Saturday, April 12, 2003
Economic development strategies in rural areas are shifting. Five important trends are underway. (You can explore the first three trends at the Center for the Study of Rural America at the Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City.)
First, rural entrepreneurship -- and efforts to support rural entrepreneurs -- are expanding. Download a report.
Second, rural areas are seeing a new emphasis on regional approaches to economic development. Download a report.
Third, Biopharming is expanding. Biopharming involves raising plants engineered to produce proteins for use in vaccines, drugs or industrial chemicals. Download a report. Here's a recent article on the issue.
Fourth, renewable energy -- wind power, ethanol, for example -- offers the opportunity to reshape some regional economies. (You can learn more about the economic development potential of wind power with this recent report from the National Wind Coordinating Committee. You can learn more about ethanol at the Renewable Fuels Association.)
Fifth, e-business is connecting businesses in rural economies in ways that were never possible before. British Columbia is using this approach as one strategy in rural development. Learn more.
posted by Ed Morrison |
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.
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.
The forces reshaping rural economies
