In December 2011, the SmartState Program held its inaugural national conference: Realizing a Knowledge-Based Economy. The event brought national leaders from academia, business and government together in Charleston. Its purpose was to showcase not only the SmartState research centers and endowed chairs, but also progress and policies related to knowledge-based economic development. The conference allowed attendees to share strategies and experiences and discover investment and research opportunities in South Carolina.
Conference sessions focused on Perspectives on Knowledge Based Economic Development, Roles of Academia, Government and Industry; and Expectations and Challenges. The event featured representatives from many different sectors and organizations, including General Electric, Michelin, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Harvard University, the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Medical Association, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast, Opher Aviran, spoke on the opening day conference. Peter Beattie, the former premier of Queensland, Australia, who is now an advisor in residence at Clemson, closed the conference.
Participating in the conference and in the SmartState Program are among the ways HSSC is supporting the use of health sciences to advance South Carolina’s economy.
