Expert says quality of life lures educated talent, leaders say West Michigan positioned for growth

Urban areas that attract high concentrations of educated professionals top the ladder of success in the global marketplace. West Michigan leaders believe the region is well positioned for continued growth in retaining the talent already here and attracting more.

According to excerpts from the story:

It's all about the talent. Land the talent, Lou Glazer reasons, and a better tomorrow should follow.

"The places with the highest concentration of talent on the planet win," says Glazer, president of the Ann Arbor-based think tank Michigan Future Inc., who advocates a march toward a knowlege-based economy as the only savior for auto-dependent Michigan and its withering economy. In presenting his annual update last week across the state on how well Michigan is doing to transition to a knowledge economy, Glazer emphasized the effort must give top priority to preparing, attracting and retaining a well-educated work force that becomes a magnet for business investment.

"Talent concentration trumps everything," he said. "If everything else we're doing at the state and regional level that we call economic growth or economic development works fabulously well, and we do not increase talent concentrations, we will get poorer."

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