A-State hosts second annual Catalyst: NEA Economic Development & Leadership Forum – Talk Business & Politics

Catalyst Forum Report: Aligning Regional Development with Sustainable Development Goals

Forum Overview and Objectives

A recent forum, titled “Catalyst: NEA Economic Development & Leadership Forum,” convened approximately 600 leaders from the business, education, and government sectors. The primary objective was to establish specific, actionable steps to foster job creation, investment, and opportunity in Northeast Arkansas, aligning regional momentum with the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Fostering Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8)

The forum highlighted the significant economic impact of Arkansas State University as a key driver for achieving SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). The university’s contributions are central to creating sustainable economic progress in the region.

• Total annual economic impact reached $2.5 billion.
• University operations, along with student and visitor spending, contributed $480 million.
• Statewide alumni activity generated an additional $2 billion.
• This economic activity supports over 16,000 jobs.

Chancellor Todd Shields emphasized that aligning priorities among operators, educators, and public leaders is essential to “move faster and build results that last,” directly supporting the collaborative approach needed for sustainable economic growth.

Advancing Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (SDG 2)

Discussions on agriculture centered on its role in achieving SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), which includes promoting sustainable agriculture and ensuring food security. Leaders identified key areas for action to strengthen the sector’s contribution to rural prosperity.

1. Value-Added Products: Increasing the development of value-added agricultural products to boost economic returns and sustainability.
2. Workforce Development: Addressing critical workforce needs to ensure a job-ready talent pipeline for the agricultural industry.
3. Coordinated Planning: Fostering strategic coordination among producers, processors, and educators to create a more resilient and efficient food system.

Building Innovation, Quality Education, and Resilient Infrastructure (SDG 9 & SDG 4)

Sessions on entrepreneurship and infrastructure directly addressed the aims of SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 4 (Quality Education). The focus was on creating an ecosystem that supports innovation and provides the necessary infrastructure for long-term growth.

• Entrepreneurship: Practical strategies were discussed for scaling companies, strengthening talent pipelines, and connecting founders with mentorship and capital to foster innovation.
• Education Pathways: A-State faculty and students engaged attendees on applied learning and internship programs designed to match employer needs, contributing to quality education and workforce readiness.
• Infrastructure: Leaders examined the need for reliable highways, power, and project delivery to support industrial expansion and community well-being. This focus on “smart infrastructure” was identified as the “backbone of long-term prosperity.”

Strengthening Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)

A central theme of the forum was regional collaboration, which is the core principle of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The discussions explored how multi-stakeholder partnerships between communities, higher education, and industry can achieve mutual benefits and advance sustainable development across the region.

A shared work plan was proposed to operationalize this collaboration, focusing on:

• Coordinated recruitment and aligned training programs.
• Strategic investment in industrial sites and housing.
• Improving quality of life to attract and retain talent.

Commitment to Action and Measurable Progress

The forum concluded with a strong emphasis on follow-through and measurable progress. Executive-in-Residence Heather Nelson noted that the event’s purpose was to identify “concrete next steps” to build on current momentum. The ultimate goal is to translate the collaborative energy of the forum into tangible benefits for students, employers, and communities, thereby advancing the region’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The article extensively discusses economic development, job creation, and investment in Northeast Arkansas. The forum’s goal to translate “momentum into specific next steps for jobs, investment, and opportunity” directly aligns with promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth. The economic impact of A-State, which supports over 16,000 jobs, is a central theme.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• A significant portion of the forum was dedicated to infrastructure. The article highlights discussions on “highways, power, and project delivery needed to match growth.” This focus on building resilient infrastructure to support economic expansion and quality of life connects directly to SDG 9.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• The role of education, particularly Arkansas State University (A-State), is a cornerstone of the article. The text emphasizes creating a “job-ready workforce,” strengthening “talent pipelines,” and using “applied learning and internship pathways that match employer needs,” all of which are central to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The very nature of the “Catalyst: NEA Economic Development & Leadership Forum” embodies SDG 17. The event brought together “600 business, education, and government leaders” to “align priorities” and “execute the same playbook,” showcasing a multi-stakeholder partnership for sustainable development.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• The forum’s focus on agriculture as a “statewide engine for exports, manufacturing, and rural prosperity” connects to SDG 2. The discussion on “value-added products” and coordinating among producers, processors, and educators aims to make the agricultural sector more productive and sustainable.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The theme of “regionalism” and creating a “shared work plan that links workforce, sites, housing, and quality of life” relates to making communities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. The goal to “invest in places where people want to live” and link “towns across the region” supports integrated regional development planning.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

1. Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.
   • The article’s focus on entrepreneurship sessions aimed at “practical ways to scale companies” and connecting “founders with mentorship and capital” directly supports this target. The entire forum is a development-oriented policy initiative.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

1. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being.
   • The discussion on infrastructure centered on “reliability, safety, and readiness” of highways and power to allow employers to “expand with confidence” and families to “build their lives here.” This directly reflects the goal of building reliable infrastructure for economic and social support.

SDG 4: Quality Education

1. Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
   • The article highlights the need for a “job-ready workforce” and “talent pipelines.” The engagement between attendees, faculty, and students on “applied learning and internship pathways that match employer needs” is a clear strategy to provide people with relevant skills for employment.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.
   • The forum itself is a public-private partnership, bringing “operators, educators, and public leaders to the same table to compare notes and commit to next steps.” The statement, “When industry, education and policy sit down together, Arkansas moves faster,” perfectly encapsulates the spirit of this target.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

1. Target 11.a: Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning.
   • The lunch discussion on “regionalism” and how “communities, higher education, and industry can collaborate to achieve mutual benefits” is a direct example of strengthening regional development planning. The call to “link towns across the region” reinforces this connection.

Indicators for Measurement

Explicit Indicators

• Total economic impact: The article explicitly states, “A-State’s total economic impact reached $2.5 billion.” This is a direct quantitative indicator of economic growth (SDG 8).
• Jobs supported: The article mentions that the economic impact “supports more than 16,000 jobs,” a clear indicator for employment (SDG 8).
• Return on investment: The article provides the metric that A-State “returns $7.10 for every dollar invested by the state,” which measures economic efficiency and productivity (SDG 8).
• Number of partners: The article states that “About 600 business, education, and government leaders” gathered, which serves as an indicator for the scale of the partnership (SDG 17).

Implied Indicators

• Alignment of training with employer needs: The mention of “internship pathways that match employer needs” implies that the number or percentage of graduates with relevant job skills could be a metric for measuring progress toward Target 4.4.
• Infrastructure project delivery: The focus on “practical projects that make it easier to move people and goods” implies that the number of completed infrastructure projects or improvements in transit times could be used as indicators for Target 9.1.
• Growth in value-added agriculture: The goal to achieve “additional gains… from value-added products” suggests that the monetary value or volume of these products could be an indicator of progress in the agricultural sector (SDG 2).

Summary Table

Source: talkbusiness.net