TRE Networks

…a national network organization drawing

from universities and others to create a
system for providing strategies, tools, and
services across regions that drives
economic prosperity

11/16/2010
 Policy opportunity: grow regional innovation clusters
Response: leverage a national network of colleges and universities
to boost regional innovation

Prosperity

Productivity

Regional prosperity Innovation Research and innovation

depends on innovation builds value networks

Colleges & universities

Analyze & Convene Customize can stimulate innovation
Legitimize & Align & Deliver with more than degrees
and research
 Universities have capacity in many areas
critical to our national interests…but are organized to achieve other
missions

3
Regional transformation requires strategic focus in five key
areas…but most regions are fragmented
Important Policy Ideas
1. Increase interactions
2. Get focus regionally
3. Build equity
4. Grow national framework
Policy Idea 1: More interactions, cheaper interactions
Talent 2009: Total BS degrees 25+

Knowledge exchange
is the raw material
of economic growth.

Talent 1980-2008: % change in population with BS

Studies show that R&D spending

correlates with entrepreneurial
economic growth within commuting
distance of where $$$ is spent.
Policy Idea 1: More interactions, cheaper interactions
% Change in Median Household Income
1980-2008

% Change in Population (1980-2008)

 Policy Idea 2: To transform -- get focus regionally
Revive a slowing
Create reengagement industry cluster
networks for the Attract R&D dollars to
unemployed seed innovating clusters

Build career pathways into

leading edge clusters
Focus a regional
strategy

Leverage an urban
campus to become an
innovation hot spot
Manage shrinking
cities so that they are attractive
to growing companies
 Policy Idea 3: Build Equity

Talent
Innovation
Infrastructure

Quality
Jobs Discretionary
Income

Quality
Place

Brookings MetroNation 2007

 Policy Idea 3: Build Equity
Cost of underutilized
non-metro
Cost of social infrastructure
services for
“others” Political cost for
excluding “other”
areas
Cost for aging
population High cost
for startups

Brookings MetroNation 2007

Policy Idea 4: Grow National Framework
Need a New Framework to:

1. Convene and align innovation drivers with

policymakers, private sector, and regional
leaders
Need a New Framework to:

1. Convene and align innovation drivers with

policymakers, private sector, and regional
leaders
2. Develop an Intermediary with neutral brand,
trust as broker, and a collaborative platform
Need a New Framework to:

1. Convene and align innovation drivers with

policymakers, private sector, and regional
leaders
2. Develop an Intermediary with neutral brand,
trust as broker, and a collaborative platform
3. Possess the capability to transfer learning from
one region into another
Need a New Framework to:

1. Convene and align innovation drivers with

policymakers, private sector, and regional
leaders
2. Develop an Intermediary with neutral brand,
trust as broker, and a collaborative platform
3. Possess the capability to transfer learning from
one region into another
4. Shape policy with incentives and “trellising” to
pull research universities into engagements
with regions near and far
Need a New Framework to:

5. Offer a holistic model for regional

transformation beginning with the capacity for
skillful engagement
Need a New Framework to:

5. Offer a holistic model for regional

transformation beginning with the capacity for
skillful engagement
6. Provide for a system to assemble best-in-class
toolkits and products into customized
solutions
Need a New Framework to:

5. Offer a holistic model for regional

transformation beginning with the capacity for
skillful engagement
6. Provide for a system to assemble best-in-class
toolkits and products into customized
solutions
7. Offer approaches to build innovation capacity
and fill gaps in needy regions
Need a New Framework to:

5. Offer a holistic model for regional transformation

beginning with the capacity for skillful
engagement
6. Provide for a system to assemble best-in-class
toolkits and products into customized solutions
7. Offer approaches to build innovation capacity and
fill gaps in needy regions
8. Work from a collaboration model that engages
partners and assets already in the region,
including other post-secondary institutions
TRE Networks, Inc.*

* 501(c)3
 TRE Networks Evolution
Oct 2008
Mar- Jun 2010
Roundtable #1
Partner
convenes 16 research
development for
universities & 10
TRE Networks Dec 2010
policy organizations
TRE Roundtable

Seeking
2008 Dec 2010 Funding
Sept 2009
Identified major TRE Networks
Roundtable #2
issues – started Annual Meeting
– actively
a dialogue
expand to
include quad
helix
2008 2009 2010

