State and Regional Economic Developement Strategies
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Puget Sound Regional Economic Strategy (2004-ongoing)
In July 2004, the Puget Sound Regional Council engaged ECG to undertake the development of the first-ever Regional Economic Strategy for the Central Puget Sound Region with an overarching goal to create 100,000 new jobs. The Puget Sound region economy’s considerable dependence on the aerospace and information-technology sectors was exposed by the bursting of the internet bubble and subsequent economic downturn. This ongoing Strategy is a bold new initiative that will set an agenda for what needs to be done to ensure that the Puget Sound region's economy flourishes in the future. It's the first time government officials, and community and business leaders from King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties have agreed to collaborate on a comprehensive regional economic development vision. ECG has performed economic analysis and lead a collaborative, cluster-based strategy process engaging a broad range of participants from the public, private and non-profit sectors to develop a common vision for the region's economy and to focus on key components of it, including identification of important and emerging sectors and steps that should be taken to support and grow them. ECG is currently implementing cluster process initiatives with the Aerospace, Clean Technology, Information Technology, Life Sciences and Trade & Logistics clusters.
To know more, please visit the Prosperity Partnership website
Guyana Trade and Investment Support (GTIS) Project
ECG catalyzed leadership and focused collaborative action to bring together government, business, and community leaders to develop concrete action initiatives for cluster development. ECG and the counterpart team is currently in the process of helping the cluster working groups to define a long term vision and the necessary strategic directions for each cluster to take, and to define a set of concrete initiatives that will maximize the cluster’s development potential. This will be followed by a drafting of actual business plans for these initiatives and a definition of the requirements for enabling and sustaining the implementation of these action plans. The project concludes with the definition of a set of cross-cutting strategies and action plans aimed at better integrating the different clusters and enhancing global competitiveness in the economy. Activities include:
Developing industry cluster strategic action plans.
Funding cluster development projects to enhance the performance of Guyanese exporters.
Supporting ongoing investment attraction programs.
Undertaking strategic initiatives to address cross-sector issues.
Assisting Guyanese enterprises to identify and develop export channels and facilitating
elationships with international buyers.
More information can be found at www.gtisproject.com
Kazakhstan Competitiveness Program (2004-ongoing)
ECG is currently partnered with J.E. Austin & Associates on the Kazakhstan Government-sponsored National Competitiveness Program. The project’s overarching goal is to increase Kazakhstan’s competitive economic growth while reducing reliance on oil and raw materials extraction sector and to develop a sound action plan for sustainably increasing the competitiveness and growth of Kazakhstan’s non-extractive sectors. The project involves identifying industries and market segments, evaluating and selecting market segments and clusters, developing strategic action plans and implementing a skills and knowledge program. Prof. Michael Porter of Harvard Unviersity Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness is serving as the project's Academic Advisor.
For more information about this project, visit www.cluster.kz
Monterey County Competitive Clusters – C 2 Initiative (2003-ongoing) As an extension to its highly successful Business and Workforce Assessment Study, ECG was retained by the County of Monterey to perform benchmarking analyses and readiness assessments of each of region’s key clusters. ECG has supported the County in undertaking a cluster marketing effort, branded as the “C 2” initiative that has been executed jointly with the Monterey County Business Council and representatives from firms in each of the major clusters. The clusters, and the cluster development initiative, are being promoted externally to neighboring states and regions, as well as internally, to ensure unified support for the effort amongst Monterey residents. Originally, the project involved Monterey's three clusters: Agriculture (including wine), Tourism and Research and Education. These clusters are the county's major drivers of economic growth and employment.
