Rural Regional Innovation

The Heartland is losing ground in the global economic race. Over the past 25 years, four Heartland states (IA, KS, MO, NE) have lost almost a one percentage point share of the U.S. economy, and over the past decade only 12 counties in these states rank among the fastest growing economies in the nation.

Globalization has changed regional development in profound ways, and the new paradigm for success involves regional innovation strategies:

• The only way to compete globally is to think regionally - across the county lines laid down for a different era
• Regions must build new sources of competitive advantage through innovation and entrepreneurship