Carolina Crescent Consortium applies to Economic Development Administration for federal designation
August 14, 2023
The application responds to Greenville-Anderson being identified as #1 in the US in strong economic capabilities with significant unrealized potential by building on our strengths to become a global leader in smart manufacturing technologies.
The Carolina Crescent Consortium (C3) applied to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) for designation as an industry-led Regional Technology and Innovation Hub. C3 is a partnership of Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson and Florence-Darlington (map below), including 8 manufacturers and logistics companies, 12 smart manufacturing technology companies, 15 economic and workforce development organizations (including 2 focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion), 7 institutions of higher education, and 3 local governments. The Carolina Crescent Tech Hub’s focus is being a global leader in smart manufacturing, mobility, and supply chain technologies, including automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and similar applications.
C3 members will highlight their distinctive innovative “lab to market” approach at the InnoVenture Futures Festival to be held on September 22, 2023, at the Greenville Hyatt Regency. Manufacturers and logistics organizations will present their innovation priorities seeking to connect with technology companies, economic developers, and college and university faculty and students. It’s a Festival that will spark the creativity of attendees over inspiring presentations, great music, and delicious food. Thought leaders will share how they cross their passion with their profession in the Jazz of Sales, Excelling at an Olympic Level, and the Dance of Bioengineering. More information is at www.InnoVenture.com.
The EDA indicates they have received a “high volume of applications” and expects to announce in the Fall of 2023 who makes the cut to apply for an implementation grant of $50 to 75 million to help catalyze a region into being globally competitive in a key technology focus area.
C3 was founded by John Warner, a well-known serial entrepreneur in SC, and Dr. John Blackburn, who has extensive experience in product innovation and technology commercialization. The impetus for forming C3 was an independent consulting firm outside the region, the Economic Innovation Group, applying EDA Tech Hubs criteria to 384 US metropolitan areas and identifying Greenville-Anderson as #1 in the country in terms of strong economic capabilities with significant unrealized potential.
“I have been working in innovation in SC for four decades, and that assessment is spot on,” said Warner. “It is a rallying cry that pulled the initial forty-five C3 members together to build on our deep advanced manufacturing capabilities to be best-in-class in smart manufacturing technologies.”
“In the California gold rush, people who sold picks, shovels, and dungarees to miners made a lot of money,” said Warner. “We are experiencing a gold rush as advances in autonomous robots, generative AI, and similar technologies are transforming manufacturing. We can become a global leader in these technologies to keep our manufacturers globally competitive, strengthen our supply chains, and equitably attract, develop, and retain the world’s best talent. When people think of the most innovative places, the Carolina Crescent will be top of mind with Research Triangle Park, NC, and Austin, TX.”
“The C3 concept is compelling,” Blackburn said. ”Now that the EDA application is filed, we’ll convene C3 members at the InnoVenture Futures Festival and seek other sources of funding to achieve C3’s crucial mission of safeguarding our existing 125,000 manufacturing jobs while helping to create the best career opportunities for graduating students here.”
