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Economic Development Training Class

Technology-led Economic Development

Date: April 16-17, 2008
Location: Alexandria, VA

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The quest to expand or increase a community’s technology businesses can be confusing and overwhelming at first glance. Communities must judge to what extent they should strive to recruit and support the technology industry, and determine ways to help local businesses tap into technology opportunities. Learn how to partner with government, industry, universities and the public to make technology a more prominent element of your local economy. Find out how the importance of economic transition from an Industrial Economy to a Knowledge Economy has made science and technology and a highly-skilled workforce the two key components of economic growth.

Course highlights:

Dynamics of the Global Knowledge Economy
Regional TLED Strategies—Who Must Participate and Partner?
Preparing a Market Strategy Based on Local Assets
Comprehensive Regional Innovation Systems
Technology Commercialization / Knowledge Management
Promotion Tactics
Research Parks, Incubators, and Multi-Tenant Buildings

Agenda

April 16
8:30 - 9:00 am	Registration
9:00 - 10:00 am	Introduction to Technology-Led Economic Development This session sets the context for the rest of the agenda topics. It will begin with definitions that describe the dynamics of the Global Knowledge Economy and why what we face for the future is not the same as the recent past. Questions to be discussed will include: What is technology? What is a technology company? What are the significant changes in economic dynamics that we need to take into account in economic development? What major changes does all of this imply for economic developers and for regional economic strategies?
10:15 - 11:00 am	Strategic Planning: Organization and Process for Creating a Regional TLED Strategy In this session, we will explore the importance and practicalities of creating a regional TLED strategy. We will address topics that include: How do you define your “region” for a regional strategy? Who needs to participate? How do you organize the stakeholders? How do you get buy-in? Among participants and roles explored will be local colleges and universities, local and state government, and the private sector. Models for regional plans and regional alliance organizations will be described as examples. The importance of thinking and acting collaboratively will be discussed.
11:00 am - Noon	Defining Local/Regional Capacities and Industry Clusters, to Create a TLED Market Strategy Once participants and a process are defined, the next step is to assess local/regional capacities and the assets on which to base a TLED strategy. This session will review basic SWOT analysis, including economic assessment. It will address assessment of education and workforce assets and requirements. It also will describe how to analyze existing industry base and define present and targeted clusters for market strategy. Components of a Market Strategy will be explained.
Noon - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 - 3:00 pm	Engaged Research Institutions—at the Heart of TLED Strategies Having addressed the overall issue of regional alliances or partnerships earlier, in this session, the participants will explore in greater depth all the ways in which community colleges, universities, medical and other research institutions are playing (or should play) critical roles in any regional TLED strategy. This session will also address the issue of what to do in the absence of these types of institutions.
3:00 - 4:15 pm	Organizing a Regional Innovation System—How You Grow Entrepreneurship to Support Technology For several years, economic developers and universities have focused on technology transfer. We now know that the process of creating successful technology entrepreneurship and clusters is more complex. It depends upon a whole “system” of resources—all working together. Many of the pieces include connecting research institutions with communities to foster critical entrepreneurial business skills, networking and financing opportunities. There will be discussion of how the pieces work together to create the right environment in which technology companies grow and thrive. Then, Day 2 sessions will address individual components of the Innovation System in greater detail.

April 17
9:00 - 10:15 am	From Idea to Marketplace—Knowledge Management Processes How does a technological innovation move from an idea to a product or service in the marketplace? To create an Innovation System that encourages technological development, it is important to understand the process of technological commercialization—or “knowledge management.” Participants will be introduced to the legal and financial framework for bringing an innovation to market, including technology protection, product licensing, and other means of managing innovations. Financing of technology companies will be covered.
10:30 - 11:30 am	The Knowledge Workforce We know that one of the hugely important factors to tech companies, when they decide where to be, is the availability of a suitably skilled local workforce. Indeed, focus on workforce strategies has become an important part of the economic developer’s job. In this session, we will address how to strategize for bringing together local/regional resources (K-12, WDBs, Colleges, etc.) to be sure that your region can market its high-skilled workforce for tech companies.
11:30 am - 12:30 pm	Technology Parks, Incubators, and Multi-Tenant Buildings—Creating the “Place” for Tech Companies One additional important component of the Innovation System is space and facilities. This session will address all the real estate development elements of a TLED strategy—what, how, financing techniques, etc. The session will cover incubators, research/technology parks, and the special challenges and importance of multi-tenant buildings. For those who anticipate TLED strategies that include life sciences, there will be discussion of the special additional challenges posed when wet lab space is needed, especially for start-up and young companies.
12:30 - 2:00 pm	Lunch
2:00 – 3:00 pm	Promoting Your Community In Day 1, the subject of creating a Market Strategy was addressed—which included both what types of industries or companies to target and how to identify and position the features of your community (and region) that are attractive to the technology market. Next comes the actual business of promotion. This session will deal with some nuts and bolts of promoting your community/region. While recruitment activities are part of promotion, promotion also includes effective marketing of local assets. Techniques will include such tactics as promotion venues, print and WEB materials, PR, tapping into partner marketing efforts, and how to cultivate prospects.
3:15 - 4:15 pm	Putting it All Together Now that you have heard about the pieces, how do you put it all together? This session will summarize the information covered in the course, provide a few mini case studies, and engage participants in discussing how they would apply what they have learned in their regions.
4:15 - 4:30 pm	Wrap-up and certificates


