Sometimes, when a business faces a tough problem, an outside perspective can provide a surprisingly simple solution. For the industry experts at the Georgia Center of Innovation, it has become a routine.
that will create 50 new jobs and $27 million in investment in Candler County.
As a strategic arm of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the specialized team of industry veterans at the Center of Innovation keeps key Georgia industries connected with the resources and businesses that make doing business more seamless, efficient, and effective. A service unique to Georgia, the Center’s focus is on business innovation, from the simplest change in process to the most complex technology.
The Center solves everyday business needs like providing connections to a contract manufacturer or supplier in the state. But they also often cultivate multi-year problem-solving, like applied research projects that include university partners working to commercialize new technology. Center partnerships are part of what makes doing business in Georgia easier. Sometimes, it’s even about the Center’s team members being in the right place at the right time that drives strategic investment in the state.
Innovation is happening in all corners of Georgia. As part of the continued investments happening in the clean energy supply chain and industry, SOLARCYCLE, an advanced technology-based solar recycling company, recently announced a $344 million investment in a solar glass manufacturing facility in rural Georgia. The Center of Innovation Team approached SOLARCYCLE at a trade show, sparking connections that are bringing together the right partners to build new industries, including clean tech.
The facility will be the first-of-its-kind in the country to use recycled materials from retired solar panels to make new solar glass. With the capacity to make up to six gigawatts of solar glass per year, the facility will help fill a hole in the current solar supply chain in the U.S. SOLARCYCLE not only provides a critical piece to the integrated solar supply chain being built in Georgia but shows the power of Georgia’s collaborative approach to economic development.
As a state, Georgia works to ensure its numerous assets in education, research and development, business development centers, and other innovation hubs remain connected to resources that help businesses go the distance to reach their goals. The Center fosters innovation through collaboration, making a global impact in critical industries. “Relationships lead to opportunity, and providing connections to partners is the first way our experts can support current and future Georgia companies,” said David Nuckolls, Executive Director for the Georgia Center of Innovation. “Our team is able to provide intentional, ecosystem-specific guidance that otherwise might not be available to a business.”
The Center is also responsive to industry demands and added AgTech as a focus in 2021 to find solutions for the next generation of agriculture in Georgia. Agriculture is the state’s top industry, and as the demand for fresh produce grows, new technologies are needed to meet that demand – including indoor farming. A client of the Center’s AgTech team, 4 Fungi’s Regenerative, recently established a sustainable controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and food production company in South Georgia, creating almost 50 new jobs and $27 million in investment.
The project is an example of the Center’s emphasis on ecosystem collaboration, and the partnership with Georgia Grown, the City of Metter, and Georgia Southern University shows how communities can catalyze growth and development in their own backyard. The Georgia Department of Economic Development supports companies when they are ready to start and grow, and GDEcD’s International Trade professionals are also working with the new company to expand its footprint into other markets.
Economic development in Georgia is focused on solutions, and by providing solutions, the Center is helping businesses clear the path to innovation and growth across the state.
Connect with industry experts and find more information about the Center of Innovation.
