Brewed Fresh Daily

As a general rule, economic development professionals in the United Kingdom have been paying more attention to the issues of sustainability than we have in the United States. Increasingly, though, we will see more and more regions focusing on balancing economic growth and sustainability.

This trend presents an opportunity for Northeast Ohio.

In that spirit, it might be helpful for BFD readers to glance through a recent report on sustainable economic develop strategies in the UK. The report is produced by UK CEED.

You can download the report here.

More exciting from Jim Cossler at the Youngstown Business Incubator.

I shouldn’t be given their history, but I am absolutely blown away by the newest product offering from YBI portfolio company Turning Technologies.

You’re probably familiar with the firm’s proprietary keypads and software that make any classroom or meeting instantly interactive. But what if no keypads were available.

No problem.

Turning has just announced the availability of its new ResponseWare Web, the first member of the ResponseWare input device family, a truly revolutionary response technology that allows users of wiFi enabled devices such as Apple iPhones, BlackBerry smartphones, Window mobile hardware, and laptop, notebook and desktop computers to be polled and queried on their individual devices and then send back responses that can be tallied in real time.

Any time, any where response technology. Can you even begin to imagine all the incredible new applications?

I can’t, but I have a new toy to play with while trying. ( I love my job! )

To learn more, visit Turning Technologies at www.turningtechnologies.com or http://www.turningtechnologies.com/interactiveaudienceresponseproducts/responsewareweb.cfm .

In 1974, New Times magazine reported that a Ralph Nader organization had ranked Senator William Scott from Virginia as the “Dumbest Congressman”.

Scott then held a press conference to declare that he was not the dumbest Congressman. (According to the Wikipedia entry: “When asked if he was considering legal action, he replied that if he lost the suit, people might think that he really was dumb.”)

This incident came to my mind as George retweeted an article from the NEO Biz Blog on Ranking didn’t look at all the data on Cleveland or the region.

One of the first rules of economic development: don’t waste time on the wrong conversation. These rankings mean little and — most important — they look backward, not forward.

John Slanina had a good post on the issue.

Economic gardening (EG) is an emerging strategy that focuses on building networks that support homegrown entrepreneurs. The EG newsgroup is a good source of interesting posts from around the country on this strategy. Here’s one from this morning:

Dun & Bradstreet has come out with an Award for Outstanding Service to Minority Business Communities
The sponsor is the American Library Association

The sponsor provides a $2,000 award to recognize a librarian who, or library that, has created an innovative service for a minority business community, or has been recognized by that community as an outstanding service provider.

For more information, visit:
http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaawards/dunbradstreetaward.cfm

More: The sponsor provides an award to recognize a librarian who, or library that, has created an innovative service for a minority business community, or has been recognized by that community as an outstanding service provider. The award is based on the library or librarian’s impact on the community.

Built Environment Connected With Obesity In Baby Boomers

Interesting speculation in an e-mail from Richard Herman.

Historians will probably date the turnaround emerging in Youngstown to the day the big green door slammed shut on Traficant.

When will those living in the smoldering ruins of the rust belt economy get angry enough to demand a better quality government at the local, county and state levels?

Political corruption, malfeasance, ineptness, and laziness are kicking rust belters below the belt — we are down, but not quite out.

The FBI is riding into a town near you—-ready to mop up the mess of politicians gone wild (rising to power within a vacuum created by an apathetic electorate, plummeting economic chaos, and rapid decline in number of quality candidates willing to run for office).

How can serious and innovative economic development steps be taken to repair the rust belt economy when such shenanigans are taking place in public office (some alleged):

http://blog.cleveland.com/pdextra/2008/08/the_cuyahoga_county_raids_five.html

http://www.cleveland.com/ohio/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1217406616291131.xml&coll=2

http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/05/14/dan15aaa.html?sid=101

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coingate

http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/07/07/daily35.html?surround=lfn

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08221/902735-454.stm

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iUnJmDV31xdNygv_rfAeqJX4SyfgD92EBCL85

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/07/01/FBI_conducts_Detroit_corruption_probe/UPI-32211214942378/

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080702/METRO/807020418

http://buffalo.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel08/bribery061208.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Traficant

If the FBI can help clear out some of the dead wood, awaken a disinterested electorate —- and help clear the air of political inertia and acquiescence — new political talent may enter the arena if they see a meaningful opportunity to begin rebuilding the rust belt

Could the FBI emerge as one of the most important catalysts of rust belt revival?
Like the Great Lakes Brewery that bears his name, “Elliott Ness” sure packs a much-needed punch.

News from the Youngstown Business Incubator, via Jim Cossler:

We haven’t talked about SofTek Software in a while. They are kind of our quiet company, offering a proprietary PoS (point-of-sale) software to four major market verticals, while taking customers from industry giants in those spaces like Reynolds & Reynolds and ADP.

And all the while, they have been quietly building all the necessary internal infrastructure, like one of the best customer support systems we have ever seen, to sustain and further grow the company.

Well in 2008, the pay off for all their hard work is finally here and sales are moving off the charts.

How good?

We’re pleased to report that in spite of a very good year in 2007, SofTek sold more systems in the first half of this year than they did the entire previous year. And to support that sales growth, five new employees started work at the firm just yesterday alone.

Visit SofTek Software (www.softeksoftware.com), to see the next rising star in the Youngstown Business Incubator portfolio.

The University of Akron President Luis Proenza put the region’s challenge in its proper perspective yesterday.

The United States and the nation’s higher education institutions need to improve how they fund and conduct research in order to stay globally robust and competitive, the head of the University of Akron said.

The United States’ share of nearly $1 trillion in annual global research and development spending has been dropping while the share of the rest of the world is rising, Luis Proenza, university president, said in a talk Thursday morning in the student union theater.

University of Akron president promotes research: Proenza says U.S. must again emphasize technological innovations

Leaders in Florida sounded essentially the same themes of brainpower and innovation this week. Read more.

(Disclosure: I am working with The University of Akron and Purdue on regional innovation initiatives.)

This is all getting a little weird.

First we have the case of the missing photograph.

Now we have Hagan sounding like Nixon, assuring us that everything is OK, because, well, the commissioners are not crooks.

Hagan criticized skeptics who associate the project with the ongoing investigation. Nobody has been proven guilty, he said.

Medical mart’s cost jumps $136 million, tax revenue estimate rises $90 million

After fifteen years of studying this project, they still don’t know what the convention center should cost.

The only good that will come from this mess: The Plain Dealer could win a Pulitzer.

The Urban Design Center of Northeast Ohio, based in Cleveland, is one of the region’s key economic development assets.

Regional economic development is moving toward network-based models in which the value of quality, connected places — especially around college and university campuses — is accelerating. The Design Center does work all over the region.

Here’s an example from North Canton:

North Canton gets economic development plan

Check out this Urban Land Institute program in September on the Value of Place Making: Cleveland’s own Forest City executive will chair the event. Jim Gilmore, another NEO asset, will keynote.

One of my favorite web sites on the value of place: Cool Town Studios.