SCRA Receives 2010 Award for Excellence in Economic Development from the International Economic Development Council
October 20, 2010
CHARLESTON, SC – October 20, 2010 – SCRA, a global leader in applied research and commercialization, received an Honorable Mention for Excellence in Economic Development from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The honor was presented at an awards ceremony on September 28 during the IEDC Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio.
“We recognize SCRA for providing successful strategies to promote new paradigms in economic development in this period of global recovery,” said William Best, IEDC chair. “Our awards honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in communities. SCRA is showing that they are at the forefront of the economic development profession and are using innovative and effective practices that can be replicated in other communities.
Photo includes from Left to Right: William Best, FM – Chairman of the IEDC Board of Directors, Greg Frank- SCRA COO, and Timothy Solomon, CEcD – Chairman of the IEDC Awards Task Force
SCRA was recognized for their Sustaining Regional and Cross-Border Collaborations in the category of Regionalism & Cross-Border Promotion for communities with populations of Greater than 500,000.
SCRA currently manages over $1.4B in applied R&D contracts on behalf of Federal and Corporate clients. Many of these programs utilize unique SCRA business models to manage intercompany collaboration.
SC Launch, an SCRA program, offers assistance to early-stage companies, including funding, mentoring, and access to other important resources for emerging technology ventures. SC Launch companies commercialize new technologies and create high wage-earning jobs in South Carolina. This program was similarly recognized by the IEDC in 2009.
SCRA is establishing three Innovation Centers to complement the research focus of the state’s three research universities. These centers provide space for early-stage companies commercializing university research findings. The SCRAMUSC Innovation Center in Charleston features fully-equipped, shared bioscience/pharma labs. The SCRA USC Innovation Center in Columbia houses companies entering the light manufacturing stage. The Duke Energy Innovation Center in Anderson is a partnership of SCRA, Duke Energy, and Clemson University. When completed in Spring 2011, this Center will provide a place to commercialize automotive and advanced materials research. All of the Innovation Centers help retain top local talent, attract landing parties (relocation of established businesses) to the state, and promote high quality job creation.
SCRA-built research parks in the three main regions of the state, house businesses with over 11,000 employees earning an average of $56K annually. SCRA’s own R&D operations and its SC-based subcontractors support nearly 4,000 jobs with average wages of over $68K annually. These averages are above the median household income for South Carolina and the U.S.
SCRA also manages the SC Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program, a federal-state-university partnership that helped to secure a $20 million National Science Foundation research award, the largest single competitive NSF award in the state’s history.
The Excellence in Economic Awards Program annually recognizes the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year’s most influential leaders. The program honors organizations and individuals in 28 categories for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities.
SCRA strives for excellence in all of our programs, offering tangible results for our clients and partners. We continue to build and manage programs that support creation and development of the Knowledge Economy in South Carolina. Our applied R&D operations, our SC Launch program, Innovation Centers, research parks, and EPSCoR are all important pieces of our economic development mission for the state, stated SCRA CEO Bill Mahoney. We are honored to receive this recognition and will continue to strengthen our efforts and partnerships so that we may further develop technology-based, quality jobs for South Carolina.
About IEDC
http://www.iedconline.org
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is the premier membership organization dedicated to helping economic development professionals create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities and improve the quality of life in their regions. Serving more than 4,500 members, IEDC represents the largest network of economic development professionals in the world. IEDC provides a diverse range of services, including conferences, certification, professional development, publications, research, advisory services and legislative tracking.
About SCRA
http:/www.scra.org
SCRA is a global leader in applied research and commercialization services with its headquarters in South Carolina. SCRA collaborates to advance technology, providing knowledge-based solutions with assured outcomes to industry and government, with the help of research universities in SC, the US and around the world.
About SC Launch
http://www.sclaunch.org
SC Launch, an SCRA program, assists entrepreneurial start-up companies with up-front counseling, seed-funding, and access to a powerful resource network. The SC Launch mission is to help generate knowledge economy jobs in South Carolina, enhance the state’s quality of life and provide opportunity for all South Carolinians in the new economy.
