Can the Internet of Things help renew Rust Belt cities?

Gov Gina Raimondo (D-RI) and others in Rhode Island are over the moon about the recent announcement that GE Digital is adding 100 jobs in Rhode Island—and rightly so. It's been a rough 15 years for the Ocean State. Its economy stalled under its Rust Belt heritage and an influx of Chinese imports in the 2000s damaged its old-line manufacturing industries.

More recently, the Great Recession hit hard in Providence. So, the fact that GE—a storied American brand—has invested in Rhode Island, citing its strong universities, digital talent pool, and quality of life, is a huge vote of confidence and a validation of Gov. Raimondo's strategy for rebooting the state’s economy, which has focused on attracting investments from global, advanced industry firms. This was the core of our strategy research in Rhode Island, which identified growth areas in the advanced economy and suggested steps to expand the state’s technology and digital capacity. Yet, there's more to be said about the Rhode Island win. Beyond the local site-selection coup, the GE announcement speaks to bigger themes about both the direction of the economy and possible ways forward for other older industrial cities.