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 Using the Innovation Index to Evaluate Maine's R&D Capacity
by Justin M. Gifford, Operations and Communications Manager
In January, the 2012 Maine Innovation Index was released, containing 24 indicators that measure Maine's economic capacity and progress toward competing in an innovation-driven economy. This report is commissioned by the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development annually. In this year's release, the 24 indicators were divided into categories that represent key components of an innovation-based economy: research and development capacity, innovation capacity, employment and output capacity, education capacity, and connectivity capacity. For all of these indicators, the State of Maine was compared to the United States as a whole, the total or average of the New England States, and the total or average of states that participate in the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).
To read more about this and other reports recently released, please click here.
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Economic Development Strategic Planning Course Coming to Albany
Conducted in partnership with the Northeast Economic Developer's Association and Camoin Associates, the International Economic Development Council is presenting the Economic Development Strategic Planning course in Albany, NY on May 14-15, 2012.
This highly interactive course lets participants work in small teams to help understand the complexity of strategic planning and its challenges. Economic developers must build consensus among board members, stakeholders and the community as a whole, creating a unified vision for the future. Learn techniques to build consensus among stakeholders who represent different values and interests. Also, participants will learn the quantitative techniques used to better understand their community including: location quotients, shift share, input-output and cluster analyses. Explore project assessment methods for setting priorities and measuring your plan's impact.
To read more about this and other upcoming courses in Albany and to register today, click here.
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Economic Development Strategic Planning Components
by Christa Franzi, Economic Development Specialist
We are often asked by the communities we work with to provide a list of typical components that make up a strategic economic development plan. While we stress that it is important for each community to develop a scope of work that is specific to their needs, there are several general components that are important to most every economic development strategic plan.
To read more detail about each of these components, please click here.
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Three Critical Ingredients to Economic Development Success
by Robert Camoin, President & CEO
A number of years ago, I was asked by Colgate University's Partnership for Community Development to participate in an Economic Development panel discussion. The question I was asked to address was "the key ingredients" to economic development success. While it was a question most of us in the economic development profession have contemplated during our careers, I spent time preparing by identifying a number of Economic Development Organizations (EDOs) that were universally considered to be successful. I concluded that while there were a host of factors that contribute to a community or region's success, 3 critical themes appeared to be characteristic of the most successful EDOs.
To read more about these three critical themes, please click here.
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