David White: Promoting innovation in Stanislaus County

JUNE 10, 2015

BY DAVID L. WHITE

One thing that has become clear to me during the years as I have served in economic development, is that innovation is key to a vibrant economy.

I have also learned that innovation happens everywhere and in every industry, not just in places like Silicon Valley. Innovation is happening here in Stanislaus County.

In our 2014 local industry report, we shared statistics from surveys we conducted with 193 base employers. Of those 193 companies, more than half (105, to be precise) were labeled as high-growth, high-value companies. Essentially, that means those companies are engaged in research and development of new products. They are adding new jobs and making new investments. And they are growing in market share vis-à-vis competitors.

In many of these measures our local economy is stronger than many of our peers around the country. We are not on the same level as a Silicon Valley or North Carolina’s Research Triangle. We are, however, above the curve.

One of the things we are trying to accomplish at the Stanislaus Business Alliance is to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and connectivity to our young bright students with opportunities here in our county.

On May 29, we launched MODSpace – the first collaborative working space in Stanislaus County. A co-working space is like an incubator in that it serves startups and emerging companies. But unlike an incubator, co-working spaces encourage collaboration among entrepreneurs. They often are sitting in the same room and working together on projects. Where one software developer might know a language like Ruby on Rails, another might know a different language that is needed for a project. That’s why co-working is proliferating around the country.

MODSpace is dedicated to technologists in the field of computer software and services. We have seven companies in MODSpace, with several more filling out applications to join. We have a new co-working space in the works in Oakdale. We envision more opportunities in other communities in the future.

But MODSpace is just the beginning of what the Alliance intends to do to increase innovation and entrepreneurship. Last year we launched the Stanislaus Innovation Challenge, a series of “pitch-night” competitions to give local entrepreneurs around the county an opportunity to present their ideas in front of peers and a panel of judges. We are expanding the challenge in 2015 to pick up additional competitions in Ceres and Riverbank. We also are planning pitch night events at local universities starting this fall.

Something else we’ve learned from our business surveys is the need for tech talent. Many companies have expressed the need for skilled professionals in software development, systems administration and web-based solutions. We are responding.

We hope to work with others to provide better educational and training programs. We need to do a better job connecting county residents who possess these skills to the job opportunities.

We have toured other tech programs throughout the Valley and Bay Area to learn from them. We look to implement in partnerships with others, offering such things as a coding academy to serve local businesses. We are excited to partner with the Stanislaus County Office of Education, CSU Stanislaus, Modesto Junior College and others to ensure their programs meet the needs of employers.

Rather than try to become something we are not, why not focus on our strengths and use those strengths to grow what we have? Why not facilitate the creation of new technologies, new cottage industries and new companies that are built around the traditions and strengths of Stanislaus County?

That is what our initiatives in innovation and entrepreneurship – under the able leadership of Kurt Clark, chief innovation officer of the alliance and director of the Alliance Small Business Development Center – are trying to do.

White is the chief executive officer of the Stanislaus Business Alliance.

Read more here: http://www.modbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article23736910.html#storylink=cpy