In our effort to grow jobs and build a strong community, metro Atlanta often looks to other regions for best practices. Business and community leaders recently completed a trip to Pittsburgh to learn how they reshaped their city from a steel town into a thriving, diversified hub of entrepreneurial activity.
I expected to leave full of new, bold ideas on how we could influence job growth in Atlanta. Interestingly, Council leadership left re-energized that our assets in metro Atlanta are world class and we continue to be a great place to build a business, raise a family and follow your dreams.
Did you know that metro Atlanta leads the nation in healthcare information technology companies? The region is also a leader in other smart sectors like technology, bioscience, and logistics. Our 66 universities and colleges and more than 275,000 students channel talent, research and innovation to fuel our economy.
The creative minds educated by our higher education system are accelerating the development of new products and systems at a high rate. In fact, the Kauffman Foundation ranked metro Atlanta No. 2 for entrepreneurial activity in 2012. Look at the Advanced Technology Development Center or Atlanta Technology Village for additional proof. Metro Atlanta’s higher education system seeds and supports our entrepreneurial energy and job creation.
As metro Atlanta continues to grow, diversity is another foundational strength for a wide array of businesses. Whether you are looking for diversity of thought, ethnicity, or geography, this region has something for everyone. Metro Atlanta is positioned in the Top 10 for women-owned firms and has the highest growth in African-American college graduates in the nation.
However, the region can’t afford to sit still. Emphasis must be placed on growing a collaborative network connecting leaders in all aspects of our economy – including entrepreneurs, corporations, colleges and funders. As part of this effort, the Metro Atlanta Chamber is focused on commercializing research to the marketplace, supporting innovation and technology transfer, and providing access to our higher education institutions. We must also address the gap that exists between matching research with local industry needs and access to funding.
After the trip concluded, it was clear that metro Atlanta can do more to market our great assets. Our collective charge is to better tell our story and showcase metro Atlanta as a community for innovation, higher education and entrepreneurship that offers something for everyone.
