City leaders hope a new partnership will help Northeast Florida play a bigger role in the global economy.
Jacksonville is joining the Global Cities Initiative’s new Exchange Network.
Jacksonville is one of eight communities in the initial exchange network and the only one that has a major port business.
The network will later expand to include more U.S. cities and others around the world.
Mayor Alvin Brown said there are valuable benefits to the partnership.
“My goal is to make Northeast Florida the global export gateway of the South," he said. "I see the significant role that trade plays in making the Jacksonville region and America’s ports so crucial to our cities’ futures.”
The Global Cities Initiative is a joint project of the Brookings Institute and JP Morgan Chase.
Jacksonville will be represented in the exchange by local leaders from the Office of Economic Development, Jaxport, JaxUSA Partnership, Jacksonville University and the University of North Florida.
They’ll start by developing a regional export plan and later they’ll integrate a foreign investment strategy.
You can follow Kevin Meerschaert on Twitter @KMeerschaertJax.
