After spending about five days in Japan, MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said the "fruits" of her trip with Gov. Jennifer Granholm and other state university leaders will "blossom" for years to come.

Simon returned to MSU on Thursday after joining Granholm for part of a weeklong trip to persuade Japanese companies to invest in and bring jobs to Michigan.

During the trip, Simon, former Acting Provost John Hudzik and several other MSU faculty members took part in a panel discussion on how Japanese businesses interested in biosciences research can take part in studies performed at the state's universities.

Simon said she mostly spoke about the university's role in food safety and plant sciences research.

"I planted a lot of seeds, and using a high-tech greenhouse, I hope the seeds will grow faster and better," a still jet-lagged Simon said Friday. "We'll see the fruits of this trip in years ahead."

Granholm told the Associated Press that her visit was beneficial because it encouraged several Japanese automobile industries to invest in the state. Two Japanese auto suppliers, DENSO Corp. and Tokai Rika Co., committed this week to creating 500 new engineering, manufacturing and research and development jobs in the state, in addition to currently established ones.

Simon said she traveled to the Japan Center for Michigan Universities, or JCMU. She met with about 40 MSU alumni at a reception and visited students working as hosts at the U.S. Pavilion during the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi, Japan.

"It was really terrific to meet students and to see first-hand the value of the program at JCMU," Simon said.

Simon said nearly every moment of her five-day trip was filled with discussions about MSU in the hopes to bring attention to the university's educational and research programs.

Hudzik said the trip was a major effort on the part of Michigan to tote Michigan research and intellectual and manufacturing capabilities.

"There are strong possibilities not only for MSU but for the state of Michigan," he said.

MSU biochemistry and molecular biology Professor Rawle Hollingsworth also accompanied Simon on the trip to present MSU's advancements in the field of renewable resource chemistry.

"We have a very strong program here at MSU and it was well-received," he said. "It's going to have a very positive impact on the state and help direct the university in closing the technology gap (with the rest of the world)."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Amy Davis can be reached at davisam8@msu.edu.