This initiative, now moving into its third year, has brought hundreds of private and public sector leaders together around a new, shared economic vision for the County. A four-part economic development strategy guides the “Competitive Clusters” initiative and twelve concrete action initiatives are moving the project from design to implementation. In March 2005, a fourth cluster was launched: Construction and Design. For more information about the C2 project, please visit www.competitiveclusters.org
Sarasota County Economic Plan (2004) In January 2004, ECG completed a five-year economic development strategy for the County of Sarasota, FL. The ECG team launched the project by authoring an Economic Profile detailing business climate conditions within the County. Using the Profile as a spur to additional public dialog and communication, the team facilitated a series of more than 30 focus groups, cluster groups, regional forums and one-on-one interviews across the County, culminating in a countywide Economic Summit that drew an audience of more than 200 stakeholders. The strong support voiced at the Summit for expanding and developing Sarasota’s value-added clusters served to validate the County’s decision to use a cluster framework for its Economic Plan. For more information about this project, please visit the following website www.sarasotaeconomy.com
Reinventing Nicaragua - National Competitiveness Program (2003-04) As of January 2004, the ECG team completed the first phase of this World Bank-funded project that focuses on strategies for enhancing the competitiveness of seven clusters in the Nicaragua economy. In addition to wide-ranging analysis of market opportunities, local capacities and local constraints, ECG has worked directly for several enterprises in the clusters. Most notable is our work for Exchange, a Managua-based organization that represents several furniture makers. ECG identified specific export market opportunities for two of these firms in the U.S. Our consultants worked with the firms to develop marketing “collateral” material, to update their web sites, and most importantly, on ways of tapping the specific market opportunities. When the firms we help get ready, ECG served as a business broker, linking the principals of the Nicaragua firms with the U.S. buyers. As a result, the local firms received orders for existing and new wood products. ECG also led a tour of Nicaragua’s wood products producers for principals of U.S. buyers, further building the bridge between specific producers and suppliers in Nicaragua.
Pennsylvania ’s Competitiveness Strategy (1997-98)
ECG was asked to identify Pennsylvania's clusters, both on a state and regional level, and indicate which emerging or “high-tech seed clusters” might be the best candidates for attraction and retention programs. The study not only mapped the Commonwealth’s cluster structure, but also the underlying technological capabilities in Universities, research centers, training programs and private R&D labs. The cross-mapping of established clusters, seed clusters and technological capabilities provided a powerful lens for government and private sector leaders to focus on the leading drivers of the economy in the future
Transforming Campeche (1996-97)
In April, 1996, business leaders in the state of Campeche, Mexico arranged funding for and launched a 15-month cluster-based economic strategy project. This unique, private sector-led project has three phases: Phase I provides a diagnosis of the strengths and weaknesses of the state’s economy, while in Phase II ECG will develop strategic options for Campeche’s future using a process-intensive, working group approach. In the third and final phase of the project, specific initiatives will be launched under the guidance of the consulting team, which includes Mexican sub-contractors with direct experience from the Chihuahua Siglo XXI project, in addition to ECG staff. In the 2-1/2 years since the project inception, Campeche has launched a successful investment attraction program: this state which had no manufacturing aside from fish processing now boasts six Maquiladora-style factories, in addition to ten agricultural processing projects from investors in the US, Asia and Latin America.
The Transformando Campeche staff has also coordinated the construction of three industrial parks, a shrimp aquaculture research center, several workforce development initiatives, and a wide variety of cluster-specific projects. Notably, the tourism initiatives feature a very strong "eco-archeological" approach, which not only reinforces the need for ecological sustainability in the tourism-related work, but calls for environmental sensitivity in all initiatives – especially in well-known problem areas such as the implementation of shrimp aquaculture. This relatively sleepy, "backwater" state has indeed transformed itself, into a far more dynamic, strategic region, which has learned to use a coordinated vision to leverage all of its economic resources for the goal of equitable economic growth.
Mexico ’s First 21st Century Economy (1993-95)
The Chihuahua Siglo XXI Project is a long-term, comprehensive effort to design and implement new economic development strategies for Chihuahua. In 1993, the ECG team with DRI/McGraw-Hill examined the external and internal economic environment for the state, developed a vision of a new kind of economy to guide the decisions of policy makers and leaders in the private sector and developed strategies and tactics for moving the economy in new directions. Then, via a comprehensive set of “cluster working group” meetings, ECG assisted group participants in identifying a set of concrete action initiatives on trade, investment, education, infrastructure, finance and other issues. These initiatives are still in the process of being implemented under the leadership of the project organization: Chihuahua Siglo XXI. The state of Chihuahua today is one of Mexico’s top states in new job generation and is the leading state in the attraction of foreign investment.
Chihuahua New Millennium (2004-05)
Between January and April 2005, ECG assisted Economic Transformation Group to assess and benchmark the competitiveness of eight regional development initiatives that our client, the Economic Development Commission of Chihuahua (Codech) lauched a decade before under the umbrella initiative Chihuahua Siglo 21.
ECG visited several locations in nothern Mexico, including Hidalgo del Parral, Casas Grandes and Chihuahua City. There, we met with local leaders and stakeholders to get in depth knowledge of successes, challenges and current initiatives. We performed qualitative and quantitative assessment and measurement of economic, social and environmental outcomes of the eight regional economic development projects across the State.
