The S.C. Commerce Office of Innovation today announced the cast of season four of Scribble’s Notes on Innovation series. The lineup includes thought-leaders from electric vehicle companies to innovative startups – all who exemplify the relentless pursuit of transformational ideas. The season four cast includes:

Governor Henry McMaster, Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III and statewide workforce development, higher education and career readiness officials convened at Darlington Raceway on March 29 to celebrate the visiting Roadtrip Nation RV, currently on a statewide journey.

The S.C. Department of Commerce (S.C. Commerce) and S.C. Economic Developers’ Association (SCEDA) today announced that 71 state and community leaders have graduated from a statewide economic development training program, the S.C. Economic Development Institute (Institute).

Gov. Henry McMaster, the S.C. Department of Commerce and the SC Ports Authority today announced that the state's 2021 export sales totaled $29.7 billion, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The state remains the top exporter of tires and completed passenger motor vehicles.

The South Carolina Department of Commerce today released its 2021 industry recruitment results, which break multiple records set throughout the past decade. In total, the state won 153 projects, accounting for $5.7 billion in capital investment and more than 18,000 new jobs.

The South Carolina Department of Commerce Office of Innovation today announced its 2022 Relentless Challenge grant recipients, totaling $473,000 granted to 10 organizations around the state. With the mission of progressing and supporting technology-based economic development projects, commercialization of new ideas and the next generation of industry-leading companies, the Relentless Challenge grant series targets strategic investments in localized initiatives.

As part of the South Carolina Department of Commerce’s (Commerce) ongoing commitment to transparency, the agency has delivered by implementing changes that provide increased information to the public and has also pledged additional, future changes.

The South Carolina Department of Commerce’s Office of Innovation has partnered with Venture Carolina, a nonprofit dedicated to bridging the funding gap between investors and entrepreneurs, to launch a pilot fellowship program to create more local accredited investors, expanding risk-capital accessibility for early-stage startups in South Carolina.

The S.C. Department of Commerce today announced that Ashely Teasdel, most recently serving as director of the Business Services division, has been promoted to Deputy Secretary. Working alongside Secretary Lightsey, Teasdel will support the implementation of agency-wide initiatives and programs and provide strategic management.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The S.C. Department of Commerce Office of Innovation, in partnership with the South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority (JEDA) and 3Phase, today announced the launch of the state’s first Phase IIB Match Fund for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants.