Tony Blair continues his US visit today, seeking to highlight both British commercial interests and the issue of climate change.
The prime minister has spent the last two days in San Francisco talking to political and business leaders about similar themes, and on Monday flies to Los Angeles where he will host a climate change summit.
As part of the summit, Blair will meet California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to discuss progress being made on carbon emissions.
The event is part of a series of events following on from last year's Gleneagles G8, when Britain highlighted global warming as one of its key priorities.
The climate change talks will involve discussion on emissions and alternative fuels. BP boss Lord Browne and Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, will be there to contribute to the debate.
Blair will also draw attention to Britain's involvement in the innovation and biotech sectors.
He will focus on Britain's position in stem cell research, meeting executives from biotech companies to promote a conference planned in the UK in November.
His support for stem cell research contrasts with the views of President George W Bush who this month vetoed a bill aimed at
broadening research in the US.
Ahead of the meeting, the government's chief scientific adviser said Britain was in an "enormously strong" position to become the world leader in stem cell research.
Sir David King said there were economic and health benefits to making the UK the global hub of the controversial research technique.
"Certainly the government will see this as an area for investment so we can see a return over the next 10 or 20 years," he told Sky News.
Meanwhile, the prime minister's official spokesman has defended the visit to the west coast of the US.
"California is an economy which is similar to ours in that it has a new economy which is increasingly based on heavy knowledge-based industries," he said.
"These are based on innovation, commitment to education, developing biotechnologies, including stem cell research, and high tech industries.
"It is also very committed to taking on modern challenges such as climate change where the governor had taken on a particularly high profile role.
The trip also includes an address to Rupert Murdoch's annual gathering of News International executives.
