Innovation News

Volvo Cars is celebrating the opening of its new education and training facilities. With top company leadership in attendance, Volvo hosted a grand opening ceremony for its Volvo Car University and Volvo Car South Carolina Technical Center buildings at its campus in Berkeley County on Wednesday.   

The first flights from new airline, Breeze Airways, are taking flight out of Charleston today. The company announced last week that Charleston International Airport will be included in its debut network of nonstop routes across the country, enhancing the state’s economic development marketability. 

With an estimated annual impact of $27 billion, the automotive industry is a major economic driver in the Palmetto State. To build on that growth and continue the advancement of the sector, the South Carolina Automotive Summit – which wraps up today – brings together top minds in the industry each year. This year’s summit, held virtually, provided an opportunity for leaders in the industry to discuss the latest business trends, share best practices and connect with automotive industry stakeholders. 

The South Carolina Fraunhofer USA Alliance (SCFUSA), a collaborative effort between the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness (The Council), South Carolina Department of Commerce and Fraunhofer USA, Inc., announced its newest team member this week. Dr.

The S.C. Commerce Office of Innovation today announced the cast of season three of Scribble’s Notes on Innovation series. The lineup includes thought-leaders from university labs to garage startups, all who exemplify the relentless pursuit of transformational ideas.  
The season three cast includes:

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

Team South Carolina takes that famous quote by legendary American actor Will Rogers to heart. We recognize that in the realm of economic development, it’s imperative to put our best foot forward. And, the world has taken notice.

As part of its 3Phase initiative, the S.C. Commerce Office of Innovation is launching a workshop series aimed at educating S.C. businesses on how to write grant applications for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants. 

The South Carolina Department of Commerce Office of Innovation has awarded $670,000 in funding to 14 organizations across the state as part of the Relentless Challenge grant series.

South Carolina’s technology cluster has a total economic impact of $89 billion. That’s according to the inaugural SC Tech Economic Impact Study released by the SC Council on Competitiveness this week. The study reveals the size and scope of the technology sector in the state, identifying tech companies and top tech occupations, as well as highlighting the growing importance of technology across all industries.

The South Carolina Department of Commerce and the South Carolina Research Authority have partnered with 16 colleges and universities across the state to launch SC Innovates, a student pitch competition that encourages ingenuity and entrepreneurship. The inaugural SC Innovates pitch challenge will take place in tandem with Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) on November 16-22. GEW is a weeklong campaign that celebrates the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life and drive economic growth.