Innovation, Information, and Technology - Moving the Greater Hickory Metro Forward

The following is a video presentation of The "Innovation 2010" conference that was held on November 10, 2010. It is hoped that this conference will be the first of many annual innovation events over the years to come. It is believed that the introduction of these new ideas to our local culture will help lay a foundation for the development of entrepreneurial opportunities in the future.

In the upcoming year, the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce will introduce an entrepreneurial competition called "The Edison Project," in which the winner will receive a cash prize along with pro bono assistance with business guidance, legal, and financial administrative needs to help move their efforts forward. This will not only help the contest winner. It will also help those who participate in the contest by helping them promote their personal ideas and objectives. This can help those people gain attention and help network with experienced individuals who can assist them in turning these innovative processes into fruitful endeavors.

The idea of this Innovation conference was first discussed in meetings of the Future Economy Council of Catawba County and was a thought that I broached here on the Hickory Hound back in September 2009 - (HoundVision: A frank discussion about Jobs, Ingenuity, and Blight).

With the help and guidance of leaders such as Dr. Jane Everson of the Appalachian State University - Greater Hickory Partnership, Dr. Sid Connor of the North Carolina Center for Engineering Technology, and Bill Parrish of The Small Business and Technology Development Center, we were able to see an idea of the Future Economy Council Think Tank brought to fruition in a manner that exceeded our expectations. It is an honor and a privilege to be associated with these people, who are working hard to truly make a difference in our community.

The Keynote Speaker for this event was Dr. Andrew Hargadon; who is a Professor of Management, Director of the Technology Management Programs, and a Faculty Director at the University of California at Davis Center for Entrepreneurship. I wrote about his presentation at this conference in an article entitled - Innovation 2010 - Andrew Hargadon - Creating a Network of Innovation.

If you want to get excited about something positive and tangible happening in our area, then please watch this video:



And I would like to give a kudos to the Hickory Daily Record for their article about the work and adaptation of technological capacities by our Catawba County Government. I will link to the article detailing how the Chief Information Officer of Catawba County Terry Bledsoe is utilizing Social media and other Internet Assets to help residence and others associated with Catawba County stay in tune with the happenings of our local county government: Technology rapidly changing the way citizens access public information

Terry Bledsoe is the Chairman of the Future Economy Council of Catawba County and his blog is linked at the bottom right corner of this page. Catawba County Technology Department