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Presentation: Rethinking the CEDS and the EDD’s Role in Regional Economic Development

January 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

NADO staff conducted a CEDS workshop for the Alaska Economic Development Districts and other local and regional economic developers in Anchorage on December 3-4, 2012. The presentation “Rethinking the CEDS and the EDD’s Role in Regional Economic Development” highlighted forthcoming changes to EDA guidance on CEDS development, an overview of statewide CEDS initiatives happening across the country, and EDD best practices. The workshop was hosted by the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development.

Rethinking the CEDS and the EDD’s Role in Regional Economic Development (Download as PDF)

 

Filed Under: CEDS, Featured Post, Innovation Resources, Latest Posts, Newsfeed, Presentations, Regional Economic Development, Regional Innovation Projects, Rural Development, Tools and Training

The Rise of the Greek Yogurt Industry in Central New York

January 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

This report, prepared for the NADO Research Foundation, highlights the emergence of the Greek yogurt industry in central New York over the past five years by providing a case study on asset-based development.

Cover of report, showing trucks entering and leaving Chobani yogurt production facility in central New York

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Proximity to markets and supply has made central New York a key location in Greek yogurt production. With 1,400 new jobs created by two yogurt makers alone, Chobani and FAGE USA have changed the economic landscape for the region and provided a new outlet for hundreds of dairy farms in the state and nearby areas.  Chobani was founded by an entrepreneur and had only five employees in 2007, but with a quick rise to prominence now employs 1,000 in central New York and consumes 4.5 million pounds of milk per day.  FAGE’s presence in rural New York, on the other hand, is the result of foreign direct investment as the Greek company decided to establish a North American presence rather than continue to export product from Greece.

Regardless of their differing origins, both firms, and others entering the field, rely on access to transportation and logistics systems to move goods, services, and people in a timely and cost-effective manner.  As the report states:   “If ‘location, location, location’ is the mantra of real estate, ‘location, transportation, and logistics’ is the driving force in economic development.”

Click here to download the report (PDF)  

 

Filed Under: Featured Post, Featured Publications, Innovation Resources, Latest Posts, Newsfeed, Publications, Regional Economic Development, Regional Innovation Projects, Resources, Rural Development

Performance Metrics Matter

January 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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Performance Metrics Matter, a publication of the National Association of Development Organizations prepared by the ViTAL Economy Alliance, explains how performance metrics can be used to create a more effective CEDS for a regional economy.

A Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is more than a mandatory report for opening doors to federal funding, especially through the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). It should be an opportunity to formulate effective strategies that transform a region’s economy by creating or retaining wealth and increasing prosperity.

This white paper discusses how performance metrics can be used to create a more effective CEDS for a regional economy. It includes real-life examples of how performance metrics have been used by various Economic Development Districts (EDDs) and other regions assisted by ViTAL Economy to address unique conditions and transform their region’s economic performance. It also demonstrates how performance metrics are the first critical step in creating meaningful strategies in a CEDS and how they can improve an economic region’s ability to meet the new NADO’s Seven Principles of CEDS Standards of Excellence.

Click here to download the report (PDF)

 

 

Filed Under: CEDS, Featured Post, Featured Publications, Innovation Resources, Publications, Regional Economic Development, Regional Innovation Projects, Rural Development

Proof of Concept Centers

May 21, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The Economic Development Administration’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship is hosting conference calls with members of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) to showcase examples of award-winning proof of concept centers, the focus of recent i6 Challenge competitions.

The next i6 Challenge will be announced soon. For more information about the i6 Challenge and to register for the NACIE conference calls, please visit:

i6 Challenge

NACIE conference calls

Filed Under: Featured Post, Innovation Resources Tagged With: , ,

Know Your Region Webinar: Creating Asset-Based Strategies and Partnerships

May 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Public-private partnerships can form dynamic foundations that support the development of  regional strategies built upon the strengths and assets of each community. As America looks to restore its manufacturing base and promote American exports, and as more states turn to regional organizations to pilot their bottom-up economic development strategies, it becomes even more necessary for rural areas to recognize their assets and develop networks that support economic growth, job creation, and increase competitiveness in the global economy. This webinar focused on how two regional development organizations used partnerships to advance small manufacturing clusters build on regional assets.

Christine Frei, Executive Director of the Clearwater Economic Development Association (CEDA) in Lewiston, Idaho presented on four of the partnerships that have been used to increase small manufacturing in her region.  CEDA has leveraged a partnership with the Northwest Intermountain Manufacturers Association on a number of projects including:

  • Solidworks in the High School – exposes local students to manufacturing related occupations to encourage a rural workforce of manufacturers
  • Snake River Boat Builders Export Program – which has provided viable foreign markets for the welded-aluminum jet boat manufacturing cluster in the region
  • Ende Machine and Foundry/Craigmont Business Park – worked with a local manufacturer and helped establish the first lost foam foundry in the Inland Northwest; and
  • American Manufacturer Network – helps increase military preparedness and create manufacturing business opportunities resulting in job creation in the Pacific Northwest.

Michael Eisensmith and Alain Ouellette from the Northern Maine Development Commission spoke about how their region has utilized partnerships with local businesses to create a network that led to increased investments and opportunities for their region. The Aroostook Partnership for Prosperity was essential in establishing goals and inventorying the indigenous assets that would offer northern Maine the best opportunities to meet regional economic development goals. Through Mobilize Northen Maine and their Jobs Accellerator Initiative, NMDC worked with APP to foster innovation in manufacturing natural resources and expand the renewable energy industry cluster found in their region.

To access the video recording of the webinar: Click Here!

