How rural communities can compete in the Knowledge Economy
Wednesday, October 02, 2002
Trying to figure out how rural economies will compete in the Knoweldge Economy is a tricky business. Many rural ewconomies are suffering, as low wage manufacturing jobs are moving offshore.
The State and Local Policy Program at the Humphrey Institute is tackling this tough issue. They predict that the new survival model for rural towns is "knowledge clusters". They recommend the following approach:
1. Understand the local knowledge base. Identify the specialized knowledge that drives the most successful local enterprises and build on it. Understanding what makes a community different may help in discovering its current or potential competitive advantage.
2. Foster ties between firms and the local institutions that support them.
3. Promote innovation around rural knowledge clusters by stimulating new product development and encouraging technology transfer among local firms. Offer technical assistance and venture capital funds to start-ups and spin-offs.
4. Don't go it alone; promote a regional vision to guide local strategies.
Read more. Go You can also download a background paper. Go
posted by Ed Morrison |
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Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
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Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
How rural communities can compete in the Knowledge Economy
