{"id":133373,"date":"2026-09-28T15:42:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T19:42:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/?p=133373"},"modified":"2026-09-29T15:41:05","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T19:41:05","slug":"governor-outlines-2026-economic-momentum-creating-opportunities-for-hoosiers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2026\/09\/28\/governor-outlines-2026-economic-momentum-creating-opportunities-for-hoosiers\/","title":{"rendered":"Governor outlines 2026 Economic Momentum Creating Opportunities for Hoosiers"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Indiana Governor Mike Braun chaired the 2026 third quarter Indiana Economic Development Corporation board of directors meeting today.<\/p>\n

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News release from Indiana Governor Mike Braun’s office:<\/p>\n

Gov. Braun Outlines 2026 Economic Momentum Creating Opportunities for Hoosiers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Indianapolis, Indiana (September 28, 2026) \u2013 Indiana Governor Mike Braun chaired the 2026 third quarter Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) board of directors meeting today, highlighting growth across jobs, wages, industries, entrepreneurship and community development that are positively impacting Hoosiers statewide.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy vision is to make Indiana the best place in the world to start a business, grow a business and get a job \u2013 and our strategy is delivering measurable results for Hoosiers,\u201d said Gov. Braun. \u201cThanks to our efforts, businesses are choosing to locate and grow in Indiana, creating new jobs with wages that will grow the median family income and ensure all Hoosiers have the opportunity to prosper.\u201d<\/p>\n

So far this year, 69 businesses have made plans to locate or expand in Indiana, together committing to create 5,385 new jobs with average wages of $41.71\/hour – 37% higher than the state\u2019s average wage and 14% higher than the national average wage.<\/p>\n

Together, these new jobs are expected to create $437 million in new payroll for Hoosiers. This includes recent high-wage wins, such as Amazon<\/a> (300 new jobs in Johnson County), Comlux America<\/a> (375 new jobs in Marion County), Givaudan<\/a> (250 new jobs in Dearborn County), GovParts<\/a> (20 new jobs in Allen County) and RayzeBio<\/a> (100 new jobs in Boone and Marion counties).<\/p>\n

\u201cUnder the leadership of Governor Braun, the momentum of Indiana\u2019s economy keeps getting stronger,\u201d said Indiana Secretary of Commerce Chuck Goodrich. \u201cAcross the state, high-growth businesses are making plans to expand and hire in Indiana \u2013 a testament to our skilled Hoosier workforce and our growing, vibrant communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The board shared how the strength of the Hoosier workforce and communities was on display as Indiana recently hosted the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association conference<\/a>, convening representatives of local, state and federal government, academia and industry to discuss the many shared partnerships between the U.S. and Japan and to identify opportunities for shared growth across business, innovation and workforce. At the conference, Gov. Braun detailed how he is supercharging Indiana\u2019s bustling economy and business environment, creating opportunities for continued investment and job creation that will build on the state\u2019s strong relationship with Japan. Indiana now supports nearly 290 Japanese business facilities that provide nearly 62,000 Hoosier jobs statewide.<\/p>\n

At today\u2019s meeting, the IEDC also outlined recent wins and initiatives across the Governor\u2019s priority areas of defense, regionalism and entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n

Defense<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Gov. Braun provided an update on the state\u2019s effort to compete for the new United States Space Academy, which was established by the federal government this summer to develop the next generation of American aerospace leaders. Indiana\u2019s bid, which is being developed in partnership with Purdue University, builds on the state\u2019s strengths in aerospace, engineering, national security and advanced manufacturing.<\/p>\n

Regionalism<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

The state\u2019s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) continues to drive quality of place and quality of life developments across Indiana\u2019s 15 regions. The initial $500 million READI 1.0 allocation, which is on track to be fully paid out by the end of 2026, has resulted in a total of $9.34 billion committed investment to projects and programs statewide \u2013 meaning for each state dollar invested, an additional $19 of local and private funding has been directed toward community impact.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the board highlighted implementation of the $65 million READI Arts & Culture program supported by Lilly Endowment Inc. (LEI). The grants, which were announced in July<\/a>, are set to accelerate 49 projects across all of Indiana\u2019s 15 regions and support capacity building for another 15 projects. These projects are expected to generate approximately $369.9 million invested in Indiana arts and culture, supporting initiatives such as the revitalization of historic landmarks, pavilions and entertainment venues; development of museum exhibits, galleries and learning spaces; construction of public art and sculptures; and initiatives focused on building Indiana’s creative workforce and economy by investing in artists and entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

Entrepreneurship & Innovation<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

The board provided an update on new initiatives, including a $5 million grant from the 21st Century Research & Technology Fund to IU Inc. that supports a collaborative initiative to procure a state-of-the-art supercomputer. The effort, led in partnership with NVIDIA, Indiana University, Indiana University Health and other ecosystem organizations, would give Indiana businesses, innovators and researchers access to next-generation computing power, further establishing Indiana as a leader in artificial intelligence, research and innovation.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the board highlighted recent wins for Indiana\u2019s entrepreneurial and small business community, including:<\/p>\n