The old saying is right – the world is in the midst of widespread economic change, and if you are not creative, then you will be left behind. At least, that was the topic of discussion by renowned economics professor Richard Florida in CY Stephens Auditorium on Wednesday.

Florida, currently the director of the newly established Centre for Jurisdictional Advantage and Prosperity at Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, gained stature in the academic world with his 2002 book “The Rise of the Creative Class.” The book outlined the change from the service or industrial economy to the creative economy, wherein those who innovate will be on the cutting edge.

His impetus for his famous book comes from his early teaching career in Pittsburgh at Carnegie-Mellon in the mid-’80s. At that time, the steel, chemical, food and electronics industry had just been gutted from the Pittsburgh area. Between 1982 to 1985, Pittsburgh lost 150,000 jobs and 300,000 residents, Florida said.

The economic crisis led the community as a whole to look inward at its creative sector for the answer. The faculties of the Carnegie-Mellon and University of Pittsburgh came together with the industrial sector, which had innovative labs, to grow its own economy back. Over the course of years, Florida and faculty became involved in “technological transfers” between the two sectors, which “spun out” highly skilled, creative people, many of whom are now highly integral to companies like Microsoft, Apple and Google. A co-founder of Google, Andrew Moore got his start from Carnegie-Mellon, Florida said.

“We must have started hundreds of companies,” Florida said.

One of those companies, which became Lycos in early 1994, had its start at Carnegie-Mellon. The company grew and eventually moved to Boston, prompting a decade of research by Florida, detailed in his newest book, to understand why the “jobs moved to the people.” The conclusion by Florida was that the creative sector is now the new economic environment.

“We are in the midst of the greatest economic change that you don’t even realize,” he said.

Florida contended that companies like Google, Starbucks and Apple are just harbingers of a new, post-modern industrial age.

“The creative sector, by 2015, will have created 20 million jobs,” Florida said.

All of this was of interest to those planning on going into the creative field.

“I’m more interested in being creative than money,” said Heather Sinclair, freshmen in apparel merchandising, design and production.