Saturday, September 20, 2003
On Friday, the Weatherhead School at Case Western Reserve held a one day briefing on the faculty research going on. Over 300 business executives attended.
I was in the crowd, focusing on the implications of this research for economic development. The mission of the Center for Regional Economic Issues, which I now head, is to translate this research into practical tools that economic development professionals can use.
Here are some of the insights:
Managing a firm too well can reduce its ability to innovate. (Implication: in our search for innovative firms with business retention and expansion efforts, there are specific management appoaches to look for.) Read more.
Manufacturing plant productivity jumps as much as 10 percent when executives and employees frequently reach out to suppliers and customers and share industry information. (Implication: we need to provide practical ways for companies to build their networks.) Read more.
Biotech companies that are not located in hot spots benefit from having a diverse group of national and international research partners. (Implication: if you are trying to recruit companies to build biotech, look for emerging firms with extensive research networks.) Read 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.
Insights for economic development