As part of this activity, ECG conducted interviews and facilitated focus groups among key stakeholders of the projects, including local government agencies, chambers of commerce, business and community leaders and benchmarked aspects of all regional projects, assessing opportunities and challenges for each one and drafting a short term strategy.
El Paso Economic Summit (1998)
In 1998, El Paso engaged ECG facilitation of a unique economic summit in which major area politicians requested more focus from the private sector in terms of economic development initiatives. With Standard & Poor’s DRI, ECG updated the cluster analysis and overview of the El Paso economy, and presented these results at the 2-day Summit. The Summit engaged over 150 participants, and featured a community vision, along with specific strategies to achieve the vision. During the summit, a remarkable consensus was forged as to the priorities of the community, in terms of four primary initiatives and four secondary initiatives for economic development. At the end of the summit, the Mayor, County Judge, State Senator and U.S. Representative all publicly signed their names to the final strategy document, expressed their commitment to implement the initiatives.
El Paso Tech 21 Project (1993-1994)
In 1994, when ECG was a unit of DRI/McGraw-Hill, ECG assisted El Paso through a 12-month economic strategy process. A Steering Committee was formed, along with working groups covering the seven major industrial clusters in the region. With major support from the two largest chambers of commerce, and institutional support from UTEP’s IM 3, the project defined a series of strategies and initiatives at the cluster level, county level, and cross-border level (Camino Real Corridor). The resulting Action Plan defined a vision and a series of steps to be taken at the level of the County and City of El Paso, but some of the key institutional recommendations have yet to be implemented.
Arizona at the Crossroads: Strategic Assessment (1991-1992)
ECG staff members, then working with SRI International, supported the Arizona Strategic Planning for Economic Development (ASPED) project--the most comprehensive, participative state-wide planning project ever. In Phase I, completed in April 1991, a Strategic Assessment of the Arizona economy was conducted. The team undertook a competitive assessment of Arizona's current economic position and identified strategic opportunities to develop economic clusters and economic foundations. The document, " Arizona at the Cross-roads: Strategic Assessment," served as the baseline document for the Phase II strategic planning process. Through working groups, town halls, and public forums, this planning process involved a broad cross section f Arizonans in setting priorities and developing specific initiatives for Arizona's economic development. The Arizona project today remains active with more than 12 cluster working groups.
Kansas Comprehensive Economic Strategic Plan Update (2000-01)
Starting in August 2000, ECG conducted a 10-month, highly collaborative strategy review process, commissioned by Kansas, Inc., the public/private agency responsible for strategy development in the State of Kansas. Along with Cambridge Systematics, Inc., ECG conducted a baseline analysis of the Kansas economy, compared basic indicators for economic foundations against reference states, and evaluated the key economic development institutions. ECG utilized major portions of five major conferences to obtain stakeholder input, conducted dozens of interviews and focus groups around the state, and held six cluster working groups to engage top leaders in aerospace, advanced materials, value-added agriculture, biotechnology, IT/telecom, and energy. Business, government and academic leaders identified during this process have been essentially integrated into the consulting team to provide a comprehensive, well-supported set of strategies and specific action initiatives.
Understanding Southern California 's Economy: How Converging Forces Drive the Region's Dynamic Industrial Clusters (1988)
In a set of projects, the ECG team (with DRI and SRI) examined the underlying economic dynamics of the Southern California economy from three perspectives--historical, regional, and industrial--to help identify opportunities for the regional utility to affect the economic future of the region. Four major clusters were identified and the linkages between them were examined in detail: aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and process industries; diversified manufacturing; advanced services (business/ financial, health services, tourism/entertainment); and agriculture and food processing. The report discusses a number of important roles the client can play through its own activities and through cooperative efforts with other private firms and public agencies to promote critical public actions that will help build stronger industry linkages and promote economic infrastructure. The regional utility has used the study to help identify new business opportunities as well as to take action in enhancing the overall long-term economic growth of the region.
Slovenia : Maribor "Jutri" Regional Strategy (1991-92)
Soon after Slovenia declared its independence, a project was undertaken by a team of professionals (now at ECG) to help the region of Maribor position itself for a market economy. The effort, funded entirely by the city of Maribor and the government of Slovenia, involved a systematic process of (1) analyzing the region's industrial capabilities and future requirements, (2) assessing the responsiveness of the region's soft and hard economic infrastructure, and (3) developing a strategic vision of the Maribor economy. This strategy process collaboratively shaped new economic directions based on the region's geographic location with respect to the emerging Alp-Adria community, and the potential of the region based on evolution of its heavy industry, textiles, agriculture, trade and tourism into a region of mechanical, light diversified industries and construction services; specialty and niche finished product textiles; regional transportation, business and tourism services. In order to implement the vision of the region the project developed a business plan for a Maribor Development Agency (MDA), and undertook initial restructuring efforts with selected companies.
