Economic potential is the potential of a region, nation, or corporation for economic development and growth and creation of surplus value. Typically, discussions of economic potential occur when available resources have not yet been tapped and fully developed or exploited, possibly because of missing infrastructure. Economic potential is the potential of a region, nation, or corporation for economic development and growth and creation of surplus value. Typically, discussions of economic potential occur when available resources have not yet been tapped and fully developed or exploited, possibly because of missing infrastructure. The Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms (2005) defines economic potential as