Published September 1988 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's-Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd A Software Valley Update Recently, I hosted a meeting in behalf of West Virginia's Software Valley movement to celebrate a successful fund-raising effort that has netted Software Valley pledges of approximately $1.5 million over the next three years. Software Valley is a non-profit initiative that promotes research, education, and the development of a computer software industry and related high-technology businesses in West Virginia. Since 1985, I have sponsored seven Software Valley conferences throughout West Virginia to explain to state leaders in business, government, industry, and education the potential economic opportunities posed for West Virginia by computer technology, and to enlist growing numbers of our state's citizens in developing those opportunities. As a result of those efforts, eight Software Valley chapters have been organized across West Virginia, with members in 47 of our 55 counties. Participants in the meeting were largely representatives of corporations, headquartered both within and outside of West Virginia that have pledged contributions to Software Valley in recognition of its importance to our state and national economic and industrial futures. The funds pledged by those corporations will be used by the Software Valley Corporation to initiate business development, to further research and development resources for state companies, to promote high-tech manufacturing in our state, and to provide education and training in computer and software use. I am deeply encouraged by the progress that Software Valley is making, as well as by the response that thousands of interested West Virginians have shown in this movement. Through the Software Valley movement, I hope that we can help refocus West Virginia's economic vision on high technology, that industries can be created in our state based on the use of flexible computer integrated manufacturing, and that we can pioneer business and economic options of which we never before dreamed for West Virginia. September 14, 1988