Reframing Language of Tech-Based Economic Development

Practitioners in the technology-based economic development field often face questions about what they do, or what the field entails. The answer can be a challenge. Is it attracting high-quality jobs and businesses to an area, finding capital to finance science and tech startups, STEM education support, educating a new workforce, bringing research ideas to the marketplace, partnering with other organizations to achieve all those goals? It can be a mouthful, and it can be difficult to convey all those ideas in simple terms. In an effort to give the community a framework to talk about their work with external stakeholders, the upcoming annual SSTI conference will feature a session designed to frame the message in an understandable and memorable way.

“Trying to explain what we do is one of the biggest challenges in the industry,” said SSTI President and CEO Dan Berglund. “At this stage, there is not a common language that organizations are using. Fifteen to 20 years ago, people latched on to ‘technology-based economic development’ because it made sense and resonated. I’m not sure that’s still the case.”

With special funding from SSTI members last year, polling and a focus group were used to determine whether the language used in the field accurately describes the work being accomplished. Results showed a disconnect. The average person associates ‘technology’ with information technology, and other terms used throughout the field, like ‘commercialization’, may even have negative connotations with the public.

“Failure to accurately define the scope of our work may put projects and funding at a disadvantage,” says SSTI Membership and Development Director Jason Rittenberg. “Definitions frame arguments. A good frame puts your case on solid footing while a bad frame creates an inherent disadvantage.” Public support, participation or investment may start from behind if the message is not clearly defined, he added. 

Berglund noted that another challenge in communicating for the technology and innovation sectors of the economic development community is explaining the concept of a regional innovation system, what a regional innovation system is and how individual components fit within that system.

The mismatch between the general goals of economic development and the common understanding of what economic developers do may be part of the reason that “technology-based economic development” does not have stronger resonance with the public and some key stakeholders. For these audiences, the term may conjure different images, such as a mix of tech and real estate, ideas of software startups and coders, data centers and high-tech manufacturing. “It is likely a mix of things that are largely relevant, but maybe not getting to the core of what this community does,” Rittenberg said.

Getting to that core will be part of the work for conference goers attending the Communications Toolkit session. A preliminary communications toolkit will be discussed and phrases that resonate with external stakeholders will be discussed. Feedback is welcome and participants are encouraged to email Rittenberg ahead of time with examples of communications defining their work that may be discussed as part of the session.

“I hope everyone comes ready to participate,” Rittenberg said.