Program areas at CICP
Techpoint is the industry-led growth initiative for Indiana's digital innovation economy and overall tech ecosystem focused on expanding the tech talent pipeline, enhancing resource connectivity for enterprise organizations and startups alike, and elevating the industry by activating the community and amplifying stories of success in collaboration with public, private and industry partners. Visit www.techpoint.org. The Indiana tech sector made progress toward its collaborative goal of inclusively adding 41,000 tech workers to the state by 2030 via techpoint's mission41k effort. The intentional work also included growing the number of adult apprenticeships, enhancing skills-based hiring practices and increasing programs aimed at bringing more blacks, hispanics and women into Hoosier tech careers. More than 200 tech leaders are active participants in mission41k. The rate of Indiana's new tech job creation grew from an average of 2 percent in 2022 to 5.6 percent in 2023. Techpoint doubled down on its history of helping Indiana tech innovators access the capital and other support needed to grow by launching the Indiana founders network and the butler accelerator for education & workforce innovation; revamping the cio network; continuing to convene investors to learn about promising companies; and marketing its venture support offerings, including the Indiana vci marketplace. More than 160 startups were served in 2023. Venture capital (vc) investments in Indiana reached approximately $278 million in deal value through 115 tech deals in 2023, the fourth largest amount of annual Indiana vc investments, following 2022, 2021 and 2019, which aligns with national trends. While the bulk of investments remained in Central Indiana, each of Indiana's regions completed at least one deal. In 2023, techpoint issued reports on artificial intelligence and its market implications, the tech workforce, mission 41k progress, and vc performance. In addition, techpoint provided weekly promotion of current events and trends in Indiana tech. Thousands of Indiana tech sector members also took part in more than 44 techpoint convenings, including cio networking, leadership academy training, vc connections, talent program activities and the mira awards gala.
Ascend Indiana is a talent and workforce development initiative committed to making Indiana a place of economic opportunity for all. Ascend connects job seekers to good and promising career opportunities through an innovative job matching platform, the ascend network; catalyzes partnerships and provides consulting services to meet high-demand workforce needs through ascend services; and conducts research through ascend insights to enable systems-level change that positively impacts individuals throughout the state. Visit www.ascendindiana.com. The ascend network is an innovative online job matching platform that connects individuals to jobs, internships, and work-based learning opportunities, while helping Indiana employers find and hire qualified candidates. Since 2017, ascend has provided nearly 23,000 career navigation activities to students and job seekers through the creation of a network profile or one-on-one meetings with a career mentor. Over 50% of these individuals are individuals of color, from low-income backgrounds, and/or first-generation college students. Altogether, the network has connected over 2,800 individuals with good and promising job opportunities in the state. Ascend services builds talent pipelines and talent strategic plans that equip individuals, including both youth and adults, with the knowledge and skills required for available good and promising jobs. Since 2017, ascend has built 64 talent pipelines and talent strategies alongside employers, leading to 2,047 individuals participating in new training programs that prepare them for good jobs in the state. In 2023, services completed critical talent pipeline and strategic planning projects alongside employer partners, including employindy and the conexus Indiana catapult program.
Conexus Indiana has been positioning the Hoosier state as the best place for advanced manufacturing and logistics industries to innovate, invest, employ and succeed for more than a decade. By collaborating with industry, academic and public sector partners on a shared vision for an innovative, skilled workforce and stronger business climate, conexus Indiana has helped to create opportunities for advanced manufacturing and logistics companies, prepare hoosiers to succeed in the state's largest industry sectors and maintain Indiana's competitive advantage. Visit www.conexusindiana.com. With the input of its industry, academic and public-sector partners, conexus Indiana made significant strides in 2023 growing proven programs and leading important collaborative efforts to pave a clear path for companies and hoosiers to succeed in an industry 4.0 economy. From a position of strength, Indiana manufacturers are embracing opportunities to increase their productivity and competitiveness with advanced technologies and a skilled workforce. Indiana manufacturers are adopting digital technologies at a positive pace and local entrepreneurs and technology providers are delivering much-needed solutions. Conexus Indiana's efforts to connect technology integrators, entrepreneurs and Indiana manufacturers are paying off and helping to grow the advanced manufacturing and logistics (aml) ecosystem and helping Indiana companies find local technology solutions. Conexus strategically brought industry and entrepreneurs together through events, such as the rally innovation conference and the gener8tor manufacturing conference, making connections where none existed before. Conexus Indiana also spearheaded the launch of hardtech Indiana a convening organization designed to provide a space where hardtech innovators, investors and Corporate customers connect and collaborate. Conexus Indiana partnered with the Indiana economic development corporation (iedc) for the third consecutive year to administer manufacturing readiness grants, a program that helps manufacturers make innovative capital investments leveraging technologies from advanced communications to cobots to the industrial internet of things (iiot) and beyond. In 2023, 161 grants were awarded, supporting $329 million in technology-enabled capital investments to accelerate production capabilities and efficiencies.