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Bham’s Innovation – “everyone is pushing to make things happen.” Laney Says
Among the restaurants, breweries, music venues, and community gatherings, there is one aspect of Birmingham that cannot be over looked – you guess it – the Innovation.
Yesterday, the Sheraton Birmingham hosted the BBA’s, as I like to say, power luncheon to discuss Bham’s growth and future.
Photo By: Birmingham Business Alliance
In the report from Alabama NewCenter, the common theme gathered is the essential value of technology and innovation within the Magic City. The luncheon highlighted the BBA’s priority to link the entire city together through this type of growth.
I could not agree more – now this is not an opinion piece, but we can all agree here 😉
Courtesy of the BBA
2016 was one heck of a year for Birmingham’s innovation and progress. Programs/areas such as Innovate Birmingham, the Innovation Depot, and the growing Innovation District are major focal points that continue to spur the process.
Keynote speaker Bruce Katz – Centennial Scholar with Brookings Institution – told Alabama NewCenter…
“I think you’ve got a great platform. You’ve got the University of Alabama Birmingham, you’ve got Southern Research, you’ve got an incredible downtown, an incubator with Innovation Depot – so you’ve got the geography that essentially is tailor-made for the 21st century,”
“Proximity, density, vitality, authenticity and you’re beginning to see entrepreneurial startups, scale-ups either off of research from the universities or people just want to be here.”
Thanks @bruce_katz for the shoutouts today @BHMBizAlliance Annual Meeting! @velocitybham #believeinbirmingham #innovationdistrict pic.twitter.com/GecPd4oDB6
— Innovation Depot (@innovationdepot) December 6, 2016
The potential is here, it’s alive and well, and all we need to do is continue what we are doing.
Personally, I am super excited to see where Birmingham will be in the realm of technology and innovation within the next 15 years. Will we be the Silicon Valley of the south…? I have high clouds for the Magic City 😉
This realistic, yes realistic, goal is only achievable if all hands are on deck. The entirety of Birmingham – from businesses to government – need to be doing all they can to spur innovation and support the notion of “Keep it local”.
“It’s a mindset. It’s a culture. It’s a message, both internally and externally, that Birmingham is a place for innovation, a place where you can come and grow your business and really thrive in doing that…”
Devon Laney told Alabama NewsCenter
