Organizational Unit:

Enterprise Innovation Institute

Permanent Link

https://hdl.handle.net/1853/70697

Parent Organization

Organizational Unit

Office of the Executive Vice President for Research

Includes Organization(s)

Organizational Unit

Advanced Technology Development Center

Organizational Unit

Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

Organizational Unit

Innovation Corps

Organizational Unit

VentureLab

ArchiveSpace Name Record

https://finding-aids.library.gatech.edu/agents/corporate_entities/912

Full item page

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 14

Understanding E-Commerce in Rural Georgia

(Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, 2009-08-08) King, Dana ; Galewski, Nancy ; Green, Randy ; Lytle, Andrea ; Wilkins, Joy

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 activities to expand their business operations. The survey and focus group responses resulted in these primary findings: businesses have limited financial resources to pursue their desired e-commerce activities; to enhance their e-commerce knowledge, businesses have a strong interest in a classroom-based learning experience and a comprehensive Web site learning resource; many businesses have questions about how to determine which electronic tools professional service providers and other resources are the best to use to expand their e-commerce activities; and, broadband access remains a challenge for rural Georgia’s ability to maximize businesses’ full ecommerce and thus, their full market potential. These findings confirm that businesses throughout Georgia would benefit from more learning opportunities, and the continued pursuit of funding opportunities to enhance broadband connectivity throughout the state.
Benchmarking Excellence Among Accredited Economic Development Organizations

(Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, 2009-05) Wilkins, Joy ; King, Dana ; Garvey, Blair ; Lytle, Andrea

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 interested in operating as effectively as possible, in making the highest possible impact, and in having a knowledge system in place for tracking their performance to enable continual improvement. To assist in this arena, the Calibration ProgramTM was designed by the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2) to help local economic development organizations (EDOs) achieve higher performance in their operations. The program draws on quality management standards from the International Economic Development Council’s (IEDC) Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program, the International Organization of Standardization (ISO), the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program - and, the expertise of professionals associated with EI2. To provide benchmarks for EDOs via this program, IEDC and EI2 launched a joint initiative in 2006 to benchmark excellence in quality management among AEDOs located across the United States. These organizations were selected for participation in the survey because they have been recognized by IEDC for their enterprise excellence and, therefore, represent the “best of the best” in economic development. This initiative has informed other EDOs on what it takes to be a high-performance organization in economic development, as well as identified opportunities for continual improvement. It has provided a set of often-cited benchmarks. In 2009, IEDC and EI2 launched a new initiative to create up-to-date benchmarks by surveying current AEDOs. Stakeholders from each organization were asked to assess their organization on the basis of key indicators related to quality management, according to 10 areas. These 10 quality management areas include seven Baldrige award criteria and three additional criteria specifically relevant to economic development organizations. Also included were quality management indicators relating to innovation management and sustainability.
Youth - The Real Future of the South: Georgia Discussion Forums

(Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia, 2008-06) Chernock, Jason ; Wilkins, Joy ; Holt, Karen

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 selected for in-depth research that results in policy and action recommendations for implementation at local, state, and regional levels. A critical part of the process is the facilitation of community-based forums. In 2008, the key policy question was “What are the biggest challenges facing our community, and how can young people help address these challenges?” Building upon the 2006 and 2007 efforts, and to further support Southern Growth and the State of Georgia, in 2008, a series of discussions focused specifically on youth development and engagement were launched in Georgia. The focus was identified by Southern Growth in recognition of the immense value and potential of youth development as a critical building block toward developing a strong workforce and fostering knowledge-driven innovation that fosters new technologies and business opportunities. This effort was conducted under the sponsorship and leadership of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development, the State Workforce Investment Board, and the Georgia Department of Labor. The work of this broad-based and collaborative partnership included conducting a survey and hosting several discussion forums with Georgia’s youth to gather input on Southern Growth’s policy question. The survey and forums were developed and implemented by a university team comprised of professionals from Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia. The 2008 survey and forums generated data speaking to the preparation and perspective of the next generation workforce, as well as input about their level of engagement within their communities. Nearly 1,800 young people from across Georgia completed the on-line survey. Of these, 152 attended in-person forums that gathered their reaction to the survey questions. The implementation of the 2008 Southern Growth Policies Board’s Youth—The Real Future of the South initiative in Georgia was a collaborative effort involving many statewide partners, institutions of higher education, local government and educational institutions, and, most importantly, the hundreds of young people who took the time to express their opinions about the state of youth in Georgia today.
2007 Case Study Review of Inventor Assistance Organizations

