Author: Jason Rittenberg
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Share your region’s sector strategy & success!
Has your region had success with an economic policy, initiative, or strategy focused on a specific tech sector? Are you proud of how you developed this work or of one of the successes it has helped your region achieve? Do you have lessons that could benefit other communities who are developing their own cluster development…
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New index reveals unexpected state SBIR winners
Billions in federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funds are awarded each year to translate new ideas into commercial products—but not all states capitalize on the opportunity. Excel’s SBIR State Performance Index offers a new lens to assess and compare how well each region converts research, firms, and employment into SBIR awards, and then use…
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High-tech boom: Metro regions that outpaced America’s 229% growth (and the ones that fell behind)
High technology sectors are valuable to local economies because of their disproportionate effects on private sector output and patent production—with the latter benefit particularly strong in regions with high concentrations of these firms. Recent data from the Census Bureau provides counts of high tech and all firms by metropolitan statical areas (MSAs) for more than…
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SBA’s new early-stage capital structure gaining traction
In 2023, the U.S. Small Business Administration finalized rules to allow new models for its Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) financing vehicle: Accrual and Reinvestor licenses. As I wrote at the time, these rules make the program a better fit for early-stage investment than it has been for the past 20 years. From new data…
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2025’s Critical Federal Tech Policies: What Regional Leaders Need to Know
From artificial intelligence regulation to tax policy, the federal government is poised to take actions in 2025 that will likely significantly impact technology advancement. Economic development practitioners should be tracking these developments and preparing to assist their entrepreneurs and researchers through the changes, so that their regions can maximize the opportunities. Among the many potential…
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Tech and the economy under the next Trump administration: Small Business
The U.S. Small Business Administration is an important partner for many regional economic development strategies, and organizations therefore are concerned for what the next four years hold for the agency. From 2017-2020, we saw first Trump administration regularly propose to limit SBA’s funding, particularly for programs designed to assist entrepreneurs. However, Congressional appropriations and Administrator…
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Tech and the economy under the next Trump administration: Commerce
With the start of the second Trump administration two months away, the top questions I am hearing from practitioners across the country continue to be variations of: “what will the next four years hold for economic development programs?” There are no definitive answers to be had, but we can learn a lot by reviewing the…
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Excel Regional Solutions LLC Launches to Enhance America’s Technological and Economic Competitiveness
DELAWARE, Ohio — Excel Regional Solutions LLC, a new consulting firm dedicated to strengthening America’s technological and economic competitiveness, is proud to announce its official launch. Founded by Jason Rittenberg, the firm aims to provide economic development organizations and coalitions with expert advocacy management, strategy development, and information services that advance regional, state, and federal…