Tallahassee-Leon County to Host Americas Competitiveness Exchange
International and National Officials to Visit Local Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hubs
December 08, 2017
The eighth Americas Competitiveness Exchange on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, also known as ACE 8, is coming to Tallahassee-Leon County as part of its six-day tour of Florida. ACE 8 brings together senior level officials from across the Americas and showcases five communities in Florida with cutting-edge advancement in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship. It will conclude in Tallahassee-Leon County on December 7-8.
“From world class research facilities to business incubators focused on our burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystem, Tallahassee is rapidly becoming Florida’s Capital of Innovation,” Mayor Andrew Gillum said. “We look forward to showcasing all that makes this community one of the most talented and creative in the nation.”
More than 50 representatives from more than 22 countries are taking part in the ACE 8 tour, which runs from December 3-8. The tour highlights advanced technology centers, innovation hubs, public-private partnerships and strategic investments. Participants can see and learn from successful centers of innovation, as well as increase the prospect of advancing commerce and trade between participating economies, accelerate business opportunities and collaborate.
“As a previous ACE tour participant myself, I look forward to welcoming nearly 50 international economic development leaders from 22 countries and I am proud to see Tallahassee-Leon County being showcased as a model community,” said Leon County Commissioner Kristin Dozier. “It is a testimony to our strong entrepreneurial ecosystem, and the economic impact we have made in the state.”
The local itinerary will include sites that feature advanced manufacturing, magnetics, research and development, entrepreneurship incubators, economic development and engineering clusters, as well as visits to Florida State University and Florida A&M University. In Tallahassee-Leon County, attendees will discover how research and development, university commercialization, investments in public-private partnerships and placemaking and a focus on the talent pipeline have catalyzed economic vitality in the community.
“ACE provides opportunities for decision and policy makers from around the globe to meet local high-level authorities and leaders, witness first-hand the results of strategic economic development efforts in our community, and establish connections with research and innovation centers,” stated Leon County Commissioner and Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency (IA) Board Chair Mary Ann Lindley.
“We are excited by the opportunity ACE presents to accelerate business opportunities, highlight the research and innovation happening in our community, and promote Tallahassee-Leon County on a global scale,” City of Tallahassee Commissioner and Blueprint IA Vice-Chair Curtis Richardson said.
“ACE has been consistently successful in its goal to encourage and promote development and collaboration throughout the Western Hemisphere,” said John Andersen, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration “The delegation will have the unique opportunity to share and promote best practices first hand with their hosts in Florida’s STEM and agriculture clusters, learning cutting-edge economic development initiatives that strengthen innovation and promote potential Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) partnerships among the hosts and participants.”
ACE 8 is being hosted locally by the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), Organization of American States (OAS) and the U.S. Department of State. Florida host communities include Tallahassee/Leon County, Gainesville/Alachua County, Orlando/Orange County, St. Augustine/St. Johns County, Flagler County and the Space Coast.
“ACE is a proven vehicle for showcasing the incredible innovation capacity of U.S. regions and for establishing global commercial relationships that can boost business development and job growth in the United States,” said Dennis Alvord, EDA Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Affairs. “We look forward to spotlighting the innovation economy in the central and northern region of Florida and the work that the Department of Commerce is doing in the region to support their efforts.”
For more information, please contact Susan Emmanuel, Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality, at (850) 219-1072 or susan.emmanuel@Blueprintia.org.
About the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality:
A division of PLACE (Planning, Land Management & Community Enhancement), the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality (OEV) is the community’s central economic development hub. OEV is a one-stop shop to coordinate economic development efforts among community partners, implement a strategic plan and create a sustainable economic ecosystem. For more information about OEV, visit www.OEVforBusiness.org.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration:
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth. To learn more about EDA, visit www.eda.gov.
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