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Economic Navigator: Fostering Innovation & Entrepreneurship: New Release Preview!  

Published June 25, 2025
Promoting a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation encourages start-ups and small businesses to thrive, creating jobs and cutting-edge products and services, and ensures that both new and established businesses have the tools they need to lead in the global marketplace. This sets Georgia apart as a national and international leader and is critical to Georgia’s long-term economic prosperity.
Georgia has experienced a recent surge of research and development (R&D) investment and venture capital funding, though the state still lags nationally. Georgia ranks 38th for R&D value-added growth and 34th nationally for the growth in venture capital invested over a five-year period.

Georgia’s research universities lead in R&D. An infusion of funding over the last five years has moved Georgia’s universities from 12th to 8th nationally for R&D performed. This supported significant growth in incubators and creative spaces across the state in addition to conducting high-caliber research.

Entrepreneurial spirit in the state is high, but businesses struggle with formation, growth, survival, and scaling. Georgia ranks 44th in the percentage of business applications projected to form into a business in one year and falls below all Southern states in both the one- and five-year business survival rate. Increased access to financial capital and streamlined support services are needed to ensure Georgia’s entrepreneurs are successful in launching and growing their businesses.
  • Key Insights from the report:
  • Sixty-four percent of Georgia executives indicate their companies will be increasing investment in AI technologies over the next three years.
  • Georgia is projected to add more than 186,000 STEM jobs over the next five years, twice the national average.
  • Thirty percent of Georgia executives indicate graduating high school seniors are unprepared for the workforce, citing a lack of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
  • Georgia awards the 13th most STEM doctorates nationally and ranks ninth for the number of high-tech jobs.
  • Georgia ranks fifth in the number of business applications but 44th in the percentage of those applications expected to form into a business within four quarters.
    • To learn more, read our Quarter 2 report: Fostering Innovation & Entrepreneurship. You can find all Foundation reports via our data hub, HERE.
  • Companies continue to invest in technologies which improve resiliency, improve resource efficiency, and support corporate citizenship initiatives.
  • Industry leaders should invest in resources to re-skill and up-skill their current workforce to meet growing data fluency needs, and workers should look for opportunities to strengthen their technical skills.
  • Education partners should consider avenues to incorporate basic data fluency as well as high-skill technical training into standard curricula.
  • Employers continue to express that candidate adaptability and resourcefulness need to be improved.
  • Industry and education partners should continue to identify opportunities to strengthen occupational skills for students, including opportunities that target problem-solving, collaborative, and creative skills.
  • Cultivating an ecosystem rich with both entrepreneurs and innovators, and with funders and partners is key to a resilient, vibrant economy.
  • Small business owners and entrepreneurs should look for opportunities to expand within existing contracts and utilize partnerships to connect with additional streams of funding.
  • Small business and entrepreneur partners can look for opportunities to amplify the stories of innovators in their circles to draw attention from venture and funding capital. Access to funding capital provides assistance with the acquisition of additional funds and resources for growth and innovation.
    • Georgia has effectively diversified and grown its economy. A skilled, diverse talent pool and world-class research institutes prove invaluable in driving innovation. The state’s strong business climate, robust network of accelerators and incubators, and well-established corporations make the state a great place for entrepreneurs and innovators.
    To learn more, read our Quarter 2 report: Fostering Innovation & Entrepreneurship. You can find all Foundation reports via our data hub, HERE.
    The Georgia Chamber Foundation dedicates itself to producing in-depth economic analyses and actionable insights for Georgia’s businesses. Our mission is to develop policy, equip businesses, and foster economic development across the state, ensuring a prosperous future for all Georgians.

    To read our 2025 Economic Competitiveness Redbook click HERE.

    To read our most recent Quarterly Report click HERE. 

    For guidance and insights on the latest issues, visit our Data Hub.
    The 2025 Georgia state-level competition for the National Civics Bee will be held at the Carter Center on June 27. For more information, contact scamuso@gachamber.com.

    Join the Georgia Chamber for our annual Congressional Luncheon on August 20th, in Columbus, Georgia. For more information or to register, click HERE.

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