IT,
although facing stiff global competition, has the power to transform NC's
economy and society. 
With
careful, business-friendly policy, the biotech industry will promote growth
through job creation and capital investment. 
Once
a thriving NC industry, this sector is now comprised of a few large firms
that rely on technology--not labor--to succeed in today's global economy.
North Carolina, with its unique mix of industries, from
information technology and biotechnology centered around
the Research Triangle Park, to the traditional sectors of
apparel, textiles, furniture and hog farming, is a microcosm
of trends observed in the rest of the country. White-collar
job loss in the information technology industry has brought
the employment impact of globalization to the forefront,
but it is far from being new to the apparel, textile and
furniture industries in North Carolina that have felt the
consequences of global outsourcing for at least a decade.
This course website presents and analyzes up-to-date information
about how industrial restructuring in an era of globalization
is impacting several of North Carolina’s key industries
with regard to economic growth, investment, and employment.
In addition, to promote broader dialogue on these issues at Duke and elsewhere, we hosted a panel of industry representatives, academics, and policy makers at Duke University on April 13, 2004 to unravel some of the complex dynamics behind global outsourcing and its impact in North Carolina.
You may view a webcast of this panel by clicking the button below:
North
Carolina is the nation's #2 hog producer, raising over 13 million hogs
annually. 
After
nearly a century of prosperity, the NC furniture industry is struggling
to modernize despite intense competition from China.
How
do North Carolina's most important industries rank in the US economy?
Where are they located in the state? Have these industries been gaining
or losing jobs? 