Projo Biz Blog

Government, the business community, higher education and the healthcare system need to work together to grow Rhode Island's "knowledge economy," speakers at a conference this morning agreed.

"Our success is really linked," said Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, one of the panelists.

The mayor, Governor Carcieri and business leaders gathered at the Westin Hotel in Providence to unveil plans to strengthen greater Providence's knowledge economy, those sectors that include the healthcare industry, high education and high-tech businesses.

The plan included four themes:

The Providence knowledge collaboratory, to focus on sharing ideas and working together to take academic research into the marketplace.

Innovative workforce partnerships, to focus on training people for future jobs.

Strengthening entrepreneurial connecitivity, to focus on bringing investors together with profitable new ideas.

Unleashing youth and student innovation, to focus on engaging future entrepreneurs and leaders and keep them in Rhode Island.

William Hatfield, of Bank of America, cited as an example a proposal to create a "dormcubator," where students from different universities could "live, work, create, invent in one facility."

Several of the speakers praised the plan, but cautioned that actions are more important.

"None of this has been surprising. We've known for a long time where we have to go," said Rep. Steven Costantino, chairman of the House Finance Committee, who suggested making a pact to carry out the proposals.

"No plan is worth anything unless its implemented," agreed developer Robert Gilbane.

"It's all in the execution as far as I'm concerned," echoed Carcieri.

"This is the beginning of it," said Cicilline. "Now we have to implement those plans."

Laurie White, of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, which hosted yesterday's conference, promised the plans would be carried out.

"This is different. This is truly different," White said. "Providence will not be the same place as we found it one year from today."

U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy praised the government and business leaders for working together on plans for a brighter economy, especially as times seem dim.

"Psychologically, when Franklin Roosevelt took to the stage when he did and said there's nothing to fear but fear itself, what an amazing difference it made for him to utter those words," Kennedy said. "What a difference it makes today for you to say that we really do have strengths here in Rhode Island that we can capitalize on, and that we, if we work together, can make a difference in capitalizing on those strengths."

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