BETHESDA, MD – Indiana University selected Econometrica to design and conduct focus groups to better understand how individuals and communities in the Midwest’s Industrial Heartland are being impacted by the automotive industry’s transition from gas to electric automobiles.
The focus groups are part of the Industrial Heartland Project, a subset of the Roosevelt Project, which aims to establish a path toward a low-carbon U.S. economy that is the least disruptive or punitive for workers and communities. The Industrial Heartland Project goals are to better understand the impact of the change in automotive manufacturing has had on communities and the ways that communities are adapting. The final outcome of the project is a set of recommendations for how to improve the impacts of the transition for individuals and communities, especially those who are at greatest risk to be harmed by the transition.
Econometrica will support Indiana University and the Industrial Heartland Project by providing expertise in qualitative research. Members of Econometrica’s Health Group will recruit for and conduct up to 30 focus groups with automotive workers, plant executives, and community leaders in 6 cities across Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio, where automotive manufacturing is a large portion of the economy. The focus groups will give participants a voice on the positive and negative impacts of past transitions and perceived future transitions.
“The energy transition is an important aspect of the current and future U.S. economy. Econometrica is grateful to conduct research that will lead to strategies to improve the impacts of the transition,” Econometrica President/CEO Cyrus Baghelai said.
Econometrica has previously developed and conducted qualitative and mixed-methods evaluations for numerous public and private-sector clients, such as The Brookings Institution, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Association of County and City Health Officials, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Founded in 1998, Econometrica is a research and management organization in Bethesda, MD, established to provide public- and private-sector clients with customized program support services. Econometrica works with multiple agencies to provide high-quality, cost-effective analyses, modeling, and economic evaluations. The company consistently receives exceptional scores from its clients and believes in three principles: technical capabilities, happy customers, and business development.
Econometrica will support Indiana University and the Industrial Heartland Project by providing expertise in qualitative research.