While innovation seems like a buzzword these days, the reality is that it’s important when discussing the future of the Roanoke-Blacksburg region. In modern economic doctrine, the innovation economy positions knowledge, technology, entrepreneurship and a general quest for innovation as the keys to unlocking greater prosperity. This is not a new thing; in fact, America has been ramping up its innovation economy since World War II. However, it’s been in the last five years that significant emphasis has been placed on the U.S. becoming more competitive in the global economy by ramping up innovation efforts. While policymakers at the federal level and the agencies they fund have been slowly making changes to adapt policy and programs to fund new approaches to spur innovation, we don’t necessarily have the luxury of waiting on someone to “fix this.” The good news is our region hasn’t been waiting.
