P Word: 

Our Focus

Hot Growth Opportunities

Focus. It's an essential ingredient to any successful business. When growing a business, you concentrate on your strengths. The same is true of cities looking to grow their economies.

Providence's strengths are particularly well suited for several specific fields – focus areas for our growth. Exciting natural synergies form among sectors with complementary offerings and technologies. Check out some of the best opportunities for business growth in Providence:

Arts and Culture

Creativity isn't just a slogan in Providence; it's a way of life. With over 100 different arts-oriented organizations, there's no shortage of support for the arts. When you combine the variety of networking opportunities with the tax incentives available for arts-related businesses, it's no wonder Providence is now known as "The Creative Capital."

Financial Services

Strong banking, insurance and real estate sectors are critical cornerstones in a robust business environment. With our central location, easy access to financial capitals like Boston and New York, and the intimacy of a close community, Providence is in the perfect position to continue to grow these businesses.

Green/Renewable Energy

Two hundred years ago, Providence was at the forefront of the industrial revolution. Today, the same mill buildings that housed that manufacturing juggernaut now demonstrate the best of sustainable, adaptive reuse while providing space for the next wave of innovation in the design of green/renewable energy and products.

Knowledge/Life Sciences

Proximity and collaboration add up to limitless potential. Renowned institutions such as Brown University's Medical School , Rhode Island Hospital, and Women & Infants Hospital work together to build a healthcare foundation for the future. In Providence, collaboration can happen through a chance meeting on the street as well as in a state-of-the art lab. These same institutions, along with independent researchers, are breaking new ground every day, with projects like new patch technology to help manage children's pain, advanced DNA sequencing technology, and commercializing medical devices for nerve stimulation therapies...

Manufacturing

For decades, manufacturing was the backbone of the Providence economy. Today, we remain connected to our roots with businesses that run the gamut from old-line manufacturing to new technologies and products geared to meet 21st century needs.

Port/Maritime

In the 1800's and early 1900's, Providence was a bustling port city. Today we are returning to our roots and building on existing assets such as a 40-foot deep channel, protected location at the head of Narragansett Bay, convenient highway access, and skilled tradespeople to expand the Port of Providence and grow worldwide import/export activities.

Retail & Hospitality

As home to Johnson & Wales University, one of the country's premier educational institutions for the culinary arts and hospitality professions, how could Providence be anything but a leader in these fields? Add our stunning location at the head of Narragansett Bay, historical character, walkable neighborhoods, extensive cultural attractions, and our prominence as a culinary destination, and you have a recipe for success.

Technology

We live in a technology-powered world, where business runs 24x7, from anywhere, to anywhere. Providence's high quality of life and easy access to educational institutions such as the Rhode Island School of Design and the University of Rhode Island help make us a hotbed of technological, digital media and industrial design innovation. With organizations like RINexus to the Providence Geeks, there's no shortage of opportunity to collaborate on the next big technological innovation.