Elizabeth Feather writes that a recent study by the Brookings Institution reports the Upstate is one of the nation’s most "globally fluent regions."
Global fluency isn’t a phrase that comes up every day in business conversation, but it is something that the Upstate is doing very well.
According to a recent study by the Brookings Institution the Upstate is one of the nation’s most “globally fluent regions.” In a nutshell that means, we are an area that is ready and able to recruit international business.
That is important for our region because global integration, the expansion of a global consumer class, and the rise of urban areas as the engines of global economic growth have ushered in a new era that demands more global engagement from America’s city and regional leaders.
Brookings listed 10 traits that globally fluent regions need to possess: leadership with a worldview, a legacy of global orientation, specializations with global reach; the ability to adapt to global dynamics, a culture of knowledge and innovation, opportunity and appeal to the rest of the world, international connectivity, ability to secure investment for strategic partnerships, government as a global enabler and a compelling global identity.
Those traits all resonate in the Upstate, but it was specialization with a global reach that drew the most attention from Brookings. Our 10 counties include more than 375 international companies that represent 31 countries including Germany, Japan, China, Italy, Korea and France.
Those are big numbers, and they are supported by employee data. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, South Carolina is tied for fourth in the nation in the percentage of people employed by foreign-based companies.
While the three letters BMW are what most Upstate residents think about when it comes to foreign investment, here is just a smattering of what other companies are located here: adidas, BASF, Electrolux, Freightliner, Fujifilm, Robert Bosch Group and Siemens.
This influx did not happen overnight nor did it happen without reason. One of the main goals of the Upstate SC Alliance is to tell the economic development story of our region to the rest of the world.
The Upstate does not stand alone on steel and concrete infrastructure. Upstate cities have “sister cities” in Bergamo in Italy; Carrickfergus in the United Kingdom, Kortrjik in Belgium, the Western Isles in the United Kingdom and the Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone in China. These sister cities help foster an international expansion of ideas and cultures.
In addition, the International Center of the Upstate was established in 1998 to offer a multitude of services designed to promote cross-cultural understanding among local and international residents of the Upstate. This includes language classes, an Upstate professional’s network, newcomers groups and a relocation program.
Our region’s international programming is aided by the Michelin French School, which is accredited by the French Ministry of Education and provides French-only classes for high school students; as well as weekend schools geared for educating Chinese, Korean, Japanese and German students.
All of these pieces combined are making the Upstate a more attractive place for international investments, which strengthens our place in a global economy and createsa more interesting and comfortable place to call home . . . no matter where you were born.
Elizabeth Feather is the marketing research manager of the Upstate SC Alliance, a non-profit organization made up of a public and private investors aimed at promoting economic growth. Additional information is available through the Alliance’s web site, www.upstateSCalliance.com.