Sunday, October 20, 2002
Whatever you call it -- the New Economy, the Information Economy, the Knowledge Economy -- innovation and entrepreneurship are the key to economic growth. Brainpower requires networtks to build businesses, and communities that understand this fact will prosper over communites caught in the old ways of doing things.
Take the case of Fort Wayne, Indiana. EDPros who want to start building an innovation infrastructure in their communities should look at the Innovation Cener of Northeast Indiana. Here you will find the kind of web-based connections that provide a start to building this infrastructure. The Center has an impressive list of sponsors, and they can give you an insight into the type of companies that might support a similar effort in your community.
One weakness: the home page features a presentation completed in February, 2001. (The news section of the site, however, is up-to-date.) Another element that needs work, it seems, is interactivity. The IC has no e-mail newsletter and no strong community features to its web site. Nonetheless, it is a promising start. In particular, both the organization and the design of the site are good models to follow. Review the site. Go
posted by Ed Morrison |
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Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site:
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Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
Building a regional innovation infrastructure
