In 2022, Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech) received a planning grant from Business Oregon to explore creating the South-Central Oregon Regional Innovation (SCORI) Hub to serve both Klamath County and Lake County. The grant provided funding to research the regional needs of entrepreneurs and small businesses (technical assistance, funding, networking opportunities, mentorship, and more) for growth and explore innovation hub models to address those needs. Oregon Tech partnered with KCEDA to organize a coalition of regional stakeholders to determine a vision for the prospective hub.

 

The planning and due diligence stages for developing our region’s proposal were recently completed and submitted to the state for review. 11 regions in the state are competing for this funding, and it is anticipated that Business Oregon will be announcing award winners sometime in Late Spring/Early Summer of 2024. KCEDA will continue to relay updates on the SCORI Hub’s launch progress over the next few months. 

 

The SCORI Hub is designed to energize the entrepreneurial spirit and accelerate business advancements in the region. By providing vital resources and support, the SCORI Hub aims to connect innovators and foster an environment ripe for job creation and economic diversity, signaling a forward-thinking investment into the socially disadvantaged rural area’s economic resilience and prosperity. The vision of SCORI revolves around leveraging science and technology within the traded sector to serve as the main pillar of an ecosystem primed for breakthroughs and business ingenuity. Emphasizing the traded sector means focusing on industries that sell their goods and services outside the regional economy and bringing new wealth into the area.