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Local Economic Development |
Economic Seminar |
PROGRAM
Nagoya American Center dedicated its annual Tokai-Hokuriku Economic Seminar (THES) to the topic of "Regional Economic Development Initiatives." Following up on the success of previous programs exploring the role of local government, business, and research institutions in fashioning innovative economic strategies, this year's THES brought Dr. Robert A. Meeder to Nagoya. Dr. Meeder, currently president of Pittsburgh Gateways Corporation, has long experience in bringing together business, government, and universities toward the objective of fostering local economic growth.
SPEAKERS
The keynote speaker for THES '98 was Dr. Robert A. Meeder, president of Pittsburgh Gateways Corporation. The corporation focuses on the commercial development of intellectual property for Penn State University, Purdue University (Indiana), and a consortium of foundation-sponsored programs in the Pittsburgh region. From 1982-87, Meeder was president of SPEDD, Inc., which manages 19 business incubators in western Pennsylvania, northeastern Ohio, and southwestern New York.
Joining Meeder as a co-speaker was Osamu Aizawa, General Manager of the Nagoya Branch of the Japan Development Bank. Mr. Aizawa has also served as an advisor on regional economic projects, as a member of the Regional Economic Committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the National Land Agency's Research Group on Developing Regional Industries, and the Tohoku International Airport Plan Committee of the Tohoku Economic Federation.
The moderator for the seminar was Prof. Masaru Maruyama of the Faculty of Economics, Nihon Social Welfare University. Prof. Maruyama served as a co-speaker for Nagoya American Center's April lecture program with Dr. William Miller of Stanford University on "Silicon Valley as a Model for Local Economic Development," and is one of Central Japan's leading experts on regional economic development efforts in the United States.
PROGRAM DATE AND VENUE
THES '98 was held on Tuesday, September 22, at the Nagoya International Center, which co-sponsored the seminar. News media or others with inquiries about the event should contact Nagoya American Center.