TRE Practice
University Developing Creating system
pilots (IALR) Feb-Apr 2010 pilot regions and partnerships
Developed an to bring more
operational concept workshops,
to engage and Sept 2010 toolkits, and
WIRED extend university Developing core services
pilots activities (Purdue & providers and TRE
Sept 2010
PSU) Advisors
Created TRE
May 2010
Networks, Inc as
Defined two
the strategic
program tracks:
intermediary
TRE Roundtable &
institution
TRE Practice
TRE Networks Board and TRE Partners
Current Founding
TRE Board TRE Core Providers

Innovation Accelerator
InCenter
Initial TRE Networks board members

Vic Lechtenberg (President)

Purdue University
Luis Proenza (Vice President)
University of Akron
Emily DeRocco (Treasurer)
Manufacturing Institute
Tim Franklin (Secretary & COO)
Pennsylvania State University
Chuck Fluharty
Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI)
 TRE Roundtable convenes the “Quadruple Helix” of
government, non-profits, business and higher
education to generate ideas and align agendas with
regular meetings
Feature Value Proposition
Program model develops a Partners:
TRE community to advance  Join network of elite institutional
policy and to influence peers to build policy agenda
public funding decisions for  Collective effort on policy and
regions. funding (state, federal and
foundation levels)

Coordinating Partner(s):
 Prestige and leadership in
addressing national need

25
 TRE Roundtable

Policy
Initiatives,
Analysis
Partners
Online
Connections
Network &
Policy TREPedia
Forums Project

Participants Resources,
Publications
 TRE Practice is the platform for accelerating the
deployment of leading-edge solutions for regional
transformation

Feature Value Proposition

Program model matches Region
regional needs with best-in-  Holistic solution to region
class advisors and providers.  Leverage and extend regional
Unique solution sets align assets

with: 1) metropolitan areas, Provider

2) aging industrial cities, and  New market opportunities
3) micropolitan areas
 Increased impact within system
solution
27
 TRE Practice

TRE Advisor

Certification of
Customized
Products
Offering
TRE Core Solution
Provider &
Services Anchor
Regional
Institution

Regional
Client
  Regional higher education institution is hub for
Anchor
TRE activity
Regional
Institutions  TRE Networks provides tools and TRE advisors to
fill gaps in innovation capacity

Senior-level advisors hold long-term strategic

TRE Advisor relationships in region and pull solutions from TRE
Networks to the region

Align

Scalable,
Replicable,
with
TRE TRE Networks products and services meet standards
Sustainable model
of quality and scope
Field-tested,
Customizable

TRE-Certified Offering

29
TRE Practice crafts world-class programs with regions
requesting assistance through a network of partners

Help regions build
capacity through
“strategic doing”
Implement custom
high-touch, high-
impact solutions
based on world-class
certified programs
Brainpower & Talent Products and Services
Objectives:
G C
w m
 Build an effective K-12
A
x a
education system
g o
t D e z
E
 Develop a skilled adult
y d n j sf workforce
5 c
F p l
u b m  Align talent development
i q
B h
r
pipelines
v
k  Build a culture of
entrepreneurship
 Attract and retain intellectual
capacity
 Advance regional STEM
competence

Key # Strategy Workshop

# Capability-building Toolkits

# Service Offerings
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Products and Services
Objectives:
l o  Develop regional
a
n
r b
B
differentiation for competing
c p
1 C in global markets
d s u
A
e f t  Leverage university
g h w S
D
i k j v innovation infrastructure
x
q
y z m
 Create startup-friendly
environment
 Create top-line growth
environment for existing and
new businesses
 Develop clusters

Key # Strategy Workshop

# Capability-building Toolkits

# Service Offerings 32
Solution and Revenue Flow

Regional
Client

TRE
Networks

Anchor TRE Advisor TRE Core

Regional Provider
Institution

Customized
Solution
Resources Needed to Move Forward

 Best-in-class toolkits, workshops, and

services
 Skillful TRE Advisors
 Regional pilots and partnerships
 Functioning intermediary institution
 Ongoing structure to convene partners and
lead the TRE agenda and dialogue
 Funding to get started
Game-changing progress requires maximizing
interactions between regional players with a
transformation model and program tools

…focus, align, and grow

networks and capacity across
talent, innovation and place