Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/992084
60 | DOING BUSINESS IN CONNECTICUT | 2018 2018 | DOING BUSINESS IN CONNECTICUT | 60 Connecticut Insurance and Financial Services, an initiative of the Alliance, hold its Insurance Market Summit annually with prominent local and national speakers. SPONSOR REPORT respected international accelerators, Startupbootcamp, located at Upward Hartford, which resides in the iconic Stilts Building in downtown Hartford. Upward Hartford also houses offices for local and international startups and events including InsurTech Hartford hackathons and pitch nights. Other innovative and entrepreneurial highlights include: • Innovation Places will soon launch a MedTech Innovation District led by Hartford HealthCare, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, and Trinity College to provide emerging biomedical and MedTech entrepreneurs with critical forms of support during ideation, prototyping, regulatory approval, and market-entry stages of commercialization. • Stanley Black & Decker recently announced the creation of Manufactory 4.0, an Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence to be located on Constitution Plaza in downtown Hartford. The company is also developing the Stanley+Techstars Additive Manufacturing accelerator, which will be managed by Techstars, one of the world's most recognized accelerators. • In fall 2018, 960 Main Street in Hartford will become home to MakerspaceCT, where prospective inventors, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, hobbyists and students across the region will be given access to tools, technology, resources and learning opportunities. All of this adds to other successful initiatives supporting local entrepreneurs and innovators, such as the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology and reSET, one of the nation's leading social enterprise accelerators. You can find stories on these initiatives as well as other news and events focused on innovation and entrepreneurship in the Hartford region at innovationhartford.com. CONNECTICUT INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES [CT IFS] – INSURANCE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD The insurance and financial services industry is rapidly changing and continues to play an integral role in the economic development of the Hartford region. Disrupters continue to wage war on the current models of delivery. Digitalization, Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and InsurTech have created new business models and strategies. What do these competing forces mean for Connecticut's insurance and banking industries, the 200 year-old economic engine of our State and its nearly 110,000 employees? Is the Insurance Capital standing ready or standing by? The Connecticut Insurance & Financial Services [CT IFS], a group of senior-level executives from 32 insurance, banking and service companies, share the goal of strengthening and advancing this industry in Hartford and the entire state. As the Connecticut innovation ecosystem expands, the world-class leaders meet regularly and collaboratively to lead the charge in the race for game-changing technologies and highly-skilled talent. Connecticut is uniquely positioned as a center of excellence for insurance and financial services. We have a high concentration of Property & Casualty, Life, Annuity and Retirement and Health Insurers, as well as Banking and Service Providers. Connecticut ranks #1 in the U.S. in insurance employment per capita and has the highest concentration of actuaries in the nation, maintaining its reign as the Insurance Capital. Connecticut's insurance sector is harnessing technology and data, recharging company culture and exploring new markets to refine, rethink and reinvigorate. InsurTech is now. Companies are innovating to more efficiently serve consumers and manage risk. The Insurance Capital's global brands are leading the charge and are recognized worldwide as industry leaders in innovation. For 15 years, the CT IFS Board of Directors has embraced a shared vision: to create competitive advantages in business attraction and retention, to sustain recruitment and education of a trained workforce, and to increase public awareness for one of Connecticut's most important industries. Taken together, Connecticut's uniquely skilled workforce, breadth of industry giants, and burgeoning startup culture serve to sharpen the Constitution State's competitive edge and opportunity for growth. Learn more at connecticutifs.com. For more information on the MetroHartford Alliance, please visit our website at metrohartford.com. To learn more about doing business in the Hartford Region, please contact Rebecca Nolan, Vice President, Global Business Development at 860.728.2280 or Rnolan@metrohartford.com.