Harrisburg, PA — A recently released report by a team of graduate students at Carnegie Mellon University says that Pennsylvania has the potential to create a world-class innovation economy and is primed to be a leader in innovation and entrepreneurship.

The report on Pennsylvania’s Innovation Economy will be aided by a web dashboard wireframe, a set of recommendations regarding policy, budget, data collection, and follow-on work for the Wolf Administration. The report and dashboard are intended to serve as tools for the public, policy makers, economic development organizations, administrators, business organizations, and university administrators to identify the state’s strengths and weaknesses research and development funding, business creation, risk capital, education, employment, talent retention, transportation and broadband access.

Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin remarked:

“More than a year ago, Governor Wolf called for action to increase innovation and technology across the commonwealth. A critical tool necessary was the development of a comprehensive report analyzing our strengths and weaknesses, serving as an outline for strategic steps we could take to forge ahead in an innovation-fueled economy. The team of CMU students worked closely with my agency over several months to research, collaborate, and develop some of the most valuable tools we have in keeping up with a modern and technology-driven world.

While Pennsylvania has historically been a leader in innovation, now with this blueprint, we can capitalize on the powerful assets we have and more accurately identify and address our opportunities to attract new businesses to the state, promote and support entrepreneurship and start-ups, offer high-quality education opportunities, and strengthen research and development—benefitting both businesses and communities in all 67 counties.

The Wolf Administration is grateful for its valued and longstanding partnership with CMU and is eager to utilize the information and recommendations that came from this study. Accomplishments like the results of this student team’s hard work showcase how proactive collaboration can help propel Pennsylvania’s innovation economy forward, to the benefit of us all for years to come.”

For more about innovation in PA, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT: Rachel Wrigley, DCED, rwrigley@pa.gov