Italy : Success Factors in Incubators, Technology Parks, Technopolises (1991)
The purpose of this project was to advise a regional economic development organization on best practices in design of incubators, technology parks and larger scale technopolises. The project included integration of professional experience and literature on factors determining success of incubators, technology parks and technopolises demonstrating the premise that the purpose of incubators and parks are to supply soft and hard economic infrastructure not otherwise available, or providing a competitive advantage, in a region. The client commissioning this report then requested the project team to provide the business plans for a next generation incubator and an alternative technology park in Italy.
Morocco : Le Maroc Compétitif (1995-96)
In May, 1995, after twelve years of macroeconomic adjustment and reform, Morocco was still experiencing highly volatile economic growth rates, unpredictable export earnings, and an increasingly urgent unemployment situation. To help generate employment opportunities and enhance the competitiveness of its export industries, Morocco launched a new kind of economic development project with the help of ECG and financing from the World Bank and European Union. Le Maroc Compétitif is an ambitious project devoted to creating a new movement for “collaborative” economic action and change in Morocco. During its first year (1995-96), the project mobilized more than 150 top business and government leaders in four of Morocco’s most important industrial clusters (textiles/apparel, tourism, seafood products, and electronics and information technology. Each of these clusters formed working groups which brought public and private leaders together to articulate more than 30 concrete action initiatives that have demonstrated the viability of a participative, action-oriented approach to economic change in Morocco. Among these initiatives are the establishment of trade and investment promotion centers, training centers, and new enterprise incubators. To ensure the ability of the working groups to implement these initiatives, the private sector has demonstrated its commitment to the project by financing and launching the LMC Association, a new economic organization established to coordinate the continued implementation and operation of the project and its initiatives.
Malaysia ’s New Industrial Master Plan (1995-96)
From 1995-96, ECG worked in concert with both the private and public sectors in Malaysia to develop a New Industrial Master Plan (IMP) for the Malaysian economy. DRI completed a detailed economic analysis of Malaysia’s 18 industrial clusters and an articulation of a comprehensive strategy for enhancing the competitiveness of those clusters. This analysis and ECG’s subsequent recommendations were based on an extensive evaluation of Malaysia’s position in the global economy: an identification of its competitive products and services as well as an examination of the international markets for those products and services. Via collaboration between government officials, private sector leaders, and other community leaders, the project identified and implemented an innovative cluster development strategy comprised of more than 45 cluster-specific action initiatives ranging from improvements in public education and skill-based training to infrastructure development and regulatory reform.
America ’s Clusters (1996)
The America’s Clusters Report presents the work ECG completed in 1996 for the United States Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) to identify and analyze America’s industrial clusters. ECG, then a division of DRI/McGraw Hill, profiled cluster-based economic development projects completed regionally by states, regions and communities in the United States, and included in this report the key lessons learned in the process of initiating these efforts. Through the America’s Clusters study ECG additionally identified three essential tools for cluster leadership to effectively administer cluster development and implementation in creating competitive advantage. Those tools are: an emerging new logic for regional economic competitiveness, the application of best practices/case studies that illustrate how regions have approached and applied this new logic, and integration of lessons learned from successful clusters around the nation. The America’s Clusters report has become a standard primer for cluster development initiation efforts.
Pakistan Enterprise 2010: A Venture towards Prosperity (1996-97)
In 1996 and 1997, ECG, in collaboration with DRI/McGraw-Hill, helped Pakistan to develop a long-term economic strategy plan. With funding from the Asian Development Bank, Pakistan's Planning Commission embarked on a "Long Term Perspective Plan" to establish a framework for long-range planning in five key areas: Technological Development and Productivity Growth, Export Promotion, Private Sector-led Industrial Development, Governance, and Socio-Economic Development. ECG had specific responsibility for the Technology Component of this project. Pakistan 's science and technology (S&T) infrastructure is woefully under funded in Pakistan, and the institutional and financial requirements for expansion of this infrastructure were developed. The project team identified a need to clearly establish a constituency for S&T investments in the private sector, and clusters were suggested as a good mechanism for handling this need. Several pilot cluster meetings were organized, and the power of this approach demonstrated. The final report proposed the development of an S&T fund supported by export revenues of private sector firms, the spending for which would have direct oversight from private sector cluster representatives. Following ECG's approach, Pakistan Enterprise 2010 established an "action agenda" for creating a more competitive and balanced economy across a range of action areas particularly in enhancing export growth, technology development, and private sector-led industry development.
