Business leaders have essential roles to play in building regional innovation ecosystems, but whether that potential is realized depends on how clearly those roles are defined and how deliberately the ask is structured.
Author: Francie Genz
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Leveraging Intermediaries to Strengthen Workforce and Economic Development Systems
Intermediaries are key to workforce and economic development, but what do they actually do? We seek feedback on six coordination functions every region and state needs.
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Why Ecosystem Building Matters (and Why it’s So Hard)
Innovation ecosystems may sound organic, but capturing the economic benefits of innovation doesn’t happen naturally.
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Building a Regional Semiconductor Workforce Pipeline – What Regions Can Learn from Austin, Texas
We contend that the workforce gaps facing CHIPS regions are too complex for a patchwork of transplanted programs. Instead, we emphasize the need for strategic, locally grounded partnerships—among firms, educators, training providers, and civic actors—to co-design talent pathways that reflect each region’s asset base and industry dynamics. In the Austin example, we show how such regionally tailored systems can outperform disconnected efforts.
We further propose establishing a national semiconductor learning network to help regions share lessons, avoid repeating mistakes, and scale what works. By facilitating ongoing feedback loops, adaptive learning, and cross-region dialogue, such a network can help regions more nimbly respond to evolving demands and reduce reliance on isolated pilot projects.