Here's an anonymous comment we received...
Hosting a web conference on Building a Vibrant Maine Economy is a great idea, and the first step in getting a variety of folks involved in a conversation that impacts us all. I work in the technology field, and one of the most difficult challenges we face is our inability to recruit qualified experienced professionals either from within the State or from “away”.
Technology, when used properly, is a tremendous business tool that enables a business to reach hundreds if not hundreds of thousands of potential new customers. Look at what LL Bean has done through technology reaching customers around the world. Hospitals have embraced technology, allowing medical professionals to exchange life saving information around the world in the blink of an eye. Maine should be embracing technology and building an infrastructure to meet current and future business demands. Look at the trouble Jackson Labs is having in obtaining the necessary bandwidth that would enable them to transmit large volumes of scientific data from Bar Harbor.
Building a vibrant Maine economy requires the State to define what we want for an economy. It is said that Maine is not business friendly. Why is that? Is it because of the tax structure? Is it because we lack the people with professional skills that new and existing businesses require? Is it our climate? Is it our geographical location? Or is it because Maine does not have a sustainable economic development plan? What are we doing at the State level to create a vibrant economy? Are we waiting for the businesses to come to Maine because we are Maine? Well, the ones that have come have been shown the door and said no thank-you and please do not come back (Casinos, LNG to name a few).
How do we move forward? I would suggest that the State of Maine recruit prospective businesses and offer them incentives to relocate here. For example would a business listen to a Maine delegation that said, if you relocate to our State we will waive all or a portion of the State tax burden, provided you hire X number of employees, pay them a minimum of Y dollars and also provide them with full family medical benefits? What does this do for the State? It will put people to work in good paying jobs (minimum $45K - $50K per year (taxable)), the business becomes a little more profitable, the State’s unemployment rate goes down, and the skilled positions being created will be enough to give our young college graduates a chance to consider staying in Maine.
Technology can open a lot of doors. When a business knocks on the door, what do we say and what is our plan?
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
BDN Op-Ed on "Building a Better Creative Economy"
Here's a guest editorial, written by Todd Gabe, on the knowledge economy that was published in today's Bangor Daily News...
State and local policymakers in Maine are fascinated by the concept of using the “creative economy” as a means to promote economic development. Much of this interest stems from Richard Florida’s 2002 book, The Rise of the Creative Class, which suggests that creativity is an important driver of regional prosperity. The creative economy, as defined in Florida’s book, is a collection of occupations including artists, computer programmers, educators, engineers, and scientists of all types.
Recognizing the keen interest in the creative economy among policymakers, I have been involved in several University of Maine studies on the effects of creative occupations on U.S. county-level earnings. Our intent was to isolate the exact jobs in the creative economy that are responsible for economic development. We found that many of the benefits attributed to the creative economy actually come from the presence of computer scientists and engineers in a region. So it appears that, as many people have believed for some time, enhancing knowledge about computers and technology is a good way to raise standards of living.
This got me thinking about other types of knowledge that provide economic development benefits, such as increasing the amount of money a person makes and lifting regional productivity. On these topics, I considered knowledge about a wide variety of subjects, ranging from psychology and medicine to sociology and philosophy. My research consistently shows that possessing knowledge related to information technology (e.g., computers and telecommunications) and the provision of business services (e.g., management, law and economics) are keys to a prosperous economy.
So what does this mean for Maine?
Unfortunately, Maine ranks below national averages in terms of knowledge, as utilized by the state’s workforce, about information technology and business services. This means that we need to work on beefing up our collective knowledge in these critically-important areas. We should emphasize these subjects in our schools, and provide a climate that is attractive to information technology and business service providers.
Or, better yet, business owners throughout the state can help out by enlisting the services of a computer programmer or other information technology specialist. I would be hard pressed to think of any type of business – even very small companies – that could not profit from greater use of technology.
I also believe that it is important for Maine workers, business owners and policymakers to emphasize “what people do” in their jobs, as much as we think about “what people make.” Regional economic policy initiatives often focus on a few targeted industries identified for development assistance by government officials. These efforts are geared at what people make, be it a particular type of service or manufactured good.
Shifting the emphasis from targeted industries to occupations allows us to consider more clearly what people do, whether it is using creativity on the job or drawing from a person’s knowledge about a particular subject. This type of approach will help position Maine for greater economic prosperity. No one knows what the “hot” industries will be in 50 years, just like no one knew 50 years ago what they would be today. But it is a safe bet that the regions that deliver products and services – whatever they are – with a highly creative and knowledgeable workforce will have the rosiest economic futures.
State and local policymakers in Maine are fascinated by the concept of using the “creative economy” as a means to promote economic development. Much of this interest stems from Richard Florida’s 2002 book, The Rise of the Creative Class, which suggests that creativity is an important driver of regional prosperity. The creative economy, as defined in Florida’s book, is a collection of occupations including artists, computer programmers, educators, engineers, and scientists of all types.
Recognizing the keen interest in the creative economy among policymakers, I have been involved in several University of Maine studies on the effects of creative occupations on U.S. county-level earnings. Our intent was to isolate the exact jobs in the creative economy that are responsible for economic development. We found that many of the benefits attributed to the creative economy actually come from the presence of computer scientists and engineers in a region. So it appears that, as many people have believed for some time, enhancing knowledge about computers and technology is a good way to raise standards of living.
This got me thinking about other types of knowledge that provide economic development benefits, such as increasing the amount of money a person makes and lifting regional productivity. On these topics, I considered knowledge about a wide variety of subjects, ranging from psychology and medicine to sociology and philosophy. My research consistently shows that possessing knowledge related to information technology (e.g., computers and telecommunications) and the provision of business services (e.g., management, law and economics) are keys to a prosperous economy.
So what does this mean for Maine?
Unfortunately, Maine ranks below national averages in terms of knowledge, as utilized by the state’s workforce, about information technology and business services. This means that we need to work on beefing up our collective knowledge in these critically-important areas. We should emphasize these subjects in our schools, and provide a climate that is attractive to information technology and business service providers.
Or, better yet, business owners throughout the state can help out by enlisting the services of a computer programmer or other information technology specialist. I would be hard pressed to think of any type of business – even very small companies – that could not profit from greater use of technology.
I also believe that it is important for Maine workers, business owners and policymakers to emphasize “what people do” in their jobs, as much as we think about “what people make.” Regional economic policy initiatives often focus on a few targeted industries identified for development assistance by government officials. These efforts are geared at what people make, be it a particular type of service or manufactured good.
Shifting the emphasis from targeted industries to occupations allows us to consider more clearly what people do, whether it is using creativity on the job or drawing from a person’s knowledge about a particular subject. This type of approach will help position Maine for greater economic prosperity. No one knows what the “hot” industries will be in 50 years, just like no one knew 50 years ago what they would be today. But it is a safe bet that the regions that deliver products and services – whatever they are – with a highly creative and knowledgeable workforce will have the rosiest economic futures.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Welcome to the "Building a Vibrant Maine Economy" blog!
Greetings and welcome,
The purpose of this blog is to exchange ideas related to building a vibrant Maine economy. This is your place to comment on the presentations available at www.umaine.edu/vme and for all of us to keep a dialogue going on this important topic.
Please feel free to comment on the presentations, post your own ideas, and comment on the ideas of others.
The purpose of this blog is to exchange ideas related to building a vibrant Maine economy. This is your place to comment on the presentations available at www.umaine.edu/vme and for all of us to keep a dialogue going on this important topic.
Please feel free to comment on the presentations, post your own ideas, and comment on the ideas of others.
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