Innovation News

Last week, representatives from the S.C. Department of Commerce visited the Pee Dee region to meet with Myrtle Beach-area business leaders to discuss local and statewide economic development updates.

South Carolina is transforming into a hub for technology and innovation, and the best and brightest in ingenuity are representing the Palmetto State at CES 2022. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association, CES is one of the world's biggest tech trade shows and currently taking place in Las Vegas. 

With an annual economic impact of more than $11 billion, the life sciences sector has become one of South Carolina’s top industries. Thanks to the state’s talented and innovative workforce, cutting-edge research institutions and world-class hospital systems, life sciences employs more than 43,000 professionals across the state. 

Returning to the in-person format this year, the South Carolina Manufacturing Conference and Expo celebrated the state’s robust manufacturing footprint and looked to the future of this critical sector. The conference, which took place in Greenville on November 10-12, is one of the largest manufacturing events in the Southeast each year.

S.C. Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III kicked off the South Carolina Economic Developers’ Association Annual Conference on Hilton Head Island last week with his first address to the organization.

In today’s constantly evolving and technology-reliant world, the importance of maintaining private information online is crucial – for individuals and businesses alike. For companies, a data breach can be catastrophic. According to IBM, the average cost of a breach to U.S. companies in 2020 was more than $8 million, with costs spiraling from lost revenue, downtime, reputation, IT work and more.

South Carolina knows what drives automotive success. The state’s reputation as an automotive powerhouse began to develop in the mid-1970s when European heavyweights Michelin and Bosch established operations in S.C. Two decades later, BMW joined the state’s business community, transforming the way South Carolina is viewed worldwide. Today, the Palmetto State is a global leader in automotive manufacturing – home to some of the world’s biggest brands.

Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III kicked off a tour of the state’s economic development alliances at the Upstate SC Alliance’s Midyear Meeting on Wednesday, August 25. Leaders from across the 10-county Upstate region convened for updates on the alliance’s activities, economic performance and to network. 

In today’s technology-reliant world, maintaining private information online can make or break a business. As manufacturing supply chains are increasingly interconnected and companies become more tech-dependent, cybersecurity has evolved into a critical component of companies’ everyday operations.

BMW Manufacturing and the SC Council on Competitiveness (the Council), with support from S.C. Commerce, Clemson University, University of South Carolina and the S.C.