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Cluster Development News from New Zealand

This is an occasional and brief e-newsletter from Cluster Navigators Ltd for those with an interest in Local Economic Development, with a cluster focus. In it we share our experiences in supporting the development of clustering programmes around the world.

Cluster Development: a Lens

Are economic development and community development divergent options, or complementary? During a cluster training workshop this month in Auckland, New Zealand with a team active in supporting economically distressed regions, both rural and urban, this question came to the front. For some participants, their direction was strongly sustainable community development, for others it was economic development and high value job creation. For both, a cluster approach provides a lens and a focus for active engagement. Stu Rosenfeld’s recent publication ‘ Just Clusters: Economic Development Strategies that Reach More People and Places’ describes well the rational for applying a cluster lens. See http://www.rtsinc.org/publications

Similarly investment attraction and endogenous growth through building the local SME base can be viewed as competing strategies, or complimentary. Using a cluster lens, and focussing the public funded infrastructure (particularly the knowledge components: training, universities, polytechnics/community colleges, schools, R&D) on deepening the community’s specialisations, SME growth will be supported. Simultaneously, a more conducive environment for attracting inward investment will be developed, with less dependency on the crude levers of grants and subsidies.

Innovative Clusters , Sweden

The Competitiveness Institute ‘s global conference is in Gothenburg, Sweden this year, over September 17-19. With Michael Porter, Michael Enright, the World Bank, UNIDO, and others from 20+ countries participating, the theme ‘Innovative Clusters – A New Challenge ‘ will be well explored. This will be the major ‘clustering of clusterers’ this year. Check out http://www.competitiveness.org As the Institute’s President, I look forward to welcoming many of you to Gothenburg.

Active Australia

Australia’s weekly business magazine, BRW., follows the recent launch of Cluster Navigators Australia with a lead article ‘ Clusters: The Future of Business’. The article emphasises that concentrations of similar businesses can be global centres of excellence, and therefore merit active government support. Dandenong, Melbourne’s second city, is one location that is engaging Cluster Navigator’s support in the initiation of a clustering programme.

The annual conference of ANZRSAI (Australian New Zealand Regional Science Association International) is in Perth, Western Australia, September 28-30, with the theme ‘Regional Development – Who owns it?’. A question in Australia, and further a field, is whether regional agencies are simply the deliverers of centrally developed policies and programmes, or are they the drivers, with central agencies responding to local needs? Further information: [email protected] .

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Ifor Ffowcs-Williams

CEO, Cluster Navigators Ltd

9 Beerehaven Steps

Wellington NEW ZEALAND

+64 4 3881449

[email protected]

http://www.clusternavigators.com

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