President Barack Obama seemed to seek the praise of the business community during last night’s State of the Union address.

Obama called for progress on stalled trade pacts, investments in education and infrastructure and freezing unnecessary government spending to cut the deficit.

“The president seems to be focused on growth and making business a partner, not a foil,” said Jim Kessler, vice president for policy at Third Way, a Washington-based policy group, in an interview with Bloomberg.

An underlying message following the Arizona shootings earlier this month was unity. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ husband Mark Kelly watched at her side from a rehabilitation facility in Houston, as shown in a photo on the CBS broadcast during the speech.

“We will move forward together or not at all,” the president said.

Highlights of Obama’s speech included:

-Obama called for Congress to extend tax credits to fund college education, and called for an addition of 100,000 teachers in science, engineering and math within 10 years.

-Obama wants to increase U.S. research and development in technology, and proposed high-speed Internet access for 98 percent of America’s citizens in five years. He also wants to boost renewable energy investment.

-The president called for a re-investment in the nation’s roads, bridges and mass-transit systems, and announced a goal to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years.

-He urged Congress to pass the pending free-trade agreement with South Korea.