Newark — Phil Murphy will travel to Israel June 28 through June 30 to discuss ways to strengthen economic ties and create new business partnerships.

He will be accompanied by his wife, Tammy, and their four children; this will be the Murphy’s fifth trip to Israel.

In addition to private gatherings with existing contacts across various sectors, Murphy is slated to meet with the heads of technology and information security firms iHLS and Team8 — leaders in Israel’s growing technology sector — as well as officials from the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he will visit The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel’s oldest university, and meet with the president of the University of Haifa and tour its biotechnology research facility. He also will meet with Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai.

Murphy said such meetings are essential to expanding joint educational and research and development opportunities, and economic cooperation.

“New Jersey and Israel are inextricably linked, both culturally and economically, and strengthening those ties will benefit both sides,” said Murphy. “Growing our economy not only means creating jobs at home, but also nurturing new markets and taking advantage of opportunities around the world. As one of our state’s top trade partners, Israel is well-positioned to play a leading role in our economic future.”

The New Jersey-Israel economic partnership produces more than $1 billion in shared annual economic activity, including $412.5 million in exports from New Jersey in 2016.

Murphy said international outreach is vital to repositioning New Jersey as a welcoming place for new businesses and economic partnerships. He noted that as Ambassador to Germany, he hosted many governors and state delegations for meetings with German companies interested in potential partnerships in the United States, but none from New Jersey.

“Getting New Jersey’s economy moving again will require a multi-faceted approach that not only looks within our state, but also worldwide,” said Murphy. “The potential for working partnerships with Israeli entrepreneurs and research institutions is exciting, especially given the potential for the innovation economy to help fuel New Jersey’s future growth.”

Murphy traveled to Israel last July for initial meetings with academic and business leaders on how New Jersey can better partner with Israeli firms and research institutions.