June 25, 2015
Through its 12 bureaus, the Department of Commerce creates the conditions for economic growth and opportunity on both a domestic and global scale. As the voice of business in the President’s Cabinet, Secretary Pritzker has spearheaded the Department of Commerce’s “Open for Business Agenda” Strategic Plan and focused on five strategic goals: trade and investment, innovation, environment, data and operational excellence. Secretary Pritzker’s two-year anniversary is this Friday, June 26, and each day this week we are highlighting one of our strategic pillars by recognizing recent achievements.
The Innovation pillar of the Strategic Plan calls for fostering a more innovative U.S. economy – one that is better at inventing, improving and commercializing products and services. The Department of Commerce is America’s Innovation Agency, whether it is through the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) protecting your intellectual property, the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) creating technology standards or the Economic Development Administration (EDA) investing in innovation ecosystems we are all working together to set the conditions for economic growth. Strengthening American innovation is crucial for sustained economic competitiveness, productivity and growth, and is at the core of the Department’s mission.
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June 2015 Newsletter
What do you get when you take four agencies, 43 high-ranking foreign officials from 26 countries across three states, and to visit more than 40 sites? You get the most successful Americas Competitiveness Exchange to date! On April 19-25, EDA, the International Trade Administration, the Organization of American States, and the U.S. Department of State led an international delegation on a tour of innovative sites in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois for the Third Americas Competitiveness Exchange on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
The tour kicked off in Minneapolis, where Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development treated participants to a briefing and tour. The next day, the delegation visited the University of Minnesota to hear about how the state is supporting apple breeding and flood mitigation to grow and protect jobs. The delegation then headed to Rochester where they participated in a tour of the Mayo Clinic to learn about the latest medical innovations taking place there.
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June 2015 Newsletter
Changes in energy policy and economic downturns have affected the coal economy significantly over the last several years. Many communities that once relied on coal for jobs are struggling to find their way as the world changes around them. The federal government, including EDA, is helping these communities as they attempt to diversify and adapt to the changing economy. Today, federal agencies are collaborating on these issues to affect greater change.
On May 11, EDA joined Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez to announce up to $35.5 million in funding is available for coal-impacted communities across the country as part of the Obama Administration’s Partnership for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative.
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Commerce Blog
June 8, 2015
The National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) convened last week for their third quarterly meeting. Hosted by EDA's Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE), NACIE members discussed their work on innovation, entrepreneurship, and talent development in the workforce, and received updates from Commerce Department leadership on new initiatives and research relative to NACIE efforts.
Members heard about initiatives such as the EDA-funded Communities that Work Partnership led by the Aspen Institute, prompting Council members for ideas on how their efforts might compliment this program. The Commerce Department’s Chief Economist Sue Helper shared insights on the latest research initiatives, discussed NACIE's interests in measuring innovation, and introduced new subjects to the Council to spur discussions around possible topics for the Council to explore. Gadi Dechter from the National Economic Council shared details about the White House's focus on inclusion in innovation and entrepreneurship and about the upcoming Demo Day.
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