Ampacet. Awarded every two years, the prize rewards premium American companies established in the Grand Duchy who play an important role in the national economy.

On the occasion of the Business Awards 2016, Étienne Schneider presented the insignia of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the former president and CEO of Ampacet, Robert Falco, highlighting his commitment to the development of the company in Luxembourg.

On the final day, the official delegation attended a breakfast seminar organised by the Luxembourg Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (LPEA) which was also on a promotion mission in New York. The mission ended with a lunch with the Deputy Prime Minister and representatives of Venture Capital Funds, in order to inform them about investment opportunities in the Luxembourg digital industry.

Photos by MECO