News & Updates

The Exploring Innovation Frontiers Initiative (EIFI) is a national, public-private effort to accelerate the over-the-horizon, transformative innovation models that will drive U.S. competitiveness in the coming decades. This initiative was sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate of Engineering, Office of Emerging Frontiers of Research and Innovation (EFRI).

The Exploring Innovation Frontiers Initiative (EIFI) is a national, public-private effort to accelerate the over-the-horizon, transformative innovation models that will drive U.S. competitiveness in the coming decades. This initiative was sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate of Engineering, Office of Emerging Frontiers of Research and Innovation (EFRI).

The Council on Competitiveness (Council) has been working on regional economic development since it launched its Clusters of Innovation project in 1999 in cooperation with Harvard professor Michael Porter. As a leadership body, the Council focuses on those issues that increase U.S. productivity, innovative capacity and global competitiveness, the key elements that drive the Council’s […]

One of the biggest challenges in implementing regional development efforts is recruiting business leaders who lend their insight, influence and financial resources to these projects. The Council believes that having actively engaged business executives is critical to almost any regional effort, be it focused on talent development, transportation, energy sustainability or comprehensive efforts to build regional […]

In Retooling for Growth, experts present new frameworks, cutting-edge analysis, and innovative policy solutions through which the nation's government, business, civic and community leaders can sculpt a sustainable and supportable economy for older industrial areas. The unique focus on rehabilitating weak market cities outlines ideas for reshaping the role of public agencies, the workforce, business […]

The future of national and regional competitiveness will depend on our ability to compete in the conceptual economy where the most important contest is being fought in the arenas of ideas, learning and delivering new kinds of value to the marketplace. In the conceptual economy, higher education is more important for America's regions than ever. […]

The Mid-Michigan Innovation Team, through a Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grant from the Department of Labor, has made significant progress in addressing the challenges facing the Mid-Michigan region. This assessment was presented by Randall Kempner, vice president for regional innovation at the Council, at the Mid-Michigan Innovation Team Town Hall Meeting in […]

The Council on Competitiveness and the National Governors Association (NGA) co-published the Governor's Guide to Cluster-Based Strategies for Growing State Economies under Arizona Governor and NGA Chair Janet Napolitano's Chair's Initiative on innovation to provide economic development practitioners with a fresh perspective on cluster strategies. This Governor's Guide examines the changing economic environment in which […]

Asset Mapping Roadmap: A Guide to Assessing Regional Development Resources At its most basic level, asset mapping provides leaders with an inventory of key resources utilized in development efforts. Comprehensive asset mapping enables deep insights into key networks and cultural attitudes that shape the regional economy, indicates gap areas that require further investment, and shows […]

The Mexican Life Sciences Initiative was launched by the Council on Competitiveness in the spring of 2005 to foster the development of the life sciences sector in Mexico and facilitate partnerships between U.S. and Mexican institutions. It was initially conceived at the U.S.-Mexico Partnership for Prosperity meeting in Guadalajara in June 2004. The Regional Innovation […]