Innovation Forums of 2006

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Innovation Forums of 2006
 
 
 
 
 
Georgia
 
 
It is clear that Georgians understand that
innovation is not an option, it is imperative to
our future success. Governor Sonny Perdue
 

• An Executive Briefing

 
 
 
A Collaborative Project In Support of Georgia
and the South
 
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Background

• Southern Growth Policies Board launched its
  Southern Innovation Initiative to answer the
  research question
• How Can Communities Across the South
• Harness the Economic Potential of
• Technology and Innovation?
• Answers gathered by listening to 4,000 citizens
  across the South

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Four Approaches

1. Build Knowledge
2. Encourage Entrepreneurship
3. Boost Existing Business
4. Recruit Innovation (People and Investment)

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Purpose

1. Contribute to Southern Growths 2006 Conference
   on the Future of the South
2. Share information about the challenges that exist
   for bridging the innovation gap
3. Help local stakeholders learn about programs that
   can foster innovation
4. Stimulate informed, action-oriented dialog in
   regions and communities
5. Begin to chart a customized path of action for
   each region

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Process

• Partnerships
• Two of Georgias flagship Research Universities
• Georgia Centers of Innovation
• Georgia Rural Economic Development Center at East
  Georgia College
• Local Chambers of Commerce and Development
  Authorities
• Results
• 18 Discussion Forums held across Georgia in
  February and March
• Approximately 370 Georgians participated

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Geography of Forums
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• Regional Forum Site (188 participants)
• ? County Forum Site (186 participants)

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Forum Participants

• 78 earned a college or graduate degree
• 66 were male
• 87 were white
• 88 were middle-aged (30-64 years old)
• Government (28), business (23), and education
  (23) accounted for the largest shares of
  stakeholder affiliations
• Invited and self-selected

Home Origins
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Key Findings

• Education is the Dominant Issue
• Critical need for improvements in K-12
• Poor preparation in math and science
• Lack of academic challenge for all students
• Failure in teaching the love of learning
• Inability among students to see relevance in the
  real world
• Lack of parental involvement in their childrens
  education
• High need for remedial training of high school
  graduates

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Stakeholder Quotes

• They may physically drop out at 16 years old,
  but they emotionally drop out any where between
  10 and 13 years old.
• - Middle Georgia Region (Swainsboro)
• We must start at home with support for
  education. It is the key aspect in resolving
  poverty. We need to teach our residents this.
• - Charlton County

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Key Findings

• Building Knowledge is the prerequisite for
  success in fostering innovation but absence of
  cultural support noted
• Home-grown innovation (talent development,
  business development) is favored over recruitment
  
• Encouraging Entrepreneurship ignited much
  dialogue and state support recognized
• Widening gap between the technology haves and
  have-nots is a pervasive concern
• Lack of broadband infrastructure as well as more
  basic infrastructure (i.e. water, sewer, and
  housing) is impeding innovation
• Libraries are praised as filling a very valuable
  function, but there are barriers preventing full
  use by residents

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Key Findings

• Remedial training in math and science to high
  school graduates was a need identified by
  employers and college reps
• Closed architecture is sensed by those trying to
  access University system resources
• Georgia Centers of Innovation are viewed as
  providing a bridge to university resources, but
  awareness about the program varies across the
  state
• Survival mode prevents many small-to-medium-size
  d enterprises from investing in research and
  development
• Innovation is discretionary among enterprises and
  communities that are in survival mode

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Key Findings

• Competitive challenges for business enterprises
• Significant investment in new equipment that
  needs to be replaced in 3-4 years in order to
  remain competitive
• Finding quality workers who can use the current
  innovations and adapt to new ones as they are
  replaced by later generations of innovation
• Rapid pace of technology development can make it
  cost prohibitive for communities and companies to
  keep up
• Entrepreneurial spirit required for businesses to
  be successful
• Pockets of innovation exist throughout Georgia
• Lack of unity among state, regional, and local
  efforts, as well as public-private efforts, cited
  as a barrier to innovation

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Stakeholder Quotes

• When you go into industry, this is what you
  see things that are clean. You dont see dark
  and dingy buildings. You see this modern stuff,
  technology all around you, and its exciting.
  These are the things that kids, and more
  importantly, the parents, need to know about.
• Northeast Georgia Region (Gainesville)

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Stakeholder Quotes

• I learned that the agricultural base has
  definite technology needs that require large
  investments in capital.
• Colquitt County

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Impact of Forums

• 22 of participants were not sure about
  innovation and technology before the forums, only
  6 continued to feel so following the forums

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Impact of Forums
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Impact of Forums
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Impact of Forums
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Impact of Forums
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Impact of Forums

• There is not just one solution.
• I am more aware of what is available and what
  needs to be done. I see opportunity and growth
  potential in our community.
• Collaborative effort needs to be implemented in
  actual business practice, not just in government
  and policy.
• I realize the need to raise our level of
  education in the early years to better develop
  technology.

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Impact of Forums

• We need to build innovative individuals, not
  bricks mortar. By doing so, the development
  will follow the people, and some of the
  innovative individuals will stay in the area.
• I have been personally challenged to facilitate
  and develop means in which to attract and engage
  youth, through technology, i.e. computers, to
  become knowledgeable and entrepreneurial savvy.

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Next Steps - Overall

• Communities and Regions
• Widely disseminate results of the Georgia forums
• Develop an action plan customized to each forums
  results
• Conduct future forums tied to action plans and
  specific topics of interest
• Broaden participation especially by sectors
  under-represented at these initial forums

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Implications

1. Spread the word on the importance of and vehicles
   to innovation
2. Foster a culture of learning
3. Develop a customized approach to education
4. Conduct special outreach to students, as early as
   3rd grade, and parents
5. Increase emphasis on critical thinking and
   problem solving among youth

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Implications

• Foster home-grown innovation among existing
  enterprises, including entrepreneurs
• Improve access to computers and Internet in all
  communities and socio-economic categories
• Expand support programs to create desirable
  environments for talented people to foster
  innovation
• Think Regionally
• Continue the dialogue

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Team for Georgia Forums

• Mac Brown, CEcD Paul Kreager, EDFP
• Karen Duncan Greg Laudeman
• Dennis Epps Bill Russell, CEcD
• Hortense Jackson Phaedra Tucker
• Inna Kharoujik Joy Wilkins, CEcD

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For More Information

• Georgia Tech
• Joy Wilkins, CEcD
• 404-895-6115
• joy.wilkins_at_innovate.gatech.edu

University of Georgia Mac Brown,
CEcD 706-583-8284 macbrown_at_fanning.uga.edu