Hong Kong : Economic Strategy (1988-89)
In preparation for its reintegration with China in 1997, the members of Hong Kong’s business community had our team develop a strategy to prepare the city-state to make the economic transition. This project encompassed an enormous process of consultation with business leaders, government officials in Hong Kong and China, as well as universities and community organizations. The final report was to be issued when the Tiananmin Square event occurred. Responding to this event our team added an entirely new process step to re-examine the commitment of the community to its future economic vision. After being completed, our report confirmed Hong Kong’s sense of its future and was used as the guide for a number of international trade, education and technology initiatives. This project introduced our team to the nature of different types of cross-border partnerships—with Hong Kong and Guangdong being one important example of an entrepot and cross-border production partnership region.
Bangalore , India (1988)
Concurrent with this effort our team began an unusual project to develop a technology based economic strategy project for the region of Karnataka, India—focusing on Bangalore. At this time Bangalore was not known, as it is today, as one of the major software development centers of the world. Our project with this region focused on analyzing the region’s clusters, their requirements, the capabilities of the region’s universities, national labs (they had four) and how to sustain and accelerate the technology-based enterprise development process that was just taking shape. This region helped shape a collaborative strategy that created a network for shared R&D, training and venture financing that has been operating for over five years now. We learned from Banaglore, India the importance of understanding the buyer-supplier dynamics of business in a region and how very often economic development programs are less essential to economic development than “virtual” programs that improve market efficiency by removing barriers or creating opportunities for collaboration.
Louisiana Economic Development Plan - Vision 20/20 Project (1999-00)
During 1999-2000, ECG was asked by the Governor’s Office to conduct a cluster analysis of the state, focusing on Louisiana’s Vision 20/20 and the six high technology target clusters that were identified in that vision. ECG validated the cluster selection, developed a state-wide cluster development strategy, integrated existing economic development programs throughout the state, and evaluated the Department of Economic Development in terms of mission and effectiveness. ECG conducted six cluster meetings, covering 1) Information Technology, 2) Bio-Medical, 3) Food Technologies, 4) Advanced Materials, 5) Micromanufacturing and 6) Environmental Services, and developed strategies for each cluster, as well as a less detailed cluster development plan for each of the 9 established clusters. The project involved a series of stakeholder meetings for each cluster, facilitated by ECG staff.
Westchester County Economic Development Action Plan (1999)
For the Westchester Economic Development Partnership, ECG conducted a 1999 cluster analysis of Westchester County, and developed an action plan and marketing strategy. The team facilitated cluster working group meetings for most major clusters, and made recommendations for re-organizing county government in order to deliver economic development services more effectively. As a county with a high concentration of Fortune 500 corporate headquarters, including IBM, PepsiCo, MCI, Phillip Morris, Texaco, Prodigy, and Ciba Specialty Chemicals, the team identified a HQ and SME Corporate Services Cluster, organized to serve the specialized needs of headquarter operations, both large and small. The need for better-organized conference facilities, R&D labs, and telecommunications infrastructure became apparent when this key cluster was identified, and the expansion of small and large headquarters became a goal. The need to coordinate county policies with key initiatives taking place at the municipal level was a prominent feature of the final strategy. ECG facilitated three major stakeholder meetings of community leaders and public officials.
