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Being connected
by Robert Powell
Virginia Business
September 2005
The global economy is discussed so
much that the term has almost become a cliché.
But if you get a good look at the operations of the
Virginia Port Authority, the state’s role in global
trade suddenly comes into focus. In this
month’s cover story, contributing writer Bill
Geroux reports on the port’s growth and its influence
on economic development throughout the state. Ironically,
the biggest threat to the port’s continued growth
comes not by sea but by land in the form of ever-increasing
traffic congestion on highways in Hampton Roads.
The port has helped shape the image
of Hampton Roads. Another Virginia metropolitan area,
Roanoke, is trying to reshape
its image as the ideal place for cultivating innovative
ideas. Contributing writer Deborah Nason reports that
innovation can be seen in the design of the city’s
new art museum building, its “C2C” houses
and its efforts to develop new technology.
Technology is also changing managed
care in Virginia. Contributing writer Marjolijn
Bijlefeld looks at the ways that information technology
is making many health plans more efficient.
Personal technology is also changing
our lifestyles and our legal system. Contributing writer
Joan Hennessy says that a legal
dispute involving a Virginia company raised questions
about the protection of patents while threatening to
end sales of BlackBerry devices in the U.S.
In sum, it appears that being connected,
through technology or world trade, brings us comforts
and conflicts. |
