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New Report: The clean technology sector grew at a faster rate than the rest of the Arkansas economy over the last eight years and shows the greatest potential for continued growth, according to a recent report by the Southern Growth Policies Board and released by the newly-formed Arkansas Advanced Energy Association (AAEA). The “Arkansas Clean Technology Primer” is the first comprehensive overview of the state’s clean tech sector, which has grown from a handful of companies in 2003 to more than 80 companies today employing thousands of Arkansans, according to the report. “The Primer shows that the clean tech sector represents a significant growth opportunity for our state’s economy,” said Steve Patterson, AAEA Executive Director. “Global demands for energy are rising rapidly and those states that diversify energy resources are most likely to attract new jobs and prosper.” The Primer cites recent studies by Brookings Institute and the Pew Center on States that agree that while Arkansas endured an overall decline in jobs between 2001 and 2010, the clean tech sector grew from between 7.8 percent and 16 percent depending on methods used to define clean tech. Recent advanced energy job growth in the state includes wind component manufacturers like Nordex USA, Inc. in Jonesboro and LM Wind Power in Little Rock and FutureFuel Chemical Co., a biodiesel manufacturer in Batesville. Read the executive summary and full report. SAFER Bioeconomy Case Study Series: With a mission of serving "as a catalyst for regional prosperity and advancement," Longwood University has turned its need for energy into an opportunity for regional innovation. View and download the case study here. New Commentary – Discovering Bioenergy Research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) conducts research all across the bioenergy supply chain. Biologists, ecologists, chemists, material scientists, geographers and economists have teamed up over the past 35 years to better understand and quantify the potential of bioenergy and to advance bioenergy technologies. While research dollars are flat to decreasing in this time of fiscal austerity, the need for research to enable the promise of bioenergy has not diminished. ORNL is leveraging its research dollars, teaming with other institutions and moving forward. The needs for bioenergy—energy security, rural development, reduction of greenhouse gases has never been greater. Click here to read the entire commentary, written by Robin Graham, Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and SAFER Advisory Council Member. SAFER Bioeconomy Case Study Series: Georgia grows wood like the Midwest grows corn,” says Jill Stuckey, director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Energy. In fact, with nearly 25 million acres of forests in Georgia, the state ranks second in the nation, behind only Oregon, in terms of forest acreage. In contrast to Oregon, where many of the forests are on federal land, 90 percent of Georgia’s forests are privately owned. It’s not surprising then that a desire to find new markets for Georgia’s wood products was a key impetus behind the creation of the Center of Innovation for Energy and one of its core services, the Biomass One Stop Shop. View and download the case study here. STC Releases the Top Ten Policies for the Innovative State With innovation being a leading weapon in the fight for new jobs and companies, the Southern Technology Council has released the top ten policies for building an innovation economy. The policies fall into five areas:
Targeting industries is a theme running through the recommendations. As states struggle to be more effective with their economic development funds, targeting industries offers a way to leverage investments. The policies rest on the multiple actors needed for innovation: universities, angel and venture capital investors, legislators, private companies. One of the capstone characteristics of an innovative state is a well-funded organization responsible for promoting innovation within the state. To view the policies commentary, click here. SAFER Bioeconomy Case Study Series: Tennessee Renewable Energy & Economic Development Council A number of recent newspaper headlines have proclaimed that Tennessee is “Turning over a New Leaf,” referring to the rollout of Nissan’s first electric Leaf cars produced in East Tennessee. In fact, the past few years have seen Tennessee turn over a new leaf in its focus on the clean technology economy as an economic development strategy, including the enactment of the Tennessee Clean Energy Future Act in 2009. A nonprofit grassroots organization, the Tennessee Renewable Energy and Economic Development Council (TREEDC) has emerged with the aim of helping ensure that the opportunities of the clean technology economy extend beyond these major headlines. View and download the case study here. Survey: Citizen Input on the State Budget States continue to face major financial challenges as a result of what has been called the Great Recession. The Southern Growth Policies Board, National Association of State Budget Officers, and Southern Consortium of University Public Service Organizations are looking for ways that citizens can help state leaders by weighing in on what they most value about state government—and where they would be willing to make trade-offs. As a starting point, this survey is designed to gather background information on how citizens currently find and use information on the state budget. Working with the Kettering Foundation, the project partners plan to use this information to develop discussion materials for more in-depth conversations between citizens and budget officials about state budget issues. The survey is available at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BGZGWK6 We encourage you to complete the survey yourself—and also to pass it along to others in your networks. Please feel free to contact Linda Hoke at Southern Growth at (919) 941-5145 or lhoke@southern.org with any questions. We appreciate your time and look forward to learning from you!
Webinar On Creative Economies Creative industries—from crafts to media to the performing arts—are receiving increasing attention as drivers of economic development in both urban and rural areas. What is the picture for the South and how are Southern states and communities tapping into the creative economy as a key to future growth and competitiveness?
View and download additional Resource Guides in the Seeing the Future series.
New Commentary – Play Nice to Win: Maximizing Competitiveness through Collaboration In these times—where collaboration is both a competitive advantage and a challenge—we find many organizations are searching for better ways to work together to achieve those things that they cannot accomplish alone. Ted Abernathy, executive director of Southern Growth Policies Board, was asked to write the cover article for Chamber Executive Magazine on the topic of collaboration. Click here to read the entire commentary.
Ask the Experts “Ask the Experts,” features a rotating panel of experts from around the region offering their views on an important economic development question. This month, we posed the following question:
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Southern Growth Policies Board, P.O. Box 12293, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Phone: (919) 941-5145, Fax: (919) 941-5594, Email: info@southern.org