* Agenda subject to change
PLEASE NOTE: In order to receive full IEDC certification credit for this course and a certificate indicating course completion, participants must attend the entire course and stay through the final session on the last day. Please make travel plans accordingly.

Instructors

Martha J. Connolly, Ph.D.
Director
Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (MTECH)
University of Maryland

Dr. Connolly is the Director of MTECH Partnerships, a group of programs of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (MTECH) at the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland. MTECH Partnerships acts to enhance the competitiveness of Maryland companies by allowing them to access university resources and expertise. She is also director of the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS). The Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program accelerates the commercialization of technology in Maryland by providing matching funds for collaborative R&D projects between companies and University System of Maryland faculty. Dr. Connolly is also an adjunct faculty member in the Bioengineering graduate program at the A. James Clark School of Engineering.

Dr. Connolly holds BS and MS degrees in Chemistry from Stevens Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University. She was a research faculty member at Johns Hopkins, and later an assistant professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She is the author of 36 publications in cardiovascular systems physiology. She is the former Senior Biotechnology Specialist for the State of Maryland’s Department of Business and Economic Development. She also was a founder of an entrepreneurial technology development company, and directed business development at a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company. Dr. Connolly currently serves as a board member of the State of Maryland’s Enterprise Investment Fund, and of the Emerging Technology Center, the City of Baltimore’s technology business incubator. She is experienced in early stage technology commercialization, business development and economic strategies. In 2007, the Daily Record named Dr. Connolly one of Maryland’s 50 Most Influential People.

Sean Garretson, AICP
President
Pegasus Planning, LLC

With over 16 years of experience, Sean Garretson is a specialist in land use and community and economic development planning. He was responsible for development activities for a Council of Government and a large public utility in Central Texas. In his areas of expertise, he has managed planning for a large civil engineering firm, and has led consulting projects for two of the nation's largest economic development consulting firms, Angelou Economics and TIP Strategies.

Mr. Garretson received a BA in Anthropology from George Washington University and an MS in Community and Regional Planning with a Specialization in Economic Development from the University of Texas-Austin. He is a certified planner (AICP) with a specialization in economic development. Mr. Garretson serves on several revitalization boards in Austin, including one in which he chairs the board of an attainable housing non-profit.

Eva Klein
Managing Partner
IDEA Partnerships, LLC

Eva Klein is a managing partner of IDEA Partnerships, LLC and President of Eva Klein & Associates, Ltd. Ms. Klein has been consultant for technology parks and economic development strategies in the US and abroad. With more than 30 years of experience, she is known for her leadership in defining strategies for knowledge-based economic development. Ms. Klein’s earlier experience includes senior positions at American University, KPMG Peat Marwick, and Chemical Bank (Chase).

Ms. Klein served on the boards of the Association of University Research Parks and the International Economic Development Council. She has been an invited speaker at many conferences. She authored "Technology Parks and Incubators: A Nexus Between University Research and Industrial Research and Development," to Innovative Models for University Research (Haden & Brink, 1992). Ms. Klein earned an MS in Education and of Finance and Strategic Planning an from the University of Pennsylvania.

Accommodations/Training Location

Westin Alexandria
401 Courthouse Square
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703) 253-8600
Website: www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/
Hotel Rate: $199 single/double
Hotel cut-off date: March 20, 2008

Registration

By March 5

March 6 - April 2

*After April 2

IEDC Member

$395

$495

$535

Non-member

$495

$595

$635

*Walk-in registrations will be accepted. Full payment must be made on-site in order to attend the course.

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