Innovate Arkansas

IA Program Sponsors

Winrock International

Winrock International was created in 1985 when three Rockefeller-founded organizations merged: the Winrock International Livestock Research and Training Center, the Agricultural Development Council and the International Agricultural Development Service. The merger ensured that a tradition of education, training and research would continue. From that union was born a powerful mission: to improve lives worldwide by empowering the disadvantaged, increasing economic opportunity and sustaining natural resources.

Winrock makes its home in Arkansas, with headquarters in Little Rock. Its U.S. Programs bring global expertise home to benefit Arkansas, the Midsouth and the United States. Rural and enterprise development programs, technology assistance and environmental services provide crosscutting strategies to address challenges facing the region and nation.

Innovate Arkansas is a perfect complement to Winrock’s portfolio of projects. By providing training and technical assistance to help develop industry based on new technology, Innovative Arkansas is reinforcing and expanding the Winrock mission. Winrock is proud to be a partner in this exciting initiative that will increase economic opportunity in Arkansas.

Arkansas Economic Development Commission

The Arkansas Economic Development Commission's mission is to lead statewide economic development, create targeted strategies that produce better-paying jobs, promote communities and support the training and growth of a 21st century, skilled workforce.

AEDC works to grow Arkansas’ knowledge-based economy through the encouragement of entrepreneurship, recruitment and expansion of targeted technology-based companies and partnerships with Arkansas’s university-based research institutions. The commission also works to meet Gov. Mike Beebe’s five economic development goals, one of which is to expand entrepreneurship focusing on knowledge-based enterprises.

The six sectors that the Arkansas legislature determined to be targeted knowledge-based sectors in the 2003 legislative session will give AEDC direction in our business recruitment and expansion efforts. AEDC has project managers focusing primarily on the recruitment and expansion of knowledge-based companies. We encourage you to call our Business Development Division at (501) 682-7675 if you’re considering locating, expanding or starting a technology-related company in Arkansas.

AEDC is proud to partner with Innovate Arkansas as we work to build a diverse, strong knowledge-based economy.