Community Policy and Research Services
We Facilitate Economic Development
Developing, as well as maintaining, a community, region, and state that support long-term economic development is difficult to accomplish. Today’s fast-changing business climate, accelerated by globalization, requires innovative planning supported by best practices and research. The Enterprise Innovation Institute offers a broad range of services to help you make the best economic development decisions. These include:
Enhancing Community Economic Development Efforts
We develop and deliver practical, knowledge-based solutions to communities and regions throughout the state. In addition to our services designed to leverage your community’s economic development and technology efforts through TechsmartSM, CalibrationTM, and AcceleratorSM programs, we also customize solutions for your community.
Planning for the Future
Growth is inevitable for many communities, making management of it a necessary, if difficult task. Our tools and services – including WebFITTM and WebLOCITM – enable you to make more informed decisions, based on fiscal and economic factors, about the impacts of new and growing companies as well as the consequences of land-use decisions.
Research and Policies That Matter
Although our research is based on the latest academic theories, we interpret it in both practical and actionable terms for your community. We also assist the state and its communities in developing and implementing technology-based economic development policies.
Attracting Industry
By leveraging Georgia Tech’s tremendous resources, we help your community and region attract the kinds of high-wage and high-technology industries.
Training for Today and Tomorrow
for more than 40 years, Georgia Tech has been a nationally and internationally recognized leader in economic development training for practitioners, government officials, and others interested in innovative yet practical approaches. Many of our programs offer credit toward economic development certifications.
Forum on Innovations in Economic Development Series
The Forum brings together faculty, other researchers, students, economic development practitioners, and policy-makers to discuss leading-edge ideas and best practices in economic development. Established in 2004, the Forum meets three to four times per semester at Georgia Tech.
All materials in SMARTech are protected under U.S. Copyright Law and all rights are reserved. Such materials may be used, quoted or reproduced for educational purposes only with prior permission, provided proper attribution is given. Any redistribution, reproduction or use of the materials, in whole or in part, is prohibited without prior permission of the author.
Collections in this community
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Community Innovation Services [19]
Customized services to fit your community
Recent Submissions
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2009 Policy Priorities of Women Business Owners
(Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, 2009-07)On April 29, 2009, a town hall meeting of women business owners was held in Atlanta at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Student Center. Hosted and facilitated by the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC), this ... -
Understanding E-Commerce in Rural Georgia
(Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, 2009-08-08)From September 2008 through February 2009, the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2) conducted a series of focus groups and a survey of businesses regarding how they use, or would like to use, e-commerce ... -
Benchmarking Excellence Among Accredited Economic Development Organizations
(Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, 2009-05)In search of competitive excellence, economic developers often ask for guidance and assistance on key enterprise management and operational issues relating to running a quality economic development program. They are ... -
Chamblee, Georgia: Home Grown Industries and the New Faces of the Entrepreneurs
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2000-08)When Kodak and other Fortune 500 companies closed their plants in Chamblee, Georgia, it devastated the small city's economy. Chamblee began a process of "asset-based community development," but fell short of identifying ... -
Aiken, South Carolina: Strategizing One Step at a Time
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2000-08)In 1997, the National Civic League dubbed Aiken an "All American City," an honor it shared with nine other cities across the nation. This is quite an achievement for a community that experienced significant job loss during ... -
Columbus, Georgia: Civilian-Military Relationships Spawn Economic Development
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 1999-09)As the 1990s approached, Columbus, Georgia knew that military base realignments and closures were about to happen. Rather than wait for the U.S. Department of Defense to make its decision, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce ... -
Cummings Research Park: A Critical Mass of High Technology Industries
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 1999-09)In 1962, Cummings Research Park, located west of downtown Huntsville, Alabama, was formed as a 150-acre joint development of the University of Alabama in Huntsville Foundation and Milton K. Cummings, then-president ... -
Greenwood, South Carolina: Partnering for Effective Economic Development
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2000-08)A small community with no interstates or major metro area to draw from, Greenwood has been able to attract such companies as Fuji Photo Film, B.F. Goodrich, Kaiser Aluminum, Eaton Corp., and Warner-Lambert. The Greenwood ... -
Savannah's Crossroads Business Center: Developing Wetland Property
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2000-08)When the federal government changed its definition of what constituted a wetland during the 1980s, it significantly impacted coastal communities such as Savannah, assigning wetland status to greater portions of developable ... -
Oxmoor Valley, Alabama: New Urbanism Arises in Birmingham
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 1999-09)Less than 20 years ago, Oxmoor Valley was a wild pasture located just southwest of Birmingham between Red Mountain and Shades Mountain. Today, it is a 7,800-acre mixed-use community that houses a fully occupied light ... -
Cullman, Alabama: Industrial Speculative Building Program Diversifies Economic Base
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 1999-09)Prior to the 1980s, Cullman, Alabama was an agriculture town with a significant portion of its manufacturing base in poultry production. Today, Cullman continues to lead Alabama in poultry production, but also has a ... -
Western North Carolina: Regionalism - A Collective Competitive Advantage
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2000-08)When competing for new business and economic growth, it is rare for two counties to work together. In Western North Carolina, however, twenty-three rural counties are doing just that. Western North Carolina is one of ... -
2007 Case Study Review of Inventor Assistance Organizations
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008)With the goal to build capacity for better competing in the global market, public and private entities all over the world are adopting new ways to identify their human capital and improve their economic productivity. The ... -
Youth - The Real Future of the South: Georgia Discussion Forums
(Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia, 2008-06)Through the Southern Growth Policies Board, Governors and other key leaders of thirteen states and Puerto Rico jointly investigate economic development issues of high priority across the South. Each year, an issue is ... -
2007 Survey of Georgia's Independent Inventors
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008)Independent patenting activity has grown rapidly in Georgia over the past 30 years, with nearly 8,000 patents issued since 1975 to inventors not associated with corporations, universities or similar organizations. A ... -
Benchmarking Quality Management Among Accredited Economic Development Organizations
(Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, 2006)In search of competitive excellence, economic developers often ask for guidance and assistance on key enterprise management and operational issues relating to running a quality economic development program. They re interested ... -
Building the Next Workforce: Georgia Discussion Forums
(Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Georgia, 2007-06)Workforce development was widely viewed by stakeholders across Georgia as an area of critical challenges and opportunities for the state that must be addressed. The future workforce – the state’s youth - was widely ... -
Report on Georgia's Innovation Forums of 2006
(Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Georgia, 2006-06)Each year the Southern Growth Policies Board conducts a major policy research project to explore a vital issue related to economic development. A central component of the research project is to gather the opinions and ... -
Rural Georgia: To Be or Not to Be Zoned
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2001-12)A variety of public policies in Georgia can influence a community’s economic development potential. Zoning is one of these policies. In 1983, the Georgia State Constitution gave individual counties home rule power to ...