Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong signs MOU with European group on the UAH campus

Dr. Philippe Lachapelle (center), representing the Wallonia Foreign Trade and Investment Agency, joins Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong, (second from right) to sign an MOU on the UAH campus. Others attending the event (from left) were State Representatives Mike Ball, Jim Patterson and Phil Williams. At far right is Christian Bertacchini, Madison County's international representative in Europe.

Michael Mercier | UAH

Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong and a Belgium representative signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to help build a greater international presence for Madison County organizations.

Strong and Dr. Philippe Lachapelle, Director of Business Development, Partnerships, Research, and Innovation for the Wallonia Foreign Trade and Investment Agency (AWEX) in Belgium, signed the MOU on the campus of The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).

The Madison County Commission, UAH, and the North Alabama International Trade Association have partnered to establish a presence in Europe to identify research and business opportunities for our region in the global marketplace.

The alliance with AWEX and the Open Worldwide Innovation Network (OWIN) headquartered in Brussels, Belgium - a partnership of aerospace (Skywin) and biotechnology (Biowin) clusters, academic and research centers, and government agencies in Europe, North America, and Asia - will assist companies in finding new markets and opportunities for collaborative research and commercialization.