Most of the annual studies Expansion Management publishes revolve primarily around cost factors, and for obvious reasons. Our 5th annual Knowledge Worker Quotient™, on the other hand, focuses on the college-educated work force — scientists, engineers, medical doctors, Ph.D.s and others with graduate and postgraduate degrees — that provides the foundation for our knowledge sector economy.
These are the communities that will thrive and prosper in the future, and there is one common thread that runs throughout all of them: the presence of one or more major research universities.
“Universities are the main attraction that bring technology businesses into a particular area,” says Charles Brez, vice president of innovation alliances at NineSigma, a Cleveland, Ohio,-based company that enhances the R&D capabilities of businesses like P&G, DuPont, and Kraft, by connecting those companies with the best researchers worldwide through an open network of innovators. “Look at Silicon Valley with Stanford, or Route 128 with MIT in Cambridge, Mass. To me, there's no better draw for bringing businesses into an area than technology and research spending in a university.”
Only West Lafayette with Purdue comes close with its technology park. And Indiana is doing what to promote this? Ball State and Muncie are also stumbling forward in this direction.
This week's newsletter from Mayor Smith touted two new companies coming to Anderson. ZEQ Manufacturing is locating at Raceway Industrial Park (formerly Guide Plant 9) and Tower Investments bought Guide's Plant 9 and real estate at Exit 22 on I-69.
I do not necessarily object to bringing businesses to Anderson. Unlike some local Democrats, I do not even object to the City hunting foreign companies. Muncie just picked up a Spanish company. (An event not mentioned by Anderson's Herald-Bulletin). Being competitive means going overseas and if we will not be competitive then we can look forward to a dismal future. What I do object to is our inability to grow our local businesses in favor of out of town companies. I put this down to our being owned by General Motors for so long. I say any real change in Anderson's economy requires promoting local entrepreneurs as well as importing businesses. In turn, that requires a huge change in attitudes locally. Once more from the Expansion Management article:
Does Anderson have the diversity and the talent pool for 21st century businesses? If it does, do we have the structure to translate that diversity and talent pool into jobs? Finally, if not, why not? I think the answer to the first question is yes, to the second no, and no idea of how to fix the problem with our current leadership.A community does not have to have a world-renowned university in order to provide highly educated workers.
“While the elite schools do produce benefits, for corporations what is sometimes important is the good solid students who come out of middle tier schools, and even community colleges to staff their ranks,” said McGrath. “Diversity and a deep talent pool are good things for growth.”
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