Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-IA, visited the virtual reality applications center in Howe Hall with a group of foreign diplomats and ambassadors from 55 countries Wednesday in an attempt to highlight the emerging research and technology that Iowa State has to offer foreign investors.

The ambassadors’ stop at Iowa State is part of a larger tour of Iowa led by Grassley to expose not only the new technologies that Iowa has to offer, but also to promote international trade opportunities for agriculture and  service industries across the state. 

“In putting this tour together, I hope to encourage and foster collaboration and economic activity that benefits the people of Iowa for many years to come,” Grassley said. “Iowans indicate that they see the tour as helpful to building new opportunities for our state’s economy by helping to make the tour possible.”

Beth Levine, press secretary for Grassley, said the tour was created as a way for Grassley to have a more direct impact on Iowa’s economy at the local level, and to help Iowa’s longstanding and emerging small businesses.

“Senator Grassley started this tour in 1986 in response to the farm crisis,” Levine said. “Most economic development happens at the state level, so, as a federal legislator, he was trying to figure out a way to help at the federal level. So he came up with this idea of bringing in the ambassadors, and it has been a great success.”

Levine said one aspect that makes Grassley’s tour so beneficial to Iowa is the high profile of the ambassadors in their respective countries. Many of the ambassadors on the tour are top officials from their home countries, she said, who deal with economic affairs or trade with the United States.

Malaysia’s agricultural attaché, Ram Singh, said this is his first trip to Iowa, and so far he is very impressed with what the state has to offer. He said he has seen many prospects he would like to bring back to his home country, specifically in the field of agriculture. 

Singh said Malaysia already imports a high percentage of their corn from Iowa, and various other states in the Midwest, which is utilized to produce much of the feed for their livestock. He added that because Malaysia is not suited to grow soy, they are entirely dependent on states such as Iowa for their soy imports. 

Levine said another success story of Grassley’s campaign to promote Iowa came after a Columbian ambassador attended the tour some years back. She said the Columbian ambassador struck a deal with Iowa corn producers to begin selling corn to Columbia. 

Grassley said his goals for the tour are very broad – including increasing international student numbers at Iowa universities. However, he said that making business contacts and increasing Iowa’s economy is a top priority. 

“You want to sell products and develop contacts,” he said. “You want to open the door and show them what Iowa is all about. So if a business person from another country comes here, they will know something about Iowa – because this is fly-over country to most people in D.C.”

Grassley said he hopes that brining them into Iowa will not only develop contacts between the ambassadors and business owners, but that the ambassadors will go back to their home countries and spread the word about what Iowa can bring to the table. 

“The idea is to have international diplomats get to know first-hand what Iowa has to offer the world community and marketplace,” Grassley said. “When visitors return to their embassy assignments, they can spread the good word about Iowa. Iowans never fail to make a lasting, positive impression.”

The event showcased two local Ames business that utilize the technology at the virtual reality applications center in Howe Hall. One such business is BODYVIZ, which creates 3-D images of MRI and CT scans that can be used for medical training and practicing surgeons.

The demonstration also included a short introduction into other areas of what the center is capable of producing. The lights were turned down and the ambassadors, after dawning stereoscopic glasses provided by the school, where treated to a 3-D virtual tour of the Milky Way galaxy, developed by graduate students at Iowa State.

Jim Oliver, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the center, said he was very pleased with how well the demonstrations and presentations of the technology went.

“I thought it went great. Afterward, a lot of people followed up, wanting to establish student exchanges, and several of the ambassadors were interested in the start-up businesses that we talked about,” he said. “Many of them said it was the best stop so far in Iowa.”