Friday, December 24, 2004
Bangor, ME is another community that is learning a new approach to economic development. The focus is on building, attracting and retaining brainpower: people. As the mayor points out:
“Obviously in the last few years, especially in this part of the country, the economy is changing. We’re losing shoe manufacturers, papers mills...we’ve positioned ourselves to attract those businesses that are on a growth course. With the computer age, the Internet, people can locate and work wherever they want.”
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.
Bangor: Focusing on brainpower and creativity
