Select LA Investment Summit 2025
2025/5/13
On May 8, World Trade Center Los Angeles (WTCLA) hosted the Select LA Investment Summit 2025. Select LA is California’s premier international investment gathering that brings together global investors with business and government leaders from the region. This year, Select LA welcomed its 10th anniversary, celebrating the last decade of impact and designing the next decade of opportunity.
Consul General Sone joined the “Innovation Clusters: Growing industries in LA” panel exploring how targeted investment, public-private partnerships, and a robust talent pool are fueling emerging sectors in Los Angeles. During the panel discussion, Consul General Sone highlighted examples of innovations and investment by Japanese companies in the Greater Los Angeles area in various industries including hydrogen technology (demonstration projects at ports), biomedical (investment in manufacturing and R&D), mobility (collaboration with academic institutions), aerospace and defense (supply chain development), and more. He expressed his hopes for further collaboration between Japan and Southern California and noted the MOU between Japan Business Association of Southern California and Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC).
At the summit, the annually updated report on Foreign Direct Investment in California was released, showing Japan still in the top slot as the largest foreign investor in Southern California and Los Angeles County (10 consecutive years since the release of the first report). According to the report, Japanese companies created over 127,000 jobs in the State of California, generating approximately $14.6 billion in wages. In Southern California, the report states that Japan has contributed over $10.8 billion in wages and over 93,000 jobs. The Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles, in close cooperation with WTCLA, is also disseminating information on Japan's economic contribution to California.
Foreign Direct Investment in California, 2025 (World Trade Center Los Angeles)
Consul General Sone joined the “Innovation Clusters: Growing industries in LA” panel exploring how targeted investment, public-private partnerships, and a robust talent pool are fueling emerging sectors in Los Angeles. During the panel discussion, Consul General Sone highlighted examples of innovations and investment by Japanese companies in the Greater Los Angeles area in various industries including hydrogen technology (demonstration projects at ports), biomedical (investment in manufacturing and R&D), mobility (collaboration with academic institutions), aerospace and defense (supply chain development), and more. He expressed his hopes for further collaboration between Japan and Southern California and noted the MOU between Japan Business Association of Southern California and Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC).
At the summit, the annually updated report on Foreign Direct Investment in California was released, showing Japan still in the top slot as the largest foreign investor in Southern California and Los Angeles County (10 consecutive years since the release of the first report). According to the report, Japanese companies created over 127,000 jobs in the State of California, generating approximately $14.6 billion in wages. In Southern California, the report states that Japan has contributed over $10.8 billion in wages and over 93,000 jobs. The Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles, in close cooperation with WTCLA, is also disseminating information on Japan's economic contribution to California.
Foreign Direct Investment in California, 2025 (World Trade Center Los Angeles)
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| Opening remarks by Mayor Karen Bass |
Panel Discussion with Consul General Sone |
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| WTCLA CEO Stephen Cheung and California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis |
Booth by JETRO Los Angeles Office |
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| Booth by JETRO Los Angeles Office |