A wide variety of stakeholders met Thursday in Athens for a regional roundtable on the state’s innovation economy. The event was co-hosted by Innovate Alabama and Launch 2035.
Higher education leadership, entrepreneurial ecosystem builders, rural community leaders and lawmakers discussed opportunities available. The conversations were centered around entrepreneurship, commercialization and the development of an innovative, skilled workforce.
House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville), member of the Innovate Alabama board of directors, said the roundtable’s goal was to facilitate productive conversations among regional partners.
“Through this roundtable, Innovate Alabama’s goal is to connect local and state policymakers with leading entrepreneurs and higher education folks across North Alabama to learn about some of the obstacles these leaders are facing as they work to move this region forward,” said Daniels. “As representative of District 53, I’m grateful to serve the North Alabama community and to work with regional partners, like Launch 2035 and Alabama A&M, who are at the forefront of growing an inclusive, prosperous economy in North Alabama.”
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Partnering with Launch 2035, an economic unifier of Tennessee Valley counties, Innovate Alabama brought a coalition of public and private sector representatives to the roundtable.
Governmental, business and educational leaders discussed challenges relating to workforce needs and talent retention. Stakeholders also touched on the need to bolster capital resources available to rural small businesses.
Founded in 2014, Launch 2035 is a regional economic partnership that started with the objective to unify Limestone, Madison and Morgan counties to ensure regional economic growth over the next 20 years. Launch 2035 holds a focus on three strategic areas: land use, workforce and entrepreneurship.
Since its founding, the organization has expanded to include all of North Alabama through coordinated planning and collaborative efforts among business and community leaders in each county.
During the roundtable, Launch 2035 highlighted the Singing River Trail – a 200-mile greenway system that strengthens regional bonds among 16 North Alabama cities.
The trail serves to create health and wellness, educational, economic, tourism and entrepreneurial opportunities for the Tennessee Valley communities.
Launch 2035 Chairman Rob Hamilton touched on why enhancing outdoor recreational opportunities was critical to Alabama’s economy.
“The opportunities are endless when we bring together people from different corners of Alabama to develop innovative opportunities that enhance the economic landscape of our region,” said Hamilton. “The Singing River Trail is a prime example of this. By working with leaders in both the public and private sector across multiple counties, we developed a product that would leverage our region’s outdoor recreation assets to increase our state’s economic footprint.
“We are excited about today’s conversation and those to follow. This is the beginning of a long partnership between our state and regional leaders as we continue tapping into North Alabama’s incredible potential.”
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As higher education plays a vital role in workforce development, the roundtable sought to being together numerous college and university leaders across North Alabama. The focus area of the roundtable as it related to education was the issue of post-graduate recruitment and retention.
Andrew Dollar, director of the Athens State University LaunchBox, said creating in-state opportunities for graduates will be paramount in economic growth efforts.
“For those of us engaged in higher education, we have noticed that many Alabama students seek opportunities outside the state after graduation with all of the knowledge and experience that they gained while in college here,” said Dollar. “We are grateful to connect with leaders in the business and government sectors who can serve as resources to our students and help us create more homebase opportunities for them.”
The LaunchBox is an innovative hub in downtown Athens and hosted the roundtable.
The Tennessee Valley discussion was part of numerous roundtables Innovate Alabama will hold across the state.
Innovate Alabama’s next roundtable will be held Oct. 20 at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa.
Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
