Regional Economic Development

Despite advances in entrepreneurship in the United States, stimulating business growth in
rural areas continues to be a challenge.

Some of those variations are really obvious: you can’t get cellphone coverage everywhere in rural America, much less broadband, for instance.

Two federal agencies — one a manager of wildlife habitat, the other of high-voltage power lines — are teaming up to study the impact of wind development in six states, including Montana.

Hawaii’s entrepreneurial-support community, which has traditionally looked to California for the venture and angel-investor partnerships needed to help provide more capital for The Islands’ emerging-growth companies, has recently developed a curiosity about similar the potential for similar partnerships in the Northwest.

Proposal: Put water at the center of your administration’s strategic agenda.

The contest, which is looking to grow outdoor products companies in the region, will award $20,000 in cash and services to the first prize winner, and $10,000 to second and third prize winners.

"The challenge is coordinating state, local and university policies to match our existing "agglomeration and location advantages." Associate Professor Greg Larson

Time to mark your calendar with special Entrepreneurship education events in 2008-2009

Increasingly, communities are taking a more balanced, integrated approach of economic development that includes all deal flows.

Local Improvement Districts typically are formed by property owners who agree to tax themselves in order to make improvements to their neighborhood. But in this instance, the city hatched the plan, then pitched it to property owners.