Other than a single visit by then-Gov. Nathan Deal in 2017 and a smattering of locally led trade missions, Italy hasn’t seen the same level of recruitment interest from Georgia as other European locales like Germany and even the Netherlands. 

Yet somehow, investment from the European Union’s third largest economy has emerged as a major force for job-creation. The state is home to 60-plus companies, many of which have quietly built up high-tech operations that employ hundreds of Georgians.