Gov. Jim Doyle will exchange business and policy plans with British and Irish officials when he hops the Atlantic today for a weeklong trip. 

Reducing greenhouse emissions and issues in stem cell research, especially plans for the upcoming World Stem Cell Summit in Madison next fall, will take center stage in the governor’s talks, along with strengthening business ties to the region. 

“This trip is an opportunity to strengthen important relationships with business and government officials and promote Wisconsin as a world leader in so many areas, from groundbreaking stem cell research to reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” Doyle said in a statement.

According to Doyle spokesperson Carla Vigue, the exchange between Wisconsin state officials like Doyle and officials in federal governments of other nations can be valuable, especially in trading policy plans and new ideas to rework economic ties.

The trip falls in the midst of talks among legislative leaders and Doyle to repair a budget shortfall of more than $650 million, though Vigue said leaving for the trip did not mean a deadline for the budget repair.

“It’s ongoing, [negotiation] doesn’t have to be put off,” Vigue said. “He’s in constant contact with the office.”

Doyle has also taken official trips to China, Japan and Mexico. According to Vigue, the process of selecting a destination depends on common ground and mutual interest.

“As more and more requests for meetings from various countries on different topics come in, he’ll take a look (at the ideas) as a group,” Vigue said. “A lot of it is based on trade potential or potential for building partnerships on issues like climate change and health care.”

The U.K. is Wisconsin’s 4th largest export destination, while Ireland ranks 34th, according to the Department of Commerce. 

Ireland is developing a strong biotech sector, according to the Department of Commerce, and an executive order in 2006 established a working relationship between the National Stem Cell Bank at the WiCell Research Institute in Madison and the United Kingdom Stem Cell Bank.

Commerce Secretary Jack Fischer and Tourism Secretary Kelli Trumble also led a trade mission to Ireland and the U.K. in mid-March. That trip focused on tourism compatibility between the two regions.

Ireland has been one of the EU’s fastest growing economies, according to Fischer, and it purchased $82.6 million in Wisconsin goods last year.

“The Irish economy is open to international trade and a very receptive market to U.S. products,” Fischer said in a statement. “Wisconsin firms have the flexibility and tradition of innovation to capture both additional market share and mutually beneficial business partnerships.”