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Robots repairing femurs. AI being wielded to find cancer treatments. These are just a few areas of research that will be supported by the new Strategic Innovation Center (SIC) recently announced at Rowan University in New Jersey.“Maybe one day down the road, we will have the Silicon Valley of medtech...
Foreign dollars invested in the United States increased by $332.1 billion to $5.71 trillion at the end of 2024, with the manufacturing sector seeing the highest increases and retaining the largest sector of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country. This year has also seen a yo-yo effect when it...
Minnesota is experiencing a decisive expansion in its life sciences and medical technology sectors. With an intense concentration of medical device, biotech and health-technology companies, the state offers a compelling destination for firms seeking sites for research, development and manufacturing.According to the state’s business development agency, Minnesota’s life sciences industry...
Anyone planning to make a location decision in the coming years should be paying attention to Opportunity Zones, the federal capital gains tax incentive designed to drive productive investment into low-income areas across the country.The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) made Opportunity Zones (OZs) a permanent feature of the...
East Central Energy (ECE) and Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative (TWEC) were included in USDA’s recent award announcements for the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) Programs.TWEC was awarded a $1 million pass-through loan to support the expansion of Enterprise-CP, a pasta manufacturer and packaging plant in Long Prairie. The zero-interest...
When temperatures drop, Minnesota's economy heats up. Snow-based recreation generated $238 million in state economic value in 2023, a dramatic rise of $126 million since 2019, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. While many tourism sectors declined during the pandemic, skiing and snowboarding activity increased. Even when travel slowed,...
August marked the final milestone in the Lutsen Mountains Snowmaking and Lodging Infrastructure Project, which was originally awarded a Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant (REDLG) Program loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2024.Representatives from Arrowhead Electric Cooperative (Arrowhead), Lutsen Mountains Corporation (LMC) and Great River Energy...
For years, Opportunity Zones were viewed mostly as a tax play — a way for investors to park capital gains while checking the “social impact” box. That narrow view is about to change. With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) in 2025, Congress permanently extended and...
The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce today announced the 2025-26 Leadership Minnesota class — a select group of 40 business leaders from across the state who are helping shape Minnesota’s economic future.“Leadership Minnesota is our state’s premier executive development program,” said Doug Loon, President and CEO of the Minnesota Chamber of...
Chance R. Briscoe has been named new chief executive officer by the BENCO Electric Cooperative board of directors, starting Jan. 1.He succeeds Dave Sunderman, a 33-year employee, who is retiring.Currently serving as general manager at Northwest Rural Public Power District in Nebraska, Briscoe has nearly 20 years of electric utility...
The Nobles County Planning commission hosted a work session with Geronimo Power last Wednesday to talk about data centers.Geronimo Power has about 2,800 megawatts of wind and solar power generation either in operation or under construction in Minnesota, provides battery storage and is now venturing into data centers.“Our mission is...
The potential for commercial helium production to someday occur in northeastern Minnesota is moving forward.Pulsar Helium Inc., is drilling a third well at its development site near Babbitt, said company officials. A drill rig and support equipment was to arrive at the site Oct. 15, said Pulsar Helium. Drilling of...
Rural businesses need access to fast, reliable broadband as much as metro-area firms do. Based on 2024 data gathered by the state, some Greater Minnesota counties are actually outpacing the Twin Cities region. The following rankings measure access to gig broadband, which is internet service with speeds of 1 gigabit...
These are exciting times for the entrepreneurial dairy-farm family that runs Redhead Creamery, an artisanal cheese producer a few miles north of Brooten in central Minnesota.A little over a year ago, Redhead introduced its own line of spirits made from whey, a byproduct of cheese-making. That makes Redhead one of...
The map above, produced by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office, shows the sprawling and powerful infrastructure behind America’s data center boom. Using a range of public data sources, it visualizes power transmission hubs in megawatts (MW), highlighting where...
Minnesota Jobs and Workforce Grow in August
Sep 18 2025Minnesota employers added 5,900 jobs in August, strong growth that defied a nearly-flat employment picture on the national level, according to new data from the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Minnesota’s growth equated to a 0.2% increase in jobs in August, compared to effectively flat employment for the...
The purchase of the old North Branch Water & Light electric distribution network by East Central Energy two and a half years ago has been a learning experience.According to two ECE representatives COO and Vice President Andy Olson and Broadband Project Manager Dennis Rice, the condition of the old (legacy)...
On the road kicking off Leadership Minnesota
Sep 12 2025Coming to you from the road this week, as we’ve been traveling across Minnesota with our Leadership Minnesota session one. About 40 business leaders gathered earlier in the week at Clow Stamping in Merrifield, near the Brainerd area, for a tour of that fantastic facility. A big thank-you to the...
HOW TO ENABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH? WORKFORCE HOUSINGA key event dedicated to strengthening the regional economy here in Minnesota, this year the summit focused on one of the most pressing challenges facing the region: workforce housing.Led by the event emcee and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Tribal Member Adrienne Benjamin, with...
A proposed data center in Faribault has cleared the environmental review process and is up for the next round of city approvals, a project that comes at a time when the Twin Cities market is poised for growth.The Faribault City Council launched an environmental review of the project earlier this...
The Northland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) celebrated milestones on Aug. 19, recognizing the organization’s performance over the past three years. An event at Blackwoods Event Center in Proctor included key funders, community partners and elected officials along with the Northland SBDC team and Northland Foundation staff to recognize the...
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today released the state's draft final proposal for using federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funds to expand broadband availability.The proposal would extend broadband access to 75,000 Minnesota homes and businesses, covering every location eligible for BEAD funding in...
Pulsar Helium to drill more wells near Babbitt
Aug 27 2025Pulsar Helium Inc. is moving ahead with a major drilling campaign at its helium project site in northeastern Minnesota. The international helium developer will drill up to 10 new wells at its Topaz project site near Babbitt, the company announced. “We are thrilled to kick off our multi-well drilling campaign...
Tourism continued to grow last year in Minnesota
Aug 27 2025Explore Minnesota said Wednesday that tourism increased during 2024. Visitor spending reached a record $14.7 billion, marking an increase of $600 million over 2023. Minnesota also welcomed 81.6 million visitors in 2024, a 4.6% increase from the prior year.Visitor spending generated a total economic impact of $24.7 billion, including $2.4...
