We lead efforts across the state to strengthen the ecosystem for startup companies and entrepreneurs-from research and development, services and technical assistance and access to risk capital.Īnd we’d like to point out a few things about this latest in a long line of “stop the presses” ranking stories.įirst off, I guess it’s fair to say that they couldn’t have known that Intuit would announce the establishment of a “prosperity center” and “innovation lab” in downtown Bluefield, creating between 200-500 jobs. TechConnectWV knows that growing companies and jobs right here at home is the best bet for diversifying and growing our economy. There’s more than meets the eye to these kinds of rankings, which in our data-driven world are ubiquitous. As Gomer Pyle would say, “Surprise, surprise, surprise.”īut let’s put their list in perspective and talk about what snapshot surveys like theirs cannot capture. West Virginia did not earn a high ranking as an innovative state.

In March, WalletHub–the personal finance website–issued a press release naming the most innovative and least innovative states in the country. Anne Barth, Executive Director, TechConnect West Virginia

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