The Federal Government and the Growth of Regional Innovation Clusters

House Committee on Science and Technology (9/14) – Today, the House Committee on Science and Technology held a field hearing to examine the significance of regional innovation centers on the U.S. economy and global competitiveness. Regional innovation centers cultivate a steady flow of new ideas by partnering universities and specialized research centers nationwide. Specifically, the hearing focused on the roles of the federal, state, and local governments in supporting these centers.

Science Progress (9/9, Sallet et al) – The federal government provides large sums of funding for basic scientific research, and boasts a variety of different programs to help companies and state and local governments prepare executives and workers for employment at young, innovative companies seeking to commercialize this research. But the federal government lacks a comprehensive approach for innovation policy. What’s needed is today is a clear-eyed blueprint for developing more innovative clusters around the country that links together federal programs, academic institutions, companies, and local and regional policymakers. In this series, Science Progress will feature bold ideas from innovation experts across the nation for how the Obama administration can develop an effective innovation policy that creates jobs, enables economic mobility, enhances science, and grows the county’s competitiveness.