South Carolina Council on Competitiveness                                 Updated Mon, May 06, 2019 09:17 EDT

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CHARLESTON, SC – The South Carolina Council on Competitiveness, in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Commerce, and the Fraunhofer USA Center for Experimental Software Engineering CESE located in Maryland announced today the establishment of the South Carolina Fraunhofer USA Alliance. The Alliance is a collaborative effort to advance applied research in engineering and technology across the state of South Carolina with the Fraunhofer USA Center for Experimental Software Engineering CESE and South Carolina research institutions. 

Today’s announcement was made at the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern United States, Inc. (GACC South) SME Business Development Conference before an audience of professionals from across various industries representing companies with a wide regional, national, and international presence.

Susie Shannon, President & CEO of the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness, says that the work of the Alliance and the research it will support will give the state even more of a competitive edge in advancing applied research and innovation that can move industries forward. “A cornerstone of our work at the Council is to support our industry clusters by furthering actionable research studies that empower companies with the information needed to grow and sustain their competitiveness. So, we’re very proud to be entering into this partnership with the Department of Commerce and Fraunhofer USA to manage the Alliance and to help raise South Carolina’s national and international profile as a leading provider of industry research and technology.” 

South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt says, “This new partnership with the prestigious Fraunhofer network gives South Carolina a unique competitive advantage by introducing a model to bring the state’s universities into the problem-solving needs of our companies. The creation of the South Carolina Fraunhofer USA Alliance reinforces our reputation as a business-friendly state that supports advanced research, and we’re excited about the innovation that will result from this initiative.” 

Dr. Adam Porter, Executive Director of the Fraunhofer USA Center for Experimental Software Engineering CESE expressed his enthusiasm for expanding the partnership between Fraunhofer USA and the state of South Carolina. “Fraunhofer USA is excited to expand its presence in South Carolina. Our mission is to get technology to companies so they can be more successful. Working together with highly creative researchers at South Carolina universities, statewide leadership organizations like the Council on Competitiveness, and forward-looking South Carolina companies, we can do just that!”