Project Updates (Page 2)

Topic Overview Workforce development—or Talent Development—encompasses initiatives that educate and train individuals to meet the needs of current and future business and industry in order to maintain a sustainable competitive economic environment.  In a recent survey of corporate executives, two of the top three most important site selection factors relate to workforce development (Citation: “The Role of Workforce […]

Topic Overview Promoting entrepreneurship is an increasingly visible part of the national innovation strategy for achieving sustainable growth and quality jobs. Not only do startups bring a wealth of transformative innovations to market, they also play a critical role in job creation across the United States, especially among traditionally disadvantaged populations. Entrepreneurs that grow their […]

Topic Overview Regional innovation clusters represent concentrations of companies that develop innovative products and services, along with specialized suppliers, service providers, universities, and other associated institutions. The idea that this concentration of activity is important as a foundation for economic growth has been well known for decades by academics and was one of the founding […]

Topic Overview Technology acceleration is defined as integrating technology into the products, processes, services and business models of existing companies to solve existing problems in the commercial marketplace or to help the private sector pursue opportunities that will result in growth. Technology acceleration is an ideal for economic development that incorporates the entire innovation continuum, […]

Small Business Finance Topic Overview Access to capital is a lifeblood for small businesses – it helps businesses expand, hire new workers, build a new factory, or buy a piece of new equipment. Small business financing is a structural problem. While small businesses employ nearly half of Americans, they have difficulty accessing private capital markets. […]

Topic Overview Foreign direct investment (FDI) represents the recruitment of a new company from outside the U.S., and it has long been an important policy priority for states. FDI is important for economic growth and well-being because it provides jobs, fuels innovation, and creates long term economic relationships between the U.S. and its trading partners. […]

Topic Overview Manufacturing is a critical priority for almost every state because it serves as the foundation for the economy and provides a broad array of opportunities for American workers to find family-sustaining jobs. Manufacturing contributes to the economy in other important ways as well: Jobs: The U.S. manufacturing sector today employs 12 million Americans. […]

The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), one of three associations that the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) manages, today released the State of State Business Incentives 2015 report which reflects the present status of the more than 1,900 state business incentives in operation around the U.S. The report is based a recent review that C2ER performed for its State […]

The Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC), in partnership with West Virginia University (WVU) have launched a new website that seeks to further educate the public about the significant structural and socioeconomic changes that have taken place in the U.S. Appalachian Region following the Appalachian Regional Development Act’s passage in 1965. The site specifically focuses […]

  ARLINGTON, VA – The Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC), an independent nonprofit that provides policymakers with data and technical assistance to formulate and execute innovative and regional economic strategies that lead to job growth, today released findings on how its clients grew during Summer 2015 by relying on pre-determined CREC guiding principles. Devotion to […]