Harrisburg University began nearly 15 years ago as the vision of Mayor Stephen Reed to create an institution that could prepare students for the knowledge-based careers that the capital area and all of Central Pennsylvania need to drive economic growth.

The idea of an institution of higher learning contributing to the economic strength of a region and the commonwealth is not new. One hundred fifty years ago, Penn State was among the first land grant universities chartered to do exactly that.

What is new, though, is the power behind the idea. While federal legislation and state action brought us the land grant universities, it is the business community and the chambers of commerce that have ushered in this new era of higher education beginning here today with Harrisburg University. And that is certainly appropriate given the economic realities of the day.

Globalization and the flattening of the world economy have brought competition to every aspect of our lives. Regions long synonymous with their industrial identity now face transformation. Employers long safe behind the fortress of two oceans now see competitors from all corners of the globe. And individuals long secure in this economic stability now confront new challenges to the American dream.

History, both near and far, is littered with the remains of societies facing such challenges. But our history speaks to a different destiny. When our success demanded mass production, American manufacturing responded. When it required new technologies, American entrepreneurs responded. And now, when we need a new level of talent, American and Pennsylvanian businesses have responded.

And make no mistake; our economic future is at stake. We have no interest in the global competition for the lowest common denominator. The American dream is found at the high end of the world’s economy. And that is now defined by one word – innovation.

Innovation is not something that you plan or script and it does not come merely from infrastructure or capital. Instead, innovation is the compound of talent and creativity.

Looking across our country, it is easy to identify innovative regions. Silicon Valley. Research Triangle. Boston. Both intentionally and unintentionally, these areas created the conditions to allow innovation to flourish.

Most of you know that I grew up just a short drive south of here in Carlisle and my family still lives there. I have always believed in the potential of this region, with so many hard-working men and women and its strategic location between those cities to our east and west. The challenge has been to capitalize on those assets and build on the advantage of being the capital of the Keystone State.

And the wonderful thing about our country and about our economy is that we have the power to shape our future, both individually and collectively. And it gives me tremendous pride to see that the leaders of this great region gathered here today have decided to do exactly that through the creation of Harrisburg University.

Harrisburg U. truly is the model for how higher education should be delivered. I have often used the term demand-driven to describe the ideal state of post secondary education and training. Harrisburg University has achieved that ideal state. From business leadership to employer faculty to required internships and mentors, you have taken the traditional education model and transformed it into talent development.

The future alumni of this university will enter the marketplace equipped with the skills to immediately succeed. And as the number of alumni grow, so too will the talent in this region. This in turn will attract new companies to the region and begin the cycle that leads to the vitality and creativity that breeds innovation.

I understand that this is the first science and technology university chartered in the commonwealth in over 100 years. The last was Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Over the course of those hundred years, Carnegie Mellon has matured into one of the nation’s top research and development schools and a true driver of Pittsburgh’s emerging innovation economy. I believe that Harrisburg University can reach the same lofty status and I know that it will be a tremendous asset to the entire Central Pennsylvania region.

Careers that are based in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, or STEM in the lingo of the day, show the highest projected job growth and earnings potential, and the skills developed in those fields represent the foundation of the innovation economy. This is why President Bush’s competitiveness agenda focuses on increasing STEM skills. Harrisburg University can now become the hub of STEM education in the Central Pennsylvania region, not only producing alumni and future residents with those skills, but actually developing the new technologies and innovations in university laboratories that can be spun out to create an entrepreneurial and innovation culture right here in the capital area.

Mayor Reed, Chairman Schankweiler, and President Schiavelli, you deserve tremendous credit for seeing this vision through and establishing what will, in time, be a world-renowned university right here in Central Pennsylvania. Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak here today. In my future travels, when I am asked what the future of higher education is, I will answer “Harrisburg University”.

Thank you.