Towson University: The ‘Jumanji Economy:' 5 Takeaways From The TU Economic Outlook Forum

Press release from Towson University:

Ellen Bast

November 4, 2021

TU’s Regional Economic Studies Institute forecasts uncertainty in local, national
economies

On Thursday, Nov. 4, at the StarTUp at the Armory, Towson University Regional Economic Studies Institute (RESI) chief economist Daraius Irani shared the organization’s annual economic forecast
for Maryland, with a focus on COVID-19 economic recovery and capital investments being
made in Towson.

This year, the Economic Outlook Forum theme was “The Jumanji Economy.”

In his presentation based on the children’s book and movie franchise of the same name,
Irani focused on how danger and uncertainty lurk in all corners of the national and
local economies. Much of this uncertainty is tied to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
and its effects.

“There are surprises around each corner, each roll of the dice,” Irani said. “2021
is almost over, 2022 is around the corner and there are some significant challenges
facing the economy in the near term: labor, supply chain, COVID, political, commodity
price, geopolitical [and] climate change [issues].

“Any one of them would be challenging by themselves, but all together they create
an extraordinary challenge to the economy.”

Here are five key takeaways from the forum:

Despite the overall cloud of uncertainty in the outlook, there was some positive news.
Towson University is expanding its footprint into the heart of Towson, as are other,
private organizations in the area. In fact, there is more investment occurring per
square foot in Towson than anywhere else in the state. 

TU leads much of this development, with the recently completed Science Complex supporting modern scientific research and instruction, the StarTUp at the Armory serving as TU’s front door for entrepreneurship in uptown Towson and the College of Health Professions’ new building—TU’s state-of-the-art hub for health care research and practice—opening
in summer 2024. 

For more, watch the full 2021 Economic Outlook Forum.

This press release was produced by Towson University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.