OREANDA-NEWS. September 25, 2012.  GE announced today the launch of Ideas Lab (www.IdeasLaboratory.com), a new interactive platform that will allow for informed discussion about the most critical issues impacting America’s economic future: Advanced Manufacturing, Technology and Innovation, Global Competitiveness, and Jobs and Skills. Ideas Lab brings together content from around the web and asks experts from across the political spectrum to offer solutions to America’s toughest challenges.

 “Today’s economic challenges are complex, urgent, and in need of innovative solutions,” said GE Vice President of Communications & Public Affairs Gary Sheffer. “By convening and collecting leading voices representing a range of views and expertise online, Ideas Lab will be a place to discuss and debate the issues that affect U.S. competitiveness.”

 Ideas Lab will stimulate high-level yet accessible policy dialogues by:
 Featuring guest bloggers from the public policy arena and private sector, including think tank experts, business leaders, journalists, and former policymakers;
 Convening debates among experts on key issues facing the United States and the global economy;
 Presenting original data visualizations and independent analysis of critical economic issues;
 Aggregating articles and studies that offer important insight.

 The first guest posts will offer differing views of the future of American manufacturing by Michael Lind of the New America Foundation and James Pethokoukis of the American Enterprise Institute & CNBC.

 Ideas Lab will bring the conversation to other platforms, such as Twitter and LinkedIn. It will be updated daily and will feature interactive multimedia content.

 Ideas Lab is a partnership between GE and Think Custom Media. The site will be edited by Jamie Tarabay, an Editor at Think Custom Media and former Managing Editor at National Journal and reporter for NPR News and The Associated Press.