Gov. Jim Doyle will travel to the United Kingdom and Ireland next month to strengthen economic ties between those countries and Wisconsin and to attract new foreign investment to the state.

Mary Regel, a representative of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, oversees international trade affairs. She said the trip to the U.K., which will take place from March 10 to14, would enhance cooperation and collaboration between Wisconsin and the British Isles.

?A lot of Wisconsin companies have gotten attention in the U.K., and many British companies have also done business in Wisconsin,? she said.

According to Regel, the continued depreciation of the dollar in relation to the euro and British pound could stimulate further interest in foreign investment in Wisconsin. Regel added that the great strides made in stem cell research at the University of Wisconsin have not gone unnoticed by U.K. and Irish observers.

?Stem cell researchers in the U.K. are very interested in what’s going on in Wisconsin. This trip will help collaborate interests for companies dealing with stem cell research on both sides,? she said.

Lee Sensenbrenner, spokesperson for Gov. Doyle, said a number of similar delegations consisting of Wisconsin leaders had success in foreign countries, like the recent mission to China that was considered a great boon for the state.

?The delegation is meant to increase partnerships and expand markets abroad,? he added.

The delegation itself will consist of members of the governor’s office, including the staff of the Department of Commerce and a variety of small- to medium-sized Wisconsin business owners and representatives. The business leaders come from an array of industries.

The economic climate in the U.K. and Ireland makes it a particularly attractive location to build business networks, according to a statement from Doyle?s office. Exports from Wisconsin to the U.K. have increased consistently over the past few years, totaling $686 million in 2006. Ireland, considered to be a model for economic development in the European Union, is entering its 13th consecutive year of growth.

?The group mainly consists of [leaders of] small to medium manufacturing companies, but includes a high-tech firm, a lumber company and other agricultural businesses,? Regel said.

The final list of individual companies that will make up the delegation is currently unknown.

?We generally do not like to release specific names so far in advance of such an event because many people or companies may change their minds or drop out,? said Tony Hozeny, a Department of Commerce representative.