This report is the result of research on technology councils in regions throughout the United States and Canada, and interviews with 39 tech council CEOs and Executive Directors. It includes information gathered from the interviews and from Tech Council websites which reflect what a selected number of Technology Councils have already been doing relative to the creation and nurturing of Innovation Ecosystems. View the report below, or Click here to download the .pdf file
Principal author:Jack Antonich, President, Sales Leverage Group
Support and consultation from: Matthew Nemerson, President, Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) 2009-2011President & CEO, Connecticut Technology Council
From the report summary:
The Technology Councils of North America demonstrate broad coverage across the U.S. and Canada. This is not only meaningful in terms of the number of regions but also in the fact that they are located in areas of greater population density and represent a large number of the innovative technology companies that are being relied upon to achieve success, grow, and provide the jobs of the future.
In collecting and assembling information for this report, relating to the Impact of Innovation Ecosystems on economic development, the author was reminded of the 50’s song “Two Different Worlds; We Live In Two Different Worlds”. It wasn’t too long ago that technology councils were primarily trade organizations that represented the best interests of their members, and economic development organizations at federal, state, and locallevels were focused on creating environments conducive to promoting commerce and providing incentives to business and industry to locate in a particular place or take a particular course of action.
No longer can we afford to function in this way. Competition, from throughout the world, has had an unanticipated, and profound, effect on our domestic economy. The results for many citizens who have been negatively impacted are: incomes either lost or reduced, standard of living impaired, and future opportunities made unclear. And; this does not appear to have only current consequences. Loss, or reduction, of income makes it difficult, if not impossible, to save for children’s education or for retirement which can translate into a greater burden on society in the future.
So; in a certain respect, what we’re really talking about is competing more effectively in the globalmarketplace. In the past, our rivals took over manufacturing many of the products we consume, and took advantage of technological advances to provide services to us. They accomplished this, for themost part, by capitalizing on lower cost human and physical resources and, in some cases,manipulating currency and creating trade barriers.
Overcoming the advantages they possess, represents a formidable challenge which, as has been provenin the past, cannot be overcome by individual action. This is the time when people in a position to make a difference have to come together and become part of something bigger.And, the people coming together must be the ones that recognize what is meant by being innovative inthe twenty-first century. In a world of extreme high-tech and science, the winners will be those whodiscover, create, and deliver the advanced products and services of tomorrow.
Thus, the idea of bringing together members of organizations focused on the technology community with those in economic development can produce a synergistic effect that will power our competitiveness andrestore our economic strength. As with most things, it’s a matter of will.
It’s been shown in this report that Innovation Ecosystems exist and are producing results. The next step is to expand on what’s already been accomplished by spreading the word, getting more players on board, deepening our understanding of what needs to be done and how to do it and, most importantly, doing it. We’ll finish with the old sales adage: “There are no Problems, only Opportunities”.
Seizing the opportunity and helping to bring our country back to a strong economic condition can be fulfilling and rewarding. It offers an opportunity to leaders with foresight, courage, conviction and stamina to step up to the challenge and effect change. Did we just describe you?
