The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) is conducting a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), a multi-year planning effort which will set the state’s economic agenda for the coming years. To conduct this plan, IEDC has contracted Fourth Economy, a national consulting firm specializing in economic development planning efforts.
In order to understand the state’s economic priorities and gather feedback from residents across Indiana, Fourth Economy is conducting Build Sessions the week of May 22, 2023. These focus groups will cover an array of topics, including:
- Activating and Retaining Talent:Â This session intends to gather statewide stakeholders, regional partners, topical experts, and thought leaders to discuss how Indiana can better create and retain an educated, capable workforce. Specific topics will look at workforce development across the state, K-12 education, and how the state can better retain local graduates.
- Adapting and Growing Key Industries: This session intends to gather statewide stakeholders, regional partners, topical experts, and thought leaders to discuss how Indiana’s legacy and target industries can evolve into a more digital, automated world and continue to create jobs and an economic impact in the state. Specific industries include advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, agbioscience, and more.
- Housing and Critical Infrastructure:Â This session intends to gather statewide stakeholders, regional partners, topical experts, and thought leaders to understand how Indiana can better invest in and create necessary infrastructure to support population retention and growth efforts. These critical infrastructures include housing, roads and highways, commuter rails, waste and stormwater management systems, and broadband.
- Access to Amenities and Services:Â This session intends to gather statewide stakeholders, regional partners, topical experts, and thought leaders to discuss how Indiana can work to improve both quality of life and place across its communities, localities, and regions. Specific topics will look at health and childcare, investment in the outdoor economy, placemaking, and the quality of social services in different regions.
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation: This session intends to gather statewide stakeholders, regional partners, topical experts, and thought leaders to discuss the state’s innovation ecosystem, interesting trends and ideas to catalyze entrepreneurship, and how IEDC can better support business births across the state. Specific topics will look at venture capital investment in the state, entrepreneurial incubators and accelerators, and how IEDC and its partners can support business creation and scaling.
We invite you to attend these focus groups and share your insights. While these events are free, registration is required. Please click HERE to access the Eventbrite page for these Build Sessions and register for whichever sessions you are interested in. You are welcome to register for as many sessions as you would like.
