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  • Secretary Bryson Travels to Pittsburgh to Tour Energy Company and Meet with Business Leaders
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    Aquion Energy, a Carnegie Mellon University spin off, is working on bringing new battery technology to market
  • Secretary Bryson tours North American International Auto Show in Support of Manufacturers
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    Secretary Bryson speaks with Ford Chairman Bill Ford after they saw the new Lincoln MKS
  • Secretary John Bryson Lays Out Vision for Department of Commerce
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    Secretary Bryson: "Build it Here, Sell it Everywhere" (photo: U.S. Chamber of Commerce)
  • Commerce Secretary John Bryson Hosts Sixth Meeting of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
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    Bryson called on the NACIE council members to help develop policies that support innovation and entrepreneurship

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The Latest From The Commerce Blog

Why Investing in R&D Matters

Submitted on February 9, 2012 - 3:50pm
Categories:
  • Economy
  • Innovation
  • Investment
  • R&D
  • Bureau of Economic Analysis
  • Economics and Statistics Administration
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What do the electric light bulb, the internal combustion engine and the transistor have in common? They are all examples of how innovative ideas can bring rapid change and growth to our economy. Innovation has long been recognized as an important driver of economic growth.  New ideas can spark wave upon wave of new goods and services that literally transform the economy, making it more robust and vibrant.

What exactly is innovation? A precise explanation can be elusive, but common to every definition is the idea of realizing commercial value by creating something that did not previously exist. And, while economists agree that innovation is important for economic growth, actually measuring it is quite a challenge. Innovation is what’s known as an intangible asset. It’s hard to quantify. Understanding the role of intangible assets–and thus the role of innovative activity in general–is critical to understanding the modern economy.

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Acting Deputy Secretary Blank Meets with Frédéric Lefebvre, French Minister

Submitted on February 9, 2012 - 11:25am
Categories:
  • Economy
  • Exports
  • Frédéric Lefebvre
  • International trade
  • Investment
  • SelectUSA
  • International Trade Administration
  • Acting Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Rebecca Blank
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Yesterday, Acting Deputy Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank met with Frédéric Lefebvre, French Minister for Commerce, SMEs, Tourism, and Consumer Policy, at the Commerce Department to discuss ways to increase cooperation in the U.S.-France commercial relationship. Lefebvre is in Washington briefly before traveling to Miami for the World Symposium of French Trade Advisors on February 9–10.
 
In light of the Euro crisis, Blank and Lefebvre discussed French growth prospects and U.S. exports, as well as government initiatives, such as BusinessUSA, aimed at improving competitiveness, creating jobs and cutting bureaucratic red tape. They also talked about strategies that each government is pursuing to increase tourism and ideas for cooperation in order to increase trade and investment flows. In addition, Blank and Lefebvre talked about foreign direct investment through the SelectUSA program. Blank said she looks forward to continuing to strengthen the trade relationship between the two countries.

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Acting Deputy Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank Highlights Skills Initiatives in Madison, Wisconsin

Submitted on February 8, 2012 - 1:40pm
Categories:
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Innovation and entrepreneurship
  • Jobs
  • Madison
  • Madison Area Technical College
  • STEM
  • Wisconsin
  • Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery
  • Economic Development Administration
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President Obama recently laid out plans in his State of the Union address to foster an economy that’s built to last by ensuring that America has the highly skilled workers necessary for 21st century jobs. Yesterday, Acting Deputy Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank traveled to Madison, Wisconsin, where she visited the Madison Area Technical College, a training ground for students that leads directly to skilled manufacturing jobs nationwide. Blank met with students and sat in on a training class focused on hybrid vehicle technology. Blank also delivered remarks on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce training and met with business and university leaders. Commerce’s Economic Development Administration recently teamed up with Madison College to provide mobile technical training opportunities both on-campus and throughout the region. The training focused on advanced manufacturing and automotive technology.

Blank also visited with several business and academic leaders, who are vital partners in the area of technical training at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.

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More From The Commerce Blog

Wed, Feb 8, 2012
Science at Sea: Teaching Our Youth About the Jobs that Make it Happen
Tue, Feb 7, 2012
BTOP Case Study: Building 21st Century Job Skills in California
Tue, Feb 7, 2012
Colorado Manufacturers & Obama Administration Officials Discuss Efforts to Build a Recovery That Lasts
Mon, Feb 6, 2012
Commerce Secretary John Bryson Meets with the National Advisory Council on Minority Business Enterprise
Mon, Feb 6, 2012
The State of our Union’s 21st Century Workforce

Blog Archive

Around Commerce

Fri, Feb 3, 2012
Office of the Secretary
Secretary Bryson: Moving in the Right Direction on Jobs - Let’s Keep our Focus on Building it Here and Selling it Everywhere
Fri, Feb 3, 2012
International Trade Administration
Working with Florida Businesses to Create an Economy Built to Last
Fri, Feb 3, 2012
Office of the Secretary Patent and Trademark Office
Commerce Secretary John Bryson Visits Patent and Trademark Office Headquarters
Thu, Feb 2, 2012
Office of the Secretary
Acting Deputy Secretary Blank Visits SolarDock to Highlight President's Clean Energy and Manufacturing Initiatives
Thu, Feb 2, 2012
National Institute of Standards and Technology
NIST Builds Enclosure to Display and Protect the 1297 Magna Carta for the National Archives
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