Chris Beacham, RTS Director of Economic Development Programs, was asked by the North Carolina Technology Association to present to their Annual Leadership Conference on the topic: Dare to Compare: How Does North Carolina Stack Up? Chris presented an overview of the dramatic change of North Carolina from a state built on traditional manufacturing to one based on knowledge and technology.  But in the constant battle for economic success, how does North Carolina compare to other states on policy, workforce, venture capital, entrepreneurship and other factors in building a strong technology-driven economy?  The presentation details the data that shows the state as strong in many areas like R&D and presence of scientists and engineers while lagging in areas like citizen’s access to computers and Internet access. (more…)

RTS staffers Chris Beacham, Director of Economic Development Programs, and Senior Research Analyst Jenna Bryant were requested by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) to present a webinar on measuring the creative economy.  The presentation, “Analyzing the Creative Economy (note: it requires creativity)” details the issues analysts face and the creative strategies needed to develop an accurate measurement of the economic role of the creative economy within a region.  Properly done, the analysis can help communities develop strategies to further develop this increasingly important sector.