Cluster-specific Projects
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Industry Cluster Development & Workforce Assessments
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Georgia Food & Beverage Enterprise Restructuring & Cluster Development Project (2002-04)
ECG, working with the Centre for Enterprise Restructuring and Management Assistance (CERMA), is leading a cluster-based initiative in Georgia to identify and assist five agribusiness sub-sectors with potential for cluster development. Conceived as a way to use competitiveness methods to expand the cost-effectiveness of CERMA’s trademark enterprise restructuring projects (ERPs), ECG is working with CERMA’s top staff to train them in cluster analysis and strategy development techniques. As CERMA has already formed a number of business associations, including the Hazelnut Grower’s Association, the Hazelnut Processor’s Association, and Georgian Hardwood Association, working at the cluster level appears to be the next step in expanding CERMA’s sectoral impact. The project leverages ECG’s experience with cluster development, CERMA’s intimate knowledge of the Georgian economy (and its ability to identify business owners and managers with vision) and DAI’s strengths in business development and finding appropriate technical experts. Following an initial cluster identification phase, the project moved forward at the enterprise level and at the cluster level. At the enterprise level, ECG identified 25 enterprises, performing initial diagnostics and obtaining management approval of an action plan for each enterprise within the first six weeks. At the cluster level, ECG is forming a cluster development strategy for 5 clusters and implementing the resulting action plans. The project allows for benchmarking trips abroad, which serve as a tool to motivate as well as educate business leaders, and includes a substantial training element, with DAI providing agribusiness training for 50 consultants, and ECG providing cluster development trainings and workshops for a variety of CERMA staff and consultants, and cluster stakeholders. The project has identified tea, hazelnuts and herbal/nutritional supplements as three sub-sectors where cluster potential is high, and has begun implementation in these areas.
Marin County Targeted Industries Study (2003)
Starting in June 2003, ECG was tasked with developing a set of economic, social and environmental criteria that helped Marin County to evaluate which types of industries should be encouraged, or discouraged, using a variety of policy instruments available to the County. Using these criteria, the team developed a list of nine target industries that met these criteria. ECG used a multi-pronged approach to meet this study’s requirements. The methodology included: conducting a review of economic trends and other factors that had an impact on business location decisions; undertook a cluster analysis, identifying the underlying drivers of the region’s economy; conducted interviews and focus groups and with community leaders and business owners and executives; developed a list of target industries (grouped by industry clusters), that were consistent with the criteria; and prepared recommendations the Marin Economic Commission consider as it shapes its vision for Marin’s economic future. These recommendations were in turn, submitted to the County Board of Supervisors and are currently under consideration for incorporation into the Countywide Plan. Client: Marin County Economic Comission. Duration: May 2003– Jan 2004. Funding: Marin County Office of Economic Development To download the full report, please click here.
Monterey County Business and Workforce Assessment Study (2002)
The County of Monterey, CA engaged ECG to perform a year-long study of the dual foundations of the region’s economic health: business climate and workforce readiness. ECG used a variety of economic and social analyses, preliminary cluster identification assessments and focus groups to determine whether the County’s major industries, its business climate policies and its workforce development infrastructure were aligned with each other (and with the macroeconomic trends that will affect the region in coming decades).
Germany : Strategy for the Electro-optic Region of Jena "Vision" (1991-92)
Immediately following the announcement of integration, professional staff undertook an assignment to assist the region of Jena, Thuringia in former East Germany in linking the privatization process with regional economic strategy. The project was financed by the Treuhandanstalt and Jenoptic Carl Zeiss (JCZ). The project took place at the time that the JCZ had already announced layoffs of over 25,000 workers, with plans for layoffs of 20,000 more. The project undertook the following activities: (1) presentation of an economic development framework based on market principles; (2) multiple workshops on current world market trends and technology issues in electro-optics and optical technologies; (3) organization and management of technology-business development working groups to develop business plans for spin-offs, joint-ventures and collaborative R&D; (4) organization and management of a regional economic infrastructure strategy process, focusing on retraining, R&D and physical infrastructure; (5) development of a business plan for a regional economic development organization (JEDCO); and (6) brokering of partnerships between U.S. opto-electronics companies and components of CZJ. The project concluded with presentation of a business plan and limited business introductions. Subsequent to the project, new management was brought to CZJ. The state of Thuringia established an economic development organization, became a co-owner of the remaining company, new federal government investment was attracted to the region, and a Japanese company located operations in the region.
Volga Region Cluster Pilot Study , Russia (2002-03)
Working in conjunction with the Plenipotentiary to the Russian President for the Volga Region, ECG is designing a pilot cluster project in Perm, a city of 1 million in the Volga River Basin. Following a cluster identification assessment, ECG selected the Furniture and Wood Products Cluster, including logging, sawmills, paper, and plywood producers, as well as producers of wooden furniture. Three cluster meetings have been held, combining enterprise owners and managers, suppliers, bankers and other investors, applied research institutions, government regulators and economic development officials. A series of initiatives involving joint training, marketing, and supply purchasing have been launched, and a benchmarking trip to Finland is being planned for 2003. Relations between industry and the university’s Forestry Products Research Center have improved, with a new, more applied research agenda for the Center. Banks have shown more interest in the sector, having gained a better understanding of the market and technology trends affecting the industry. Client: IREX Partner Program. Duration: Mar 2002 – Jan 2003.
