innovate arkansas

Four of Arkansas’ members of Congress have announced a $5.1 million investment to assist in the economic development of the Arkansas Delta.
The funding is part of a U.S. Department of Labor initiative that will assist the Arkansas Delta Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (ADWIRED) project in its goals to generate growth and prosperity in the Delta.
ADWIRED is comprised of Mid-South Community College, Arkansas Northeastern College, East Arkansas Community College, Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas, and Arkansas State University at Newport. Working together, these five community colleges will institute a development plan for 17 counties in east Arkansas.
The plan was announced by Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and Reps. Marion Berry and Mike Ross, all D-Ark.
The Labor Department, which last year awarded ADWIRED a $100,000 planning grant, said the initial investment will be followed by a $500,000 grant to begin developing a comprehensive implementation system. Once ADWIRED’s plan is completed, the project will receive an additional $4.5 million to execute its goals over a three-year period.
"I am pleased that the federal government has recognized the Arkansas Delta as a region of economic growth and opportunity," Lincoln said.
"This investment will make a critical difference in helping communities improve the infrastructure and quality of life in the Delta," Pryor said.
"Arkansas’ Delta is at a historic crossroads as more and more companies recognize the value of locating in a region with hard workers and tremendous geographical benefits" said Berry.
"This funding will help to create new economic opportunities across rural Arkansas and help us realize an economic revival in the Delta," Ross said.
Through partnerships with industry, government, non-profit organizations, and Arkansas’ educational institutions, ADWIRED aims to create a biofuel R&D capacity in the Arkansas Delta, a Global Positioning System, Geographic Information Systems, Radio Frequency Identification Systems, an engine test facility, and an expansion of the advanced manufacturing support infrastructure in the Delta.
The five community colleges of ADWIRED serve 17 counties, including Arkansas, Ashley, Chicot, Crittenden, Cross, Craighead, Desha, Drew, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Monroe, Mississippi, Phillips, Poinsett, St. Francis, and Woodruff.