By Andy Owens
aowens@scbiznews.com
Published July 16, 2010
The Charleston Regional Development Alliance will unveil the results of a research project to objectively analyze the Charleston region with similarly sized areas in the Mid-Atlantic today and Monday.
The study, conducted by Clemson University’s Center for Economic Development and the Center for Business Research at the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, compares five areas: economic performance, human capital, innovative activity, entrepreneurial environment and quality of place.
How the Charleston region comparesThe Charleston Regional Development Alliance used an index that measures 25 economic indicators against a national average score of 100. Among other findings, the study reported:
More details of the study can be found at the CRDA website and in the July 19 issue of the Business Journal. |
“This report is important to us for several reasons,” said alliance President and CEO David Ginn. “First, our region competes globally for jobs, investment and talent, and this report shows how we stack up against similar Southeastern markets. And second, it gives us a way to measure the real impact our collective efforts are having over time. By this I mean everything from economic development to work force development to community development.”
A summary of highlights from the 2010 Regional Economic Scorecard will be published in Monday’s edition of the Charleston Regional Business Journal and can also be viewed online.
The CRDA study used regional economies that specialize in different sectors — for example, Greenville for its manufacturing, higher education and technology transfer expertise; and Lexington, Ky., for its innovations in medical technology and positive entrepreneurial environment. Other regions used in the study include Jacksonville, Fla., Knoxville, Tenn., Richmond, Va., Savannah, Austin, Texas, and Raleigh, N.C.
Throughout the scorecard, business leaders offer their perspective on the data and why the findings are critical to the region’s ability to increase high-paying jobs.
“Education and economic development go hand in hand. It’s not enough to just focus on creating jobs,” said Anita Zucker, chairwoman and CEO of The InterTech Group. “We must also build a pipeline of technically skilled workers to fill those jobs — not just for high-profile newcomers like Boeing, but because all businesses demand it.”
The project is a progress update from five years ago, when the region adopted a cluster-based economic development strategy.
“Our anticipation is that organizations throughout our region can use the information to help guide their own initiatives as well as the efforts we collaborate on,” Ginn said.
Reach Andy Owens at 843-849-3141.
Yes