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008) Wilkins, Joy ; Tucker, Phaedra

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 independent inventor can be a core part of that human capital base. However, the success of the independent inventor depends greatly on his/her access to support and assistance at all stages of the invention process: from product to market. Through an effort sponsored by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute launched an effort in July 2006 to explore the potential for assisting the independent inventor through a new pilot program known as the Innovator Assistance Pilot ProgramSM. At the heart of this pilot program is the desire to advance productivity, innovation, and entrepreneurship among independent inventors and other individuals in Georgia communities. To further understand how to best serve the independent inventor, the team launched an effort in 2007 to investigate and case study Inventor Assistance Organizations (IAOs) throughout the United States. The purpose of this research investigation was to benchmark common and promising practices and to identify key challenges inherent in providing inventor-based services and programs, and it marked the first comprehensive research investigation of IAOs conducted in the United States.
2007 Survey of Georgia's Independent Inventors

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008) Wilkins, Joy ; Remias, Chris ; Kharoujik, Inna

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 new study has found that nearly half of the products created by these inventors were in non-consumer areas, mainly in technologies such as medical devices, energy and the environment, and automotive applications. Despite their productivity, the study found that less than a third of the inventors realized commercial success with their patents. These findings were among the conclusions of the first-ever comprehensive survey of the state’s independent inventors. Conducted by Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute with support from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the findings suggest that the work of independent inventors could provide untapped economic potential for the state.
Building the Next Workforce: Georgia Discussion Forums

(Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Georgia, 2007-06) Wilkins, Joy ; Brown, Mac

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 described as needing greater preparation for today’s jobs and tomorrow’s opportunities. The current workforce – the state’s adults – was largely seen as needing greater development in the skills and talents needed by the state’s businesses to be competitive in a global economy. Participants called for the need to build a more flexible, transitional, and creative workforce and largely linked it to Georgia’s future economic development potential. For many stakeholders, these forums provided a unique and first-time opportunity for them to come together and discuss workforce development challenges and potential solutions from a regional perspective. A common conclusion among the forums was that the dialog was valuable and informative - resulting in the discovery of new ways of working together- and that the dialog should continue, in a regional context. The report includes select points made by stakeholders in various regions regarding three of the main discussion themes – educational achievement among the emerging and future workforce, current workforce traits, and serving industry. As is the case with forums of this nature and scope, the participants offered highly generalized observations. Two other discussion themes are also briefly highlighted in this section - issues of regional importance and creative solutions.
Report on Georgia's Innovation Forums of 2006

(Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Georgia, 2006-06) Wilkins, Joy ; Brown, Mac

