The Twin Cities Metro Area is an epicenter of discovery and innovation within the State of Minnesota. Much of this can be attributed to the high concentration of post-secondary institutions, along with a highly-educated population. About 40 percent of the region's population has a bachelor's degree or higher, as of 2015 Census estimates. Comparatively, about 34 and 30 percent of the state's and nation's respective populations have a bachelor's degree or higher.

With such high levels of post-secondary institutions and educational attainment, knowing the programs in which these graduates studied adds another dimension. With nearly 7,700 metro area completers from the 2014 graduation year, Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Activities comes in as the region's second most-popular program area, just behind Health Professions and Related Programs. Also near the top: Computer and Information Sciences (about 1,600 completers) and Engineering (about 1,500 completers).

While these completers may find suitable work outside the metro, it is safe to assume that many are drawn to opportunities within the Twin Cities. For example, while the metro accounts for about 62 percent of the state's total jobs, it accounts for 74 percent of its architecture and engineering jobs, 79 percent of its business and financial operations jobs, and over 83 percent of its computer and mathematical jobs, according to DEED's Occupational Employment Statistics.

What might these graduates be up to? Eden Prairie offers a slice of what is happening within innovative businesses:

• Recently, Agropur USA introduced a highly pure dietary supplement to the food market, to make it easier for people with dietary issues to still have a high-protein diet. The company became the first recipient of the Breakthrough Award for Dairy Ingredient Innovation given by the American Dairy Products Institute for their innovation.
• In May of this year, tech startup DealerTeamwork relocated to Eden Prairie. The company makes software that car dealerships use to create and manage online promotions. The startup anticipates expansion, especially as it begins to pitch its software to new industries.
• Also in May, data-backup company Arcserve moved to a bigger space in Eden Prairie, allowing the company room to double its workforce.
• In July, MTS Systems Corp., a global supplier of high-performance test systems and sensors, announced the completion of a new advanced earthquake testing system at the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering, located in Taiwan.
• Miromatrix Inc., a biotechnology company, is developing a process to convert pig livers, kidneys, hearts and pancreases into fully-functioning human organs. If successful, the process could help over 100,000 people across the nation in need of a transplant.

From the development of new software and high-performance testing systems, to the creation of dietary supplements and organs, Eden Prairie-based companies are pushing innovation in countless areas. And this is happening throughout the metro region. With a healthy supply of highly-educated workers, Twin Cities' companies are primed to innovate well into the future.

For More Information

Contact Tim O'Neill at 651-259-7401.