Business, research and economic development officials talked up Tallahassee’s assets and innovations as the Americas Competitiveness Exchange 8 tour came to a close.
On Friday, 50 officials, mostly from other countries, participated in several panel discussions ranging from minorities and entrepreneurship to risk management and meteorology. In Tallahassee, the star of the ACE 8 tour was the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, along with university-driven research primed for commercialization.
“The ACE 8 tour has allowed us to showcase for a global audience that Tallahassee Leon County has the talent and the resources to develop diversified industries and maintain high wage jobs in the STEM sector,” said Lila Jaber, a member of the Economic Vitality Leadership Council — a seven-member executive arm of a relatively new economic structure designed to maximize ideas, resources and assets.
Through the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality, the locally led effort to host an ACE tour secured Florida’s successful application to showcase stops in North and Central Florida. The participating areas are Orlando/Orange County, Florida’s Space Coast, St. Augustine and Gainesville.
“Hosting this prestigious group opens up unprecedented opportunities and partnerships for Tallahassee Leon County,” said Ben Pingree, director of Planning, Land Management and Community Enhancement, which includes OEV. “This tour truly demonstrates that Tallahassee Leon county is economically competitive in the global marketplace.“
*Article by the Tallahassee Democrat.*