Effective Technology-Led Economic Development Strategies

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Effective technology-led economic development strategies for distressed, rural communities are explored in a new report, Technology and Grit at the Grassroots.

Contact: Paul Kalomiris
Economic and Technology Policy Studies
NGA

Concrete guidance on how to put computers, the Internet, and advanced telecommunications to good use is distilled from practical research of 14 distressed rural communities in Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. In several of these cases, the state was a main source of funds for local technology-related economic development plans.

The guide was written by the National Center for Small Communities and is organized around five technology-led economic development strategies, including promoting entrepreneurship and increasing local business productivity. Some important lessons for localities are that they should build technology into a diverse economic development strategy, seek and secure the commitment of local elected officials, inform and engage citizens in technology-related decisions, and use local schools as critical resources and computer access points.

For the full report: http://www.smallcommunities.org/ncsc/Pubs/EDA/71482_NATT.pdf