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 experiences of citizens across the South. Partners are recruited across the South to assist in gathering stakeholder input. In 2005, Southern Growth launched its “Southern Innovation Initiative” noting that “The South’s competitiveness relies on establishing a culture of innovation – the ability to continuously invent and bring high value products and processes to the global marketplace. Technology is the primary tool for innovation.” Thus, the fundamental question for the 2006 policy research project is: “How can communities across the South harness the economic potential of technology and innovation?” Georgia’s economic development leaders strongly agree that there is a critical link between innovation capacity and the ability of our state’s communities, businesses, and citizens to thrive in the 21st Century. Innovation is recognized as not an option but a requirement – and those who fail to innovate are at great risk for being left behind. Two of Georgia’s flagship research universities, in partnership with the Georgia Centers of Innovation and several other local and regional partners, conducted forums to seek answers to Southern Growth’s policy question. Eighteen discussion forums were held across the state during February and March, and approximately 370 Georgians participated in these forums. While there are a variety of approaches to fostering innovation, the forums focused on exploring four select approaches to fostering innovation: Building knowledge, Encouraging entrepreneurship, Boosting existing business, and Recruiting innovation (people and investment). The forums were widely publicized, and invitations were offered to a wide variety of citizens. It is important to note that participation at all forums was optional and, therefore, based on self selection. As a result, it was noted at several of the forums that certain groups were under-represented. The Government, Business, and Education sectors accounted for the largest participation by stakeholders, overall. Forum participants were fairly well educated as more than three-quarters had earned a college degree. Two thirds of the participants indicated they hailed from a rural community. While participants were most frequently those who already recognized the importance of innovation and technology, that familiarity enabled many of them to identify key competitive challenges faced by today’s communities and businesses. Overall, the forums proved to be a positive force in igniting dialogue about what innovation and technology means for Georgia, and increasing the appetite among stakeholders across the state for both. In addition, they revealed and fostered information sharing about various “pockets of innovation” in Georgia. Overwhelmingly, EDUCATION was the dominant issue, and the “Building Knowledge” approach was viewed as pre-requisite to all other approaches for fostering innovation. Improvements in K-12 were seen as absolutely critical. There was also a significant call for improvements in reaching the technology “have nots.” Lack of parental involvement in their children’s education was cited as a general societal issue across Georgia that is hampering the educational experience and the quality of learning. Other specific recurring issues included: lack of cultural expectations for learning and achievement, a public school system oversaddled with administrative requirements, the need for greater emphasis on teaching problem-solving skills through math and science, the high school dropout rate, a missing link between school learning and practicality, and issues related to persistent poverty. In general, stakeholders preferred homegrown innovation as a means to economic prosperity and competitiveness as opposed to relying on external forces. There is no doubt that Georgia has made significant strides in its pursuit of innovation. However, there are great opportunities to better prepare our people and businesses for future success in the global economy.
Benchmarking Quality Management Among Accredited Economic Development Organizations

(Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, 2006) Wilkins, Joy ; Aton, Carol

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 in operating as effectively as possible, in yielding the highest possible impact, and in having a knowledge system in place for tracking their performance to enable continual improvement. To assist in this arena, the Calibration Program has been designed to help local economic development organizations (EDO) achieve higher performance and excellence drawing on quality management standards from the International Economic Development Council’s (IEDC) Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program, the International Organization of Standardization(ISO), and Malcolm Baldrige. To provide benchmarks for economic development organizations served by the program, Georgia Tech conducted an assessment survey of 18 Accredited Economic Development Organizations (AEDOs) from across the United States to help benchmark practices in economic development management. These organizations were selected for participation in the survey because they have been recognized by the International Economic Development Council for their excellence and, therefore, are a representation of the “best of the best” in economic development.
Rural Georgia: To Be or Not to Be Zoned

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2001-12) Wilkins, Joy ; Riall, B. William ; Nelson, Arthur C. ; Counts, Paul ; Sussman, Benjamin

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 conduct zoning and planning activities. The Georgia Planning Act of 1989 mandated that all communities in Georgia adopt a comprehensive plan, but did not require adoption of a zoning ordinance to enforce, or implement, the plan. As of 2001, 63 counties in Georgia, all rural, have not adopted a zoning ordinance. Community leaders of non-zoned counties often find it challenging to convince their citizens of real benefits to zoning. Opponents of zoning often consider such regulation an unnecessary governmental intrusion on their property rights. Zoning advocates often cite quality-of-life advantages, such as protecting homeowners from unwanted uses next door, but such advantages vary in the eye of the beholder and sometimes do not provide enough incentive to sway the opposition. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate whether there are economic development benefits related to zoning. Given that an unlimited number of factors affect a community’s economic development potential, it is not possible to state with certainty that just one factor is responsible for a community’s economic development progress. In other words, one factor, such as a specific public policy, cannot be the sole explanation for a community’s development. However, economic development patterns may be observed when comparing communities with one of these factors to communities without. This investigation sought to compare counties with a zoning policy to counties without one.
Western North Carolina: Regionalism - A Collective Competitive Advantage

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2000-08) Wilkins, Joy

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 seven North Carolina regions that were established during the early 1990s. What makes this region unique is its umbrella organization, Advantage West. Since 1994, Advantage West has marketed and promoted the region and each of its counties. In doing so, the organization has created innovative tools for regional development such as the Certified Industrial Sites program. Advantage West is the only regional organization in North Carolina to focus on three specific program areas - travel and tourism, film, and industrial marketing.