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In
the news
SGA advisory committee releases
report on South’s New Economy
Excerpted from the Charleston
Regional Business Journal
Sept. 10, 2001
(NOTE:
S.C. Gov. Jim Hodges this year appointed Andy Brack to sit
on this panel of technology leaders who developed this report.)
From
Sept. 9-12, Lexington, Ky., is the site of the annual meeting
for the largest regional governors’ organization in the
U.S.: The Southern Governors’ Association (SGA). This
year, the meeting centers around a report released this month
by the SGA’s Advisory Committee on Research, Development
and Technology.
The report, Seeds for the New Economy: Research, Development
& Technology, outlines the results of a year-long initiative
by the committee, which is comprised of governor-appointed
leaders from the public and private sectors.
The committee outlines five key challenges for the future
of the region:
– The region is behind in higher education attainment
and investment in human capital;
– The investment in overall research and development
is too low;
– Cooperation between the governmental, academic and
business communities is insufficient;
– The building blocks and resources that fuel and support
the research base are inadequate;
– The goals and measures for success are undefined.
Committee member Andy Brack, communications strategist
and principal of The Brack Group, says the primary purpose
of the report is to offer practical suggestions for governors
and other officials to aggressively pursue technological innovation.
“New leadership is needed,” says Brack, “one
that will embrace cooperative efforts for research and technology,
plus make the most of what we already have.”
In the South, research and development spending as a percentage
of the gross state product averaged 1.6% compared to 2.9%
for the rest of the country (Milken Institute).
“Improving
the research base,” says Brack, “will allow entrepreneurial
‘spinoffs’ in the region.” The report cites
Charleston as an example: As a coastal community, Charleston
may want to focus on a coordinated effort to cluster, or develop
research and other opportunities, in relation to the maritime
community.
The committee also proposes changes in government—specifically,
the improvement of government processes by the use of digital
technology as well as mandatory technology training for all
government employees. “If local leaders embrace technological
initiatives, it gives communities the impetus to boost their
online government efforts individually,” says Brack.
In a recent Bank of Boston survey on company location determinants,
corporate leaders ranked quality of life as the most important
feature to attract them to an area.
“One of the selling points for this region is quality
of life,” Brack says. “We have what corporate leaders
want.” The report recommends that states encourage local
governments to develop new land use plans that include green
space and areas zoned for high-tech growth because quality
of life issues are critical determinants to where technology
and R&D activity will thrive.
(To read the full story, go to the Charleston
Regional Business Journal.)
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