In June 2023, CBICC began work to develop a comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for Centre County. The goal of this plan is to create a common and coordinated vision for smart economic growth in Centre County.
The following priorities and action items are a result of public input from the Economic Development Council, focus groups with area stakeholders including: entrepreneurs, anchor employers, Penn State University, and numerous meetings with partner organizations and local businesses from all over Centre County.
This input gathered from over 150 meetings has shaped strategic actions that reflect a shared vision for the future of Centre County's growth and economic prosperity. As such, we were able to capture these needs and organize them into four overall categories below:
Business Retention and Expansion
Local and Regional Business Support
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Statewide Synchronization
Targeted and Emerging Industries
Targeted Industries
New Business Attractions
Leveraging Commercialization
Workforce and Education
Workforce Development
Talent Attraction
Talent Retention
Built and Natural Environment
Downtowns, Sites, and Infrastructure
Housing
Tourism and Outdoor Recreation
The plan provides a shared economic development vision over the next five to ten years and helps guide the Chamber of Business and Industry and its partners in executing specific action steps. The Plan considers local assets, challenges, and opportunities and outlines a comprehensive list of strategies to propel Centre County’s economy forward.