Research Parks and Job Creation: Innovation Through Cooperation

Jonathan Sallet, co-author of the report, “The Geography of Innovation: The Federal Government and the Growth of Regional Innovation Clusters,” testifies today before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation. He explains in his written testimony that Congress should support the Economic Development Administration, which can build effective collaborations between businesses, universities, and local governments that create jobs and invest in an innovate future:

I believe that the federal government can maximize the benefits of science and research parks, an integral part of sparking innovation and creating jobs in the US, by supporting regional innovation clusters to promote a comprehensive, long-term economic growth and development plans across regions in the United States.

My recommendation is that regional innovation clusters should become the centerpiece of a reauthorized Economic Development Administration (EDA), empowering the agency to work with businesses, universities, community colleges, state and local governments and community leaders to foster regional competitiveness strategies. This will help boost job creation and business growth by spurring the creation and growth of successful regional ecosystems, striking exactly the right balance between federal leadership and local responsibility and between the private and public sectors. Science parks and regional innovation clusters are two vital parts to a long-term solution – science parks will drive the clusters forward while the regional innovation cluster will strengthen and support the local framework in which the park can thrive. This broader effort will be the most effective and sustainable.

Read Sallet’s full testimony (pdf).

Tags: innovation clusters

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