Investment Attraction, Technology Parks, Research Centers and Business Incubators
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Chihuahua Venture Capital (1997)
ECG was invited by Chihuahua, Mexico to plan and facilitate an economic development summit on Chihuahua in 1997. One of the primary objectives was to develop a collaborative process to design and implement mechanisms to support local entrepreneurship and wealth generation. ECG worked to develop an approach and help implement in the most effective way to mobilize local investment, support high growth enterprises, and position Chihuahua to become the most advanced, high value-added economy in Mexico. ECG is providing continual support to Chihuahua during 1998.
Pasadena Biotechnology Innovation and Training Center (2000)
For the California State University Chancellor’s Office, ECG has conducted a feasibility study for a multi-use biotechnology facility that is designed to help launch the biotechnology cluster in the Los Angeles region. The focus of the project was to establish a more favorable environment for Caltech-based spin-offs, which have been migrating to the more vibrant San Diego and Silicon Valley clusters once they learn how difficult it can be to find trained staff, wet lab space, and entrepreneurial services near Caltech. ECG assembled a unique coalition of teaching universities, researchers, and private sector leaders to design and launch this biotechnology center. The feasibility study includes an overview of the biotechnology market nationwide, profiles of specific biotech clusters and best practices for technology commercialization and innovation, a SWOT analysis, a needs analysis (including a survey of existing firms), and financial and organizational recommendations for launching and operating the center.
Blueprint for a Dynamic Small Business Community (1997)
For the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce, ECG recently completed a major study describing the factors underlying the success of small business communities at global level. The study included an extensive literature survey of successful regions, and in-depth case studies of six selected regions: West Jutland (Denmark), Cambridge (UK), Catalonia (Spain), Silicon Valley (CA), Minnesota (MN), and Research Triangle Park (NC). The study focused on “best practices” — activities and programs set up by public, private, or mixed sponsors to assist small enterprises, and on identifying the underlying “stories” behind the success of each individual case. The study concludes with an analysis of the underlying principles of creating and sustaining dynamic small business communities, along with specific recommendations for the State of Indiana.
Long Beach , California : Defense Conversion and Incubator/Technology Park (1995-95)
We were asked by California State University Long Beach to develop a conversion strategy for the Cabrillo Army base. The approach used here was to analyze the surrounding industry clusters in Long Beach and Los Angeles and determine their status, growth and requirements for expansion in the region, then use their requirements to shape a research and technology park complex that would leverage the core competencies of the University. The project provided an economic rationale and design for development of the converted base facilities to new uses. This plan is now being implemented, and ECG went on to design components of the park being developed. In addition, ECG developed the first cluster analysis of the City of Long Beach, and demonstrated how their cluster structure sets the stage for future economic development investments. In a follow-up study with Long Beach we are helped to design a demand-driven regional business incubator that utilized ECG’s approach of avoiding “physical” incubators when not necessary and emphasizing “virtual” incubators wherever possible to accelerate enterprise formation by overcoming market gaps in business services, market information, technology “downstreaming”, production partnerships and financing.
Monterey Bay Education, Science, and Technology Center, Fort Ord (1996)
ECG led a multi-disciplinary team to develop the MBEST center. This study articulated the nature of market demand that, in turn, determined the MBEST Center concept, its physical design, and implementation strategy. A complementary approach was to understand the mix of industries, institutions, and organizations in the region that could be mobilized to pursue identified market opportunities. ECG conducted detailed market niche studies tied to concrete action-oriented marketing plans for each of four clusters.
Enterprise Florida : Growing the Future (1989-90; 1996)
At the request of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the professionals from ECG (then at SRI International) worked to identify strategic directions for how Florida can build a leadership economy by promoting the growth of new enterprise. Enterprise Floridafocused specifically on new enterprises that can capture added income for the Florida economy. The report evaluated the growth of new enterprise within several emerging industry clusters: laser/electro-optics, health technologies, information, and space industries. The team formulated a strategy and action plan from which the public and private sectors can encourage the growth of industrial clusters to create the higher‑value‑added economy of Florida's future. Several Florida communities have utilized Enterprise Florida in developing regional strategies. In 1996, the team updated and benchmarked the progress in Florida for the Chamber.
