Invest Augusta highlights city’s potential. Page 4
JUNE 2019 • THE CSRA’S MONTHLY BUSINESS MAGAZINE
IT’S A TEAM THING
CENTERS OF INNOVATION HELP GEORGIA BUSINESSES MAKE RIGHT CONNECTIONS By Gary Kauffman
As a business owner, there are times when you need a little extra help — a question answered that’s out of your field of expertise, a connection made with a new vendor or the formation of a new strategic partnership — but you barely have time to answer the phone, let alone do research and find the answers. Thankfully for Georgia business owners, the state is providing a wealth of information and expertise through the Georgia Centers of Innovation. The Centers of Innovation act as a network hub for business owners. “When you run a small business, you’re busy making sure everything is running,” said Steve Justice, executive director of the Centers of Innovation. “You don’t have a week or two to go and research something. That’s what we do every day. Because we’re doing it every day, we see connections. Or if you’re at the point where your business needs to go from talking about something to do it, we can advise you.” The Georgia Centers of Innovation comprise five centers — aerospace, energy, information technology (IT), logistics and manufacturing. The people who work in those centers came out of those industries, so they
Georgia Centers of Innovation Executive Director Steve Justice and David Nuckolls, operations and marketing director, recently visited the Georgia Cyber Center to learn more about the “innovation culture” in Augusta. Photo by Witt Wells
speak the language of those industries. That helps them dive deep into a business to discover the best way to meet their needs and the challenges they face. “This project is focused on companies in the state of Georgia who want to create that next product or service that will allow them to grow,” Justice said. Justice and David Nuckolls, operations and marketing director, visited Augusta for sevSee INNOVATION on Page 2
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“The Cyber Center will be a resource for all of Georgia because cyber is important to all businesses. It’s wonderful for Augusta to have that impact statewide.” – Steve Justice, executive director of the Georgia Centers of Innovation
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