Universities are starting to define "innovating regions" Monday, March 10, 2003 Universities are beginning to define "innovating regions" -- they are starting to forge collaborations that are beyond the scope of what EDPros can manage on their own. The message to EDPros is simple: We need to start thinking and acting regionally...if we do not, we will become increasingly irrelevant. Take the case of Ohio Valley Affiliates for Life Sciences (OVALS). Four universities -- University of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Wright State University -- have joined together in a collaboration to build life sciences in a region that stretches on both sides of the Ohio River. It ties together four metro areas: Lexington, Louisville, Cincinnati and Dayton. This approach makes sense. The first step in biotech development is to build a research base capable of producing good science. None of the universities involved are tier one research universitites, like Johns Hopkins or Yale. By establishing on-going collaborations, each university can focus and develop its research programs while opening the door to larger scale research projects. Learn more. Building the research base is only a first step. A more complex challenge involves building leading edge technology transfer policies and business development networks. That's where the real work of business development begins. University research collaborations are clearly one important trend in regional economic development. In New England, Northeastern University, the University of New Hampshire and the University of Massachusetts Lowell have pooled their resources to try to convince NSF officials that they should be the site of the agency’s next Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center. But let's not obscure an important point. In a brainpower economy, post-secondary institutions are critical to our success. For their own survival, postsecondary schools are becoming more entrepreneurial and regionally focused. EDPros need to recognize this profound shift and take advantage of the new opportunities. posted by Ed Morrison |		This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. links 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. So, spread the word...Share the knowledge. Tell a friend about EDPro Weblog. If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site: Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber: 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.

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