Slovakia : Economic Rationale and Business Plan for Bratislava Innovation Park (1993)
Under contract to the U.S. Agency for International Development, members of the project team undertook an unusual assignment to prepare the economic rationale and business plan for a science park for Bratislava. The project team applied principles of economic development to the planning of a technology park that stress the importance of developing industrial clusters as a means for enabling economic growth in regions, and, the emphasis that soft and hard economic infrastructure of accessible technology, available skills, adequate financing, and appropriate physical infrastructure is essential to cluster development. The team identified an emerging information technology cluster comprising over 200 small software companies, and mixture of restructuring hardware and systems firms. The project team prepared a business plan for the creation of a "virtual" innovation park. The new business organization ( Bratislava Innovation Park) has become a development partner and core service provider in an actual technology park. The project concluded with provision of a business plan, implementation plan and identification of private investors for the new organization.
Strategic Plan for the University of Madrid for the Year 2000 (1992-93)
This project assisted Spain’s oldest and largest university in developing a strategic plan for the Year 2000. The ECG team developed 20 goals and 50 specific proposals to strengthen the university’s organization, teaching and research—actions intended to help the institution meet the economic and social challenges of a rapidly changing Spain and a new post-1992 Europe. The plan is being used to guide an internal debate about the future of the university.
Strategic Plan for the University of Cantabria for the Year 2000 (1993)
The project team conducted a strategic planning project for one of Spain’s rapidly evolving regional universities. The team developed recommendations for building educational and research centers of excellence and developed new regional and international partnerships (with local government, industry, the European Community, and other Spanish and international universities). A strategic plan with specific goals and proposals will be completed to guide the evolution of the institution into one of Spain’s premier regional universities.
Lake Superior Initiative: Conceptual Plan for the Institute for Lake Superior Research
The state of Minnesota, as part of the Lake Superior Initiative, asked the professionals, now with ECG, to prepare a conceptual plan for an Institute for Lake Superior Research (ILSR). The mission of the proposed institute is to develop the research and knowledge base necessary to guide policy decisions to maintain the environmental integrity of Lake Superior. The ECG team identified the resources available to address research and information-transfer needs for ensuring the ecological integrity of Lake Superior. The ECG team also proposed an administrative and management structure for development of scientific research and information transfer on Lake Superior.
Technology Needs Assessment and Delivery Preferences for Illinois Manufacturing Firms
This project provided the Illinois Coalition and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs with an assessment of the needs of small to mid-size manufacturing firms for modernization. Through a series of focus groups and a survey, ECG provided a written report of the needs for technology, equipment, and process by these manufacturing firms as well as recommendations on how the State can best serve this business group to compete in tomorrow's markets.
Training and Leadership Development
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Clusters and Business Networks Training - Mexico City (2004)
In November 2004, ECG was approached by Mexico City- based FUNTEC (Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer) to deliver a training program for a group of 25 top executives financed by the Interamerican Development Bank. ECG used a collaborative approach encouraging participants to be an active part of their learning process.
South Africa (1997-98)
At the invitation of the Government of South Africa and in collaboration with the World Bank, ECG was invited by the Government of South Africa to carry out cluster leadership training and facilitation workshops, in South Africa during 1997 and 1998. ECG met with more than 300 South African business, government and union leaders to carry out cluster-specific workshops and leadership training. ECG has established an on-going relationship to work with the SA government in implementing their cluster program.
Other Projects
Cross Border Environmental Planning: NADBank (1997)
ECG was hired by the North American Development Bank (NADBank) to plan and facilitate a collaborative planning workshop for a major meeting of the Border Environmental Cooperation Commission (BECC), NADBank, the Commission Nacional de Agua, the International Boundary and Water Commission, and the US EPA. The workshop brought together the executive leaders and staffs from each of these organizations. In this meeting, the main objectives were to identify barriers to progress and reach consensus on an action plan for success. A secondary objective was to build a collaborative team of all groups and improve communications and trust. The three-day workshop, which engaged simultaneo us meetings for 50 participants as well as breakout groups, produced an action document that outlined consensus on goals, roles, and actions. An action plan was put together defining specific roles and responsibilities for collaboration among the different organizations in the upcoming year.
McAllen , Texas (1996)
ECG in collaboration with DRI/McGraw-Hill, conducted an analysis of the South Texas-Northern Mexico economic region to estimate the demand for air passenger and cargo transportation in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. ECG worked with local business leaders, officials, and airport managers in carrying out this project. As part of this activity, ECG conducted interviews and facilitated focus groups among key stakeholders of the projects, including local government agencies, chambers of commerce, business and community leaders and benchmarked aspects of all regional projects, assessing opportunities and challenges for each one and drafting a short term strategy. back to top
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