Engines of Economic Development: West Virginia’s Airports
The aerospace industry is one of West Virginia’s fastest-growing economic generators. With nearly $2 billion generated in annual economic impact, airports and related aerospace companies are critical components of the state’s economy.
The Startup State
In 2018, Brad Smith, chairman and CEO of Intuit at the time, announced a $25 million gift to the Marshall University Lewis College of Business. Within 24 hours of the announcement, West Virginia University (WVU) announced a gift of time, talent and resources by alumnus John Chambers, former executive chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems Inc. and founder and CEO of JC2 Ventures, to its college of business and economics.
A Community Connection
Morgantown is teeming with economic development. With the ongoing expansion of West Virginia University (WVU), WestRidge Business + Retail Park, Mylan Park and the MorganÂtown Municipal Airport, the city’s growing footprint is a bright spot in the Mountain State.
The Urgency of Cybersecurity
The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the world to rely even more on the internet, forcing West Virginia’s business community—especially small businesses—to re-evaluate and grow their online presence and government agencies and educational institutions to brainstorm new ways to train and engage students. Amid opportunities for transformation and innovation, however, the pandemic also opened West Virginians up to online exploitation.
Fueling the Future: Introducing the Sharp Shooters Class of 2020
West Virginians helping West Virginians has never been more important. During a year of uncertainty, an unprecedented stay-at-home order, business closings, layoffs, remote work and fear, citizens of the Mountain State have proven once again that in the face of adversity, they take care of their own.
The Next Generation of Coal
As the rise and fall in the demand for coal continues for established uses like power generation, one West Virginia-based company is developing innovative applications for the state’s most prominent export. As the rise and fall in the demand for coal continues for established uses like power generation, one West Virginia-based company is developing innovative applications for the state’s most prominent export. Because coal is a hydrocarbon with unique properties, it can easily be converted to a wide range of products, and Wheeling-based Touchstone Research Laboratories is committed to finding alternative uses for coal in research, manufacturing and commercialization.