The 2017 Innovation Week Birmingham begins this Friday – August 18 through August 25 – and in anticipation of the week the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) is highlighting sponsors and partners that help make Innovation Week Birmingham possible.

This is the second consecutive year that PNC Bank has helped cultivate innovation and technology in the Magic City as presenting sponsor of Birmingham Innovation Week. Brian Bucher, Alabama Regional President for PNC and a member of the BBA Executive Committee, talked with the BBA about how PNC is helping shape the innovation scene in Birmingham.

Brian Bucher, Alabama Regional President for PNC

BBA: How does your organization promote innovation in Birmingham?

Bucher: PNC’s collaboration with organizations like the BBA, Innovation Depot, EDPA, REV Birmingham and Innovate Birmingham are so much more than mere sponsorships. These partnerships allow us to invest in economic growth both in Birmingham and in our state. By connecting with startups on the ground floor, we hope to produce a constant supply of small business owners who will in turn create more local jobs.

BBA: What aspects do you feel make Birmingham an innovative city?

Bucher: Birmingham’s history is full of stories of innovation and ingenuity – it’s woven into the fabric of who we are as a city. This is a community that has turned land that once produced iron ore and limestone into a world class park, and we’ve got a nationally recognized business incubator that is thriving in an abandoned retail space. There are countless examples of world leading research and discovery that take place daily at UAB and Southern Research. There’s just a can-do spirit here.

BBA: Why is it important to have a week that highlights innovation in Birmingham?

Bucher: Innovation Week shines a spotlight on the innovation that’s going on all year round. We know that this week provides a springboard for unlikely connections to be made among business and community partners – connections that serve as a catalyst for growth and new investment.

Be sure to check out the 2017 Innovation Week calendar for more events during the week.