The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia (the Chamber), through Select Greater Philadelphia (Select), is committed to raising awareness and fostering growth in Greater Philadelphia’s globally leading business ecosystem.
As part of this work, Select’s Economic Competitiveness team participates in a robust schedule of business- and industry-focused conferences and tradeshows to promote the region’s assets and advantages that make it a great place to do business compared to US peer regions. This includes lower cost of living, accessibility, and global leadership in several key industries.
In June 2024, the Select team participated in two SelectUSA-sponsored events – the 2024 SelectUSA Investment Summit in National Harbor, MD, and a SelectUSA Investment Summit Spinoff Event, co-hosted by the Chamber, Choose New Jersey and the Delaware Prosperity Partnership.
The focus of the spinoff event was to promote the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2) to an international delegation of business leaders in the US for the SelectUSA summit event.
Select Greater Philadelphia Showcases Region’s Strengths at SelectUSA
Select Greater Philadelphia joined with several Pennsylvania economic development partners to promote the state and region as part of the Pennsylvania Pavilion at the SelectUSA Investment Summit. The coordination of state partners was spearheaded by the State of Pennsylvania’s Office of International Business Development through its Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). Additional state partner organizations represented in the booth were the Lehigh Valley Economic Development, Penn’s Northeast, JARI, the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, and the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Commerce.
The event provided an opportunity to showcase our region’s ability to collaborate and a platform for the Chamber to engage with international and domestic business leaders interested in expanding to Greater Philadelphia.
Hasna Achik, Manager, Economic Competitiveness Strategy, the Chamber, and Elisa Procida, Manager, Regional Marketing, the Chamber, represented Select Greater Philadelphia at SelectUSA where they met with more than a dozen international company leaders to discuss the benefits of expanding or relocating their businesses into Greater Philadelphia.
Select Greater Philadelphia also supports business expansion into the region by providing support services, such as site visit planning and execution, property search assistance, economic research and data, and networking opportunities.
Increasing International Opportunities through Outreach
In FY24, 55% of the Chamber’s business expansion leads were from international companies. Notable recent expansions supported by the Chamber include the Australian-based company Strongroom AI, which expanded into Greater Philadelphia in January 2024, SDS Optic from Poland, Thema from Italy and InBody from South Korea.
SelectUSA Spinoff Shines Focus on MACH2
On June 20-21, 2024, the Chamber with Choose New Jersey and the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, hosted a successful SelectUSA Investment Summit Spinoff event to promote the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2) to an international delegation of business leaders.
MACH2, officially announced as a regional clean hydrogen hub on October 13, 2023, has been awarded up to $750 million from the federal H2Hubs grant program to support the research, production, processing, delivery, storage, and end use of clean hydrogen throughout the region, contributing to a national clean hydrogen network aimed at decarbonizing multiple sectors of the economy.
The spinoff event successfully showcased the Mid-Atlantic region’s potential as a hub for clean hydrogen innovation and investment, fostering connections and collaborations that will drive the future of clean energy.
The two-day visit included informative panel discussions with MACH2 partners and industry-leading experts as well as tours of several sites integral to the Mid-Atlantic region’s hydrogen ecosystem. Those include the South Jersey Technology Park at Rowan University, Repauno Port & Rail Terminal, the University of Delaware’s STAR Campus, PDC Machines, and the Philadelphia Gas Works Energy Facilities.
This event underscored the region’s commitment to advancing clean hydrogen technology and strengthening international investment, setting the stage for a sustainable and innovative future.
Get Involved in Greater Philadelphia’s Thriving Business Ecosystem
The Chamber is proud to support business expansion into the Greater Philadelphia region. To learn more about our business attraction strategy and services to support business relocation, email Hasna Achik, Manager, Economic Competitiveness Strategy, the Chamber at hachik@chamberphl.com.
