SAN FRANCISCO – There is royalty in San Francisco this week.
Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium is leading a Belgian economic delegation on a visit aimed at strengthening partnerships and trade opportunities with California.
The princess and her team of officials and business leaders on Monday began their visit with a trip to the top of Salesforce Tower, where they received a presentation on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
It marks Belgium’s first economic mission to California in more than a decade — and one of the largest ever organized by the country in the United States.
The delegation’s priorities include clean technology, aerospace, entertainment and AI. Belgian Ambassador to the United States Frédéric Bernard said California’s innovation and infrastructure make it a valuable partner.
“You mentioned autonomous vehicles — that is something we would like to look into because we think there are opportunities for Belgium, and Brussels in particular,” Bernard said.
He added that Belgium is looking to deepen ties with individual states, noting that “we have reached an agreement with the United States … covering topics that are really important for Belgium: pharmaceuticals, microchips. We are assured we have a solid base for partnerships.”
California, the world’s fourth-largest economy, also benefits from the relationship.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Belgium remains one of the state’s key European trade partners, particularly in technology and manufacturing.
After their stop in San Francisco, Princess Astrid and the delegation will travel to Los Angeles, where they plan to meet with business and civic leaders in the future Olympic host city.
The California visit concludes Saturday.
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