Saul Kaplan: Better, Higher Wage Jobs Key to Economic Development in R.I.

Making an appearance on WPRI's Newsmakers segment on October 7, Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Saul Kaplan discussed the high-wage sectors that Rhode Island must focus on for the state to sustain an innovation economy with host Steve Aveson, and co-hosts Arlene Violent and Ian Donnis. [watch the segment]

Georgia Research Alliance Has Lessons for R.I. at STAC Meeting

The Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council's October 4 meeting drew a crowd thanks to guest speaker Michael Cassidy of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA). Cassidy told the tale of how Georgia's budget deficit in 1990 didn't stop the state from putting together $15 million to start the GRA, a nonprofit organization charged with expanding Georgia's economy by promoting scientific research. [more]

R.I. Enjoys Eighth Consecutive Month of Job Growth

Rhode Island's job trend remained positive during the month of September, with the total number of jobs in the state swelling to 499,800 - representing a gain of 300 jobs since August. This gain represents the eighth straight month of job growth in the state. [more]

Innovation in Action: BIF-3 Summit Takes Center Stage at Trinity Rep

Saul Kaplan, Mark Cuban, and Walt Mossberg at BIF-3

More than 350 participants took over Trinity Rep for the sold-out Business Innovation Factory's third annual Collaborative Innovation Summit on October 10 and 11 for two jam-packed days of storytelling, learning and networking. With co-hosts WSJ columnist Walt Mossberg and author Bill Taylor, BIF-3 brought together entrepreneurs, authors, geeks, scientists and even a NBA team owner. [Read Projo coverage]

Listen Now: BIF-3 Makes Radio Waves

WPRO reporter Colleen Lima recently reported from the BIF-3 Summit, capturing the voices and stories that make the BIF summit so unique. The report weaves together the voices and themes that defined the October 10-11 event. [Listen Now]

RI NEXUS: Connecting R.I.'s IT/Digital Media Community

RINexus.com - the online hub for Rhode Island's IT/digital media community to collaborate, connect and share ideas - was officially launched in September and the momentum is growing. In addition to our company-targeted outreach, RIEDC has embarked on a college tour to educate students and faculty about RI Nexus. Check out www.rinexus.com for upcoming events, job postings, blogs and more.

PBN, RIEDC Honor 2007 Innovation Award Winners

Providence Business News and the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation recently saluted Rhode Island's most gifted innovators at the 2007 Rhode Island Innovation Awards and Tech Laureates Night. The awards honor individuals and organizations that have gone above and beyond the call of duty to innovate. [Read more about this year's awardees]

QDC Railroad Investment Pays Off

Thanks to investment from the Quonset Development Corporation, automobile importer North Atlantic Distribution (NORAD), and from the state and federal government, Quonset Business Park tenant NORAD received its first rail delivery on October 2. Previously, the railroad tracks in and around the park were not suitable for transporting cars. Now, with the railroad upgrades, NORAD and other park tenants will be able to speed their growth dramatically. [more]

Tour Rhode Island Program Receives National Award

"Tour Rhode Island: There's No Place Like Home," a program designed to encourage Rhode Islanders to be a tourist in their own state, has won national recognition with an Odyssey Award in the Geotourism Category. The Travel Industry Association of America (TIAA) presents the Odyssey Awards in partnership with the National Geographic Society. The award was presented at the Travel Industry Awards Gala in Charlotte, North Carolina on October 23. [more]

Fidelity Constructing Largest Office Building in Rhode Island

Fidelity Investments, one of the world's largest providers of financial services, is in the midst of building its next office building on its 500-acre Smithfield campus. When completed, the 577,000-square-foot, four-level structure will be the largest office building in the state and will house at least 1,000 employees by the third quarter of 2008. [more]

Middletown Companies Roll in Navy Contracts

Systems Engineering Associates and Purvis Systems, both based in Middletown, have each won multi-million-dollar Navy contracts. Systems Engineering Associates has won a $5.4 million contract to help replace traditional periscopes on Navy submarines with electro-optical technology, while Purvis Systems was awarded two contracts worth a total of $36.7 million. [more about Purvis] [more about Seacorp]

QualityMetric Receives NIH Grant for Asthma Research

QualityMetric, a Lincoln-based provider of the most widely-used health outcomes measurement products and services, has been awarded a $2-million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to advance developments in patient-reported outcome measures for adults with asthma. [more]

Brown Receives $14.1 Million NIH Grant for Children's Study

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, a part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded Brown University a $14.1-million contract to join the National Children's Study, the largest long-term study of children's health and development ever conducted in the United States. [more]

Smaller Business Association of New England Presents: "How to Partner with a Defense Prime Contractor – The Raytheon IDS Story"

• When: November 1, 7 a.m.
• Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Warwick
• Contact: 781-890-9070 or email info@sbane.org

With its OpenAIR™ business model, Raytheon IDS seeks out new small business technology partners and incorporates their innovative new products into affordable, best capability solutions for Raytheon customers.

Learn what types of businesses Raytheon IDS is looking to partner with in the next five years and to network with Raytheon IDS executives.

We Mean Business

• When: November 5, noon–7 p.m.
• Where: Kirkbrae Country Club, 197 Old River Rd., Lincoln.
• Contact: Sherri Carrera, 888-384-9704, www.wemeanbusinessri.com

We Mean Business is a joint venture of the Secretary of State's First Stop Business Information Center and Every Company Counts, an initiative of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation. The mission of We Mean Business is to connect Rhode Island business owners with local, state and federal regulators as well as with non-profit resources that impact business.

Rhode Island Financial Services Symposium

• When: November 6, 7:45 a.m.
• Where: Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence
• Contact: Shaw K. Chen, 401-874-4339, chenshaw@uri.edu

The University of Rhode Island's College of Business Administration is presenting the 2007 Financial Services Symposium with a central theme on the "Innovative Growth of Financial Services." This symposium will provide a tremendous opportunity for participants to discuss major trends in the financial services industry and will address the importance of developing a long-term plan to keep the industry at the forefront of the Rhode Island economy.