Author: ei2admin

The Basic Economic Development Course Begins Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, Tuesday March 8, 2016, is the first day of the Basic Economic Development Course!

In 1967, Georgia Tech offered the first Basic Economic Development Course in the country and continues today to provide innovative education in both fundamentals and new concepts in economic development. In 2016, our Basic Economic Development Course will celebrate 49 years of being one of the first steps in the career of more than 3,000 economic developers.
Join us this year as we welcome Vicki Horton, a nationally-recognized site selection consultant who will kick-off the course, centered around Disruptive Technologies and their impact on economic development. Companies like Amazon, Uber, Zifty, Spotify, and Airbnb have revolutionized the way companies and communities do business. Over the duration of the course, we’ll discuss the impact that Disruptive Technologies hold for regional economies, as well as explore core economic development topics and current trends that are transforming the economic development profession and the businesses and communities you support.

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Check out other courses offered in the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) series! 

For more information, contact:
Leigh Hopkins
404-894-0933
ude.hcetag.etavonninull@snikpoh.hgiel

Investing in Manufacturing Communities in Northwest Georgia

The Center for Economic Development Research at Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2) continues to play a critical role in the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) initiative in northwest Georgia.

Northwest Georgia is home to the largest concentration of floor covering manufacturers in the world, and boasts production of more than 70 percent of the world’s total floor covering output, valued at over $9 billion. In September 2013, EI2 and the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission (NWGRC) were awarded an $85,000 challenge grant through the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) IMCP initiative to develop a comprehensive strategy focused on advanced manufacturing in the floor covering industry in the 15-county northwest Georgia region.

IMCP is a White House administration-wide initiative that is designed to accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing and help cultivate an environment for businesses to create well-paying manufacturing jobs in regions across the country. IMCP supports the President Obama’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, launched in 2011, and is a critical component of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s “Open for Business Agenda,” which prioritizes trade and investment.

EI2 led the creation of an “Advanced Manufacturing Strategy” for the 15-county Northwest Georgia region, as well as the successful application to become an EDA-designated Manufacturing Community during EDA’s first round of designations in 2014. Since 2014, EI2 has continued to provide implementation services under the Manufacturing Community designation in partnership with the NWGRC that have led to such notable results including the creation of an Advanced Manufacturing Academy at the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy (part of the Technical College System of Georgia), selection into the Aspen Institute’s “Communities That Work Partnership” workforce development program, a statewide apprenticeship program with the U.S. Department of Labor, a new regional inland port in Murray County with the Georgia Ports Authority, a post-consumer carpet recycling technology pilot program in Dalton, and a veteran’s hiring program for transitioning military through Georgia Tech’s VET2 program.

Visit the initiative’s website: www.floor360.org.

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For more information, contact:

Leigh Hopkins, AICP
Sr. Project Manager
ude.hcetagnull@snikpoh.hgiel
404-894-0933

New Name and New Website!

We’ve changed our name from Innovation Strategy Impact to the Center for Economic Development Research (CEDR). We hope this change will give our clients a better understanding of what we do. Also with this change, we’re making some updates to our website. In the coming weeks, expect to see more information about our services, our team, and our projects. We’ve also added a feature that allows you to subscribe to our mailing list. Keep up-to-date on all CEDR activities by becoming a subscriber. Thanks for your interest!

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