Core Expertise
The diversity of our projects demonstrates the scope and depth of our expertise. These include:
Identifying Opportunities
Strategic planning and investment for competitiveness
Today's global economy requires businesses, governments, and non-profits to be more proactive in
constructing policy initiatives to remain competitive.
C3E works with leaders in an inclusive process to formulate innovative strategy and policy
solutions. This process includes:
- Generating insight though comprehensive analysis;
- Creating actionable and achievable plans; and
- Providing ongoing analysis and benchmarking.
The core focus of this process is on identifying existing and emerging clusters that could be a focus for
new policy initiatives. These include:
- Businesses in industries that are under-represented in the region
- Businesses that pay above-average wages and are adding employment
- Businesses that will likely leverage technology strengths of the region
Creating Rural Competitiveness
Closing the economic disparity gap
There are persistent problems that affect regions with a relatively healthy core and a less-vibrant
periphery. These differences show up in many measures of economic performance and have several
undesirable effects including creating a gap between have and have-not regions. Some gaps are
difficult to overcome with public policy especially when there is a lack of coordinated effort among
affected counties.
To address this disparity C3E has conducted feasibility studies and constructed implementation plans that
help to identify:
- Likely locations to centralize resources and activities in rural locations (based on an analysis
of economic data, population growth, employment, industrial base, and commuting patterns);
- Opportunities for inter-county collaboration;
- Examples of best-practices in locations across the U.S.; and
- Industry/cluster opportunities as well as enhancements and incentives, leadership, financial
requirements, and policy changes to achieve success.
Mobilizing Knowledge Resources
Real estate approaches including Research Parks and incubators
Much has changed in the U.S. economy since Research Parks became popular policy initiatives over 15 years
ago. Prominent industries have changed along with the organization and structure of the global economy.
Those changes have had significant implications for regions and their policy and planning processes.
C3E conducted some of the original research on this topic in 1991 and
recently completed a follow-up study. The new study examines research parks, their partners, and their
impact on economic development. Based on our history and expertise, the Center has had the
opportunity to work with many regions on their efforts to stimulate economic development by
mobilizing knowledge resources. Knowledge resources include:
- Higher education
- Research and Development
- Commercialization
- Entrepreneurship
Assessing Competitive Finance
Aligning incentives and investments to achieve strategic goals
Despite recent improvements in the U.S. economy, states continue to struggle with tight budgets. Modest
increases in revenues are being offset by deferred commitments from previous budget years and higher
mandatory spending on programs such as Medicaid. In light of these continuing challenges, it is incumbent
upon states' legislatures to scrutinize every direct and tax expenditure program, and to seek
alternative sources of revenue.
C3E has been retained by several states to perform on-going, annual evaluations of public
investments (e.g. in R&D) and tax incentives programs (for business attraction). The Center s multiple
types of analysis to these issues including: global indicators, recipients' survey, and case studies
to provide an approach that is richer than a recipient survey-based evaluation on its own and tends
to more accurately state the social benefits of these types of programs.
Bridging Sustainability and Economic Development
New policies for a changing world
Projected climate changes will affect many parts of the United States due their geographic
location, natural and built features, and economic base. These changes present risks to
our ecosystems health, our citizens' health, and the ability to sustain economic prosperity
in the long term. To address these risks will require coordinated policies at the community,
state, regional, national and global level.
C3E formulates creative and feasible solutions to these problems that
create opportunities for sustainable economic development. Using sustainable business practices,
economic development theory, public policy analysis and advanced scientific modeling, the
Center and its partners help communities:
- Estimate costs and benefits of climate change scenarios
- Identify impact on their major economic sectors
- Define best practices and technologies for a more sustainable economy
- Develop policy options that are proactive
- Evaluate traditional economic development incentives, transportation, land use and
environmental protection policies using the climate-change lens; and
- Educate legislators, regulators, businesses and the general public
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C3E