Hampton, VA positions itself as motorsports technology center Monday, March 31, 2003 In a move to establish a technology niche, Hampton, VA is postioning itself as the “one-stop location” for engineering technology and testing needs for the motorsports industry. A recent market study recommended that the region establish some additional anchors for this cluster, including a test/race track facility and a specialized research and development park targeting this industry. EDPro Ray White, Director of Hampton Economic Development, sent me along some background material on the strategy. You can trace the roots of the cluster to the Langley Full Scale Tunnel (LFST). Managed by Old Dominion University’s College of Engineering and Technology, the tunnel has been attracting NASCAR and other racing teams for aerodynamic testing, starting around the mid-1990s. NASA's Langley Research Center also provides a valuable technology base. To focus its strategy, Hampton has created the Hampton Motorsports Technology Alliance. The City of Hampton, Department of Economic Development, NASA Langley Research Center’s Office of Technology Commercialization, Old Dominion University’s Langley Full Scale Tunnel and the Peninsula Alliance for Economic Development established a partnership to promote Hampton and the region’s expertise and technology assets to the high–performance automotive industry. Finally, the region has a strong company base: Ford Motor Company, Siemens Automotive, Valeo, Schaevitz Sensors, Orbital Engine Corporation, ITW Southland and numerous other companies. Hampton's strategy represents the type of economic development strategy that will drive regions to higher levels of income. The lesson: identify your anchors, build connections, and then strengthen your anchors once again. To learn more, contact Ray White (757) 727-6060 or (757) 727-6237. posted by Ed Morrison |		This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. links 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. So, spread the word...Share the knowledge. Tell a friend about EDPro Weblog. If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site: Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber: 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.

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