At NEI, our mission is to sell Northeast Indiana to the world, bringing companies, people, and capital into our region to grow the economy and create more and better opportunities for the 816,000+ Hoosiers who call our 11-county region home.
But to successfully sell the region, we have to ensure we have a product worth selling.
That is where the Regional Initiatives team comes in. We work alongside business and community leaders to strengthen the assets, systems, and policies that make Northeast Indiana more competitive in the global marketplace. While NEI has economic development experts on staff to help lead this work, we remain a small team representing a large constituency. Our success depends on collaborating with and leveraging the thought leadership of leaders across the business, nonprofit, education, and public sectors.
In 2026, NEI will convene key stakeholder groups, including the Regional Opportunities Council, Regional Initiatives Council, Business Attraction Council, and other regional working groups, to dive deeper into the issues that matter most to Northeast Indiana’s long-term growth. Throughout the year, various meetings and engagements will explore these themes in depth and translate ideas into action.
2026 Thematic Focus Areas
- Data & Research Assets
Strong strategy starts with strong information. We will highlight the data and research tools NEI uses to support decision-making, strategic planning, and tactical execution. These assets are also available to our stakeholders, and we will share how to access and apply them in your own work to strengthen communities, organizations, and investment outcomes.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Sector Competitiveness
NEI is working with the Northeast Indiana Colleges and Universities Coalition (NEICU) and Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA) on the Indiana Applied Intelligence Consortium (IAIC) opportunity through Lilly Endowment. Together, we will explore how to leverage shared resources and collaboration to position Northeast Indiana for continued growth—especially in key sectors like manufacturing.
- Talent
Talent remains the #1 challenge cited by companies across industries and has been for more than a decade. In 2026, we will continue advancing talent attraction strategies and partnership-led initiatives with organizations like INvets, NEICU, the SDC, and local economic development organizations (LEDOs). Additionally, NEI will launch a talent-focused initiative designed to function as a repeatable production engine (not a one-off campaign): a standardized process that can onboard employers, capture authentic stories, produce consistent creative, and distribute through coordinated channels.
- Attainable, Market-Relevant Housing
Access to attainable housing is essential to workforce growth, community vibrancy, and long-term competitiveness. We will continue working with regional partners to help shape and deploy housing strategies that support the region’s evolving market needs.
- Economic Development Policy & Legislation
Policy decisions shape the tools and resources available to regions like ours. We will track and engage around economic development-related public policy, including the Governor’s push for region-led, state-supported economic development.
- Startups, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Access
A more dynamic startup ecosystem helps retain talent, grow innovation, and expand opportunity. NEI will continue exploring strategies to support startups and strengthen the region’s access to early-stage capital, including the development of an angel investment network for Northeast Indiana companies.
Deploying State Resources Through the RDA and SDC
In addition to convening stakeholders around long-term regional strategy, NEI will continue playing a key role in the deployment of state resources that help move high-impact projects forward. As the administrators of the Regional Development Authority (RDA) and the Strategic Development Commission (SDC), NEI works alongside communities and partners across Northeast Indiana to help regionally significant development projects succeed.
This work includes supporting project development, helping stakeholders navigate funding and program requirements, and aligning state resources with initiatives that strengthen our competitiveness.
Business Attraction Council: Industry Cluster Priorities
In parallel, the NEI Business Attraction Council, in collaboration with other regional and statewide partners, will focus on targeted industry clusters and strategies to recruit and grow companies in:
- Agribusiness & regional ag-bioscience asset map and ecosystem health benchmark with Agrinovus
- MedTech & musculoskeletal (MSK) innovation with IMPACT
- Defense & SpaceTech with NIDIA and D!NG
Be on the lookout for opportunities throughout the year to learn more about these initiatives and to add your voice to the strategies behind them. If you have expertise or interest in any of these focus areas and would like to help shape the strategy or participate in tactical execution, please reach out to me directly.
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