Regional Economic Development

"Regional collaboration creates a competitive advantage," "Today the real game is not about attracting outside business; it’s about growing existing business," (Was there anyone from Montana at these meetings? If so, we’d like to talk with you about your impressions and suggestions.- thanks, Russ)

A new report by the Center for Economic Development at Carnegie Mellon University documents case studies of the university role in promoting and sustaining industry clusters, and assesses the factors that are vital to successful university-industry cluster development.

Over the past nine months, Missouri has created more jobs than all but nine other states, and throughout the national recession, Missouri’s unemployment rate has remained below most other states.

Health care accounts for one in five Spokane jobs, and there’s opportunity for even more, asserts a report released Monday. David Bunting, an Eastern Washington University economics professor, determined that about 50,000 jobs in Spokane…

The ultimate goal of the project, funded by the Small Business Administration’s Office of Native American Affairs, is to form an association of small business owners that functions like a chamber of commerce.

Colorado added 14,500 new jobs last month – the second-fastest growth rate in the nation – evidence that state employment is finally starting to rebound.

Studies have shown a strong correlation between high-wage economic growth and university research activity. As a result, many state and local economic development efforts strive to increase the quantity and quality of university R&D undertaken within their boundaries. States can encourage this by financially supporting the recruitment and retention of exceptional academic researchers through endowed chairs, faculty positions, or eminent scholars.

"This is one of the most significant steps in our company’s history," said CJ Buck, president and CEO of the family-owned, 102-year-old company. "Everything about this business-friendly region offers perfect opportunities for us to make our greatest strides forward in years."

While conventional wisdom suggests that attracting new businesses and industry is paramount to economic development, the growth in retirement-age populations challenges this thinking.

"Utah innovation has enabled the rise of many high-tech companies," she said in opening the awards presentation luncheon. "We are the entrepreneurs of the country."