To access the presentations slides click the following link:

Asset-Based Strategies and Partnerships

Filed Under: Events, Innovation Resources, Latest Posts, Newsfeed, Regional Innovation Projects, Resources, Rural Development, Webinars Tagged With: , ,

March 14: Know Your Region Webinar: How to Utilize EDA Data Tools in Your CEDS

March 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Join your regional development peers on Wednesday, March 14 at 2:00 p.m. (EST) for an informative, relevant and timely (and free!) webinar that will showcase how various data tools designed by the Harvard Business School and the Indiana Business Research Center can be utilized by regional development organizations to create and update their Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS).   Both of these organizations developed these tools with support from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA).

 

 

The webinar speakers will be:

 

Rich Bryden, Director of Information Products at Harvard’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness.  Bryden will discuss how the U.S. Cluster Mapping website can be used by economic development practitioners to identify relative regional advantages, analyze cluster performance within a region, and find other cluster-based organizations throughout the U.S.

 

Timothy F. Slaper, Ph. D., Director of Economic Analysis with the Indiana University Indiana Business Research Center, will discuss how STATS America enables economic developers and local leaders to use the latest research on innovation and regional development to incorporate asset based approaches for economic development.

 

Please join us in learning more about how these data tools can be used to develop CEDS that strengthen your region by registering to attend this interactive webinar!

 

Click here to register.

 

 

This webinar is made possible with support from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) under Agreement No. 99-06-07548 to disseminate tools and provide training in topics related to the Know Your Region curriculum.  Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of EDA.

Filed Under: CEDS, Events, Featured Post, Innovation Resources, Latest Posts, Newsfeed, Publications, Regional Economic Development, Regional Innovation Projects, Rural Development, Tools and Training, Webinars

GE American Competitiveness: What Works Conference

February 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

February 13-16, 2012. Mellon Auditorium, Washington DC

American Competitiveness: What Works is a four-day conference that will feature in-depth conversations with business, political and thought leaders, including GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt, on what’s working right now, and what must be done to grow manufacturing, foster innovation, compete globally, and create jobs.

Panels will be hosted and moderated by a variety of partner organizations including Washington Post Live, the Center for American Progress, National Association of Manufacturers, Bipartisan Policy Center, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Center for Strategic and International Studies, American Action Network, Ohio State Fisher College of Business, and The Peterson Institute.

Each day will be organized around a theme:
Monday: American Manufacturing Sessions will focus on strengthening American competitiveness, creating an environment that fosters manufacturing growth and growing middle market investment.

Tuesday: Innovation Topics will include leading edge innovation in medical research, transportation infrastructure, energy and the role of innovation in successful businesses and countries.

Wednesday: Global Competitiveness Speakers will focus on the opportunities and challenges in emerging markets and will analyze the policy conditions needed to support a robust global economy. Panelists also will discuss the international trade and export agenda and the global supply chain, and how they can support the domestic economy.

Thursday: Workforce, Veterans and Reservists The final day of the summit will focus on job creation in America and how to best create opportunities for veterans rejoining the civilian workforce.

 

Look for summaries on the presentations in future Know Your Region posts.

Agenda

The Washington Post will be streaming some of the sessions live. Click on the links in the agenda to view the session.

Filed Under: Innovation Resources

GE Global Innovation Barometer 2012

January 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment

 

GE commissioned innovation consulting firm StrategyOne to identify drivers and deterrents of innovation and analyze perceptions around innovation opportunities and challenges. Their Global Innovation Barometer 2012 is the result of data collected from nearly 3,000 senior executives in 22 countries. The Barometer explores various dimensions of:

1.  Government’s success at allocating the right policies and resources;

2.  Innovation in the 21st Centurty; Factors that encourage successful innovation;

3.  The current culture of innovation;

4.  People and organizations that are driving innovation; and

5.  How innovation will improve lives in the next 10 years.

These dimensions can be viewed by both geographic region and by country. The barometer is a valuable tool for representing the multi-dimensional nature of modern innovation.

Filed Under: Events, Featured Post, Innovation Resources, Latest Posts

Economic Gardening Professional Certification Program

January 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The Edward Lowe Foundation in partnership with Chris Gibbons, who pioneered economic gardening in Littleton, Colorado in 1989, and the National Center for Economic Gardening recently launched an Economic Gardening Certification program. The program consists of online learning (6 weeks), a retreat (4 days), and post retreat peer leaning (2-6 months) and can be catered towards economic gardening program administrators, technical assistance team leaders, or GIS, SEO, or market researchers. Those interested can find contacts and more information about the certification program here and can apply for registration for the spring program here.

Filed Under: Innovation Resources, Latest Posts, Newsfeed, Rural Development

Governors Turn to “Bottom Up” Economic Development

December 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Governors of states such as Colorado, New York and Tennessee are using “bottom-up” economic development strategies that aim to place their regions at the center of the states economic development planning, service delivery, and execution. The states are hoping that this approach will help unleash each individual region’s dynamism.

Colorado Blue Print – Governor John Hickenloope used 14 county summaries of their local economies visions, strengths and weaknesses and regional economic development plans to develop the state’s economic development strategy.

New York: Open for Business – Governor Andrew Cuomo established 10 economic development councils tasked with developing regional strategic plans focused on leveraging the particular strengths of each region. As an incentive to develop meaningful strategies the best plans were given a higher percentage of the $200 million capital funds and tax incentives.

Jobs4TN – Jobs 4TN is Governor Bill Haslam’s plan to strengthen the state economy by moving to unleash and support the entrepreneurial energies and dynamism of the state’s regions. The goal is to prioritize key industry clusters, establish regional “jobs base camps” to support regional coordination, and invest in innovation through the INCITE initiative.

 

(Article: ‘Bottom Up’ Economic Development Gains Traction)

(Source: The New Republic)

 

 

Filed Under: Innovation Resources, Latest Posts, Newsfeed, Regional Innovation Projects
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