LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 4, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) will host its fifth annual “State of the EDC” 1-2:30 p.m. Dec. 12, in the Worsham Cinema at the Gatton Student Center. The event will also be livestreamed.

The State of the EDC highlights UK’s economic development efforts and fosters two-way communication to ensure the EDC’s work addresses stakeholder needs. The event is open to economic development leaders, strategic business partners, faculty and staff, students and community members.

George Ward, EDC chair, will present an update on the collaborative’s five bold ideas:

1. Provide the staffing and resources necessary for a successful Office of Business Engagement, reflecting the scale of UK, including access to business intelligence data.
2. Develop the UK Innovation District (from Scott Street to Bolivar and Limestone to Broadway), including co-location space for UK students, researchers and industry partners.
3. Develop multi-disciplinary institutes and consortia to increase UK’s impact on the Commonwealth.
4. Create an economic opportunity map for Central Kentucky.
5. Retain UK graduates in Kentucky by cultivating a campus-wide career-ready culture that focuses on the workforce needs of the Commonwealth.

“The active members of the EDC are passionate about moving UK and the Commonwealth of Kentucky forward,” Ward said. “The State of the EDC is an opportunity to share the great work being done across the University of Kentucky with both internal and external stakeholders.”

In addition to the updates on the bold ideas, this year’s event will launch a new initiative between UK Cooperative Extension Service and the EDC. It will also celebrate the second cohort of OneUK, the university’s program for holistic business engagement.

“Through initiatives like OneUK and our growing partnerships with UK Extension, we’ve expanded our reach across the Commonwealth to address both regional and statewide economic development needs,” said Melody Flowers, EDC co-chair. “By aligning with Kentucky’s focus on talent recruitment and retention, we are helping build a stronger, more sustainable workforce to meet current and future demands.”

The event will also feature a discussion on the regional economic development plan led by Commerce Lexington, followed by a Q&A session.

The event is free and open to the public. To register to attend in person, visit https://forms.gle/27bfUZjLEeKQdgXD8 /. To attend via livestream, save the following link: https://uky.zoom.us/j/84882668067.