If a robot can shoot hoops as well as LeBron, will kids begin to see math and science as “cool?” That’s the central idea behind FIRST Robotics (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). The 2012 annual brain-bending competition kicked off recently, fueled by a record number of area high schoolers (10 teams), tapping [...]

Just a generation or two ago, the entire College of Charleston student body could convene in one building. Today, more than 10,000 undergrads populate the central-city campus. And they share the stage with thousands of students at the Medical University of South Carolina, The Citadel, Trident Technical College and satellite Clemson and USC programs. The growth of the [...]

The concept of Brain Drain has been much discussed over the decades, with most of the focus aimed at the factors that drive young people away. A new study focuses on the magnetic forces that attract the best thinkers to new places. And those forces, it turns out, are evolving. As a result, new “brain [...]

Boeing recently opened its new Charleston-area  interiors plant, and invited area leaders to tour its solar panel-covered exterior. Both events were milestones in this three-county region’s efforts to grow its aerospace industry cluster. And if a recent industry report is predictive, there are more big events to come. Area Development  magazine recently reported that 2010 aerospace sales [...]

Learning from successful communities is a hallmark of this region’s economic development efforts. And sometimes leading innovators are found in unexpected places. Case in point: a recent trip to Israel was designed to develop long-term relationships and research partnerships between companies and universities in South Carolina and Israel.  The mission was sponsored by the SC-Israel Collaboration, [...]