Connecting (Uniting) Companies and Communities in Cooperation, enhancing our High Performance Regional Community while maintaining our Quality of Life on the Treasure Coast.
To create Policies and Infrastructure Systems in support of economic development growth;
To focus on Global Promotion and support of all key industry sectors (clusters);
To be a catalyst for Technology Innovation and adoption of advanced technologies by all organizations;
To foster Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation from existing and new businesses;
To grow higher wage Manufacturing Jobs within the Industry Clusters;
To Educate Local Workforce, including the new (young) workforce and re-educating existing workforce;
To showcase Success Models and stories in the region;
To identify Resources and potential suppliers, partners and customers; and
To benchmark the Treasure Coast Economy with peer regions with which we aspire to be competitive.
This conversation starts with a couple important questions:
- How can we help to build a competitive and livable community prepared for the new economic realities?
- Where can we find the threads of hope and opportunity in today’s fear driven environment?
Let’s begin by looking at some of the key characteristics of the current and future economy. They will include:
- Rapid change,
- Shifting competitive challenges,
- Globalization of production and markets,
- Importance of knowledge workers,
- Entrepreneurship as the driving force for all organizations, and
- Networks are predominate form of leadership
Dr. Delore Zimmerman, of CEO PRAXIS, (Praxis Strategy Group is a growth strategy company) shared at an open forum public seminar, how to build a competitive and livable community for the new economy. He stated, “A High Performance Community is a place where public, civic and enterprise sectors WORK! They are enabled to be fast, flexible, focused, networked and global.”
“The key is to assemble a group of motivated people with common interest in implementing the seven high performance action strategies:
- Rapid deployment of modern telecomputing capacity
- Promotion of entrepreneurship in private and public sectors
- Job growth from within and a focus on higher-wage technology and information industries in manufacturing and services
- Awareness, interest and participation in the global marketplace
- An economic development focus on industry clusters that build on local interests, resources and competitive advantages
- Interim collaboration and networking with outside resources
- Cultivation of civic institutions and regional collaboration.”
“President Obama’s $800 billion stimulus bill has both policy makers and the public wondering what the bill will actually manage to stimulate. Yet, somewhat surprisingly, a recent study shows that left to fend for itself, the United States is inherently prosperous.” This was stated by Ian Lausa, writer for NewGeography.com. He further states, “The US still rewards innovation and entrepreneurship to an extent seen in few other countries. This opportunistic culture provides the basis for successful growth of commerce even in an otherwise weak environment.”
Engaged Universities and colleges play a vital role in the economic competitiveness and quality of life in any region – promoting innovation, stimulating creativity and building the skills of the work force. These are key elements of success in today’s global economy, accentuating the need for education to build stronger and closer partnerships with business and government. (source: Praxis Strategy Group, CEOPraxis.com)
The engaged university:
- Works with surrounding communities to create linkages and partnerships that enable them to absorb and utilize the science, innovation and technologies generated by the university;
- Is capable of fostering and supporting technology-based development by generating commercially viable ideas, training sophisticated workers, and problem-solving for local companies, and
- Develops and invests in public/private partnerships and is able to gain a return on this investment to further its mission.
We have been blessed with a variety of top rated Colleges and Universities on the Treasure Coast, and they can assist in linking Industry Clusters. Our advantages are;
- Vast networks of people willing to work toward a focused goal
- Can exert influence on both public and private organizations yet remain politically neutral facilitators
- Presence in all the four counties, allowing them to be the regional glue to help everyone stick together
- Provide the education for knowledge workers in those industry clusters
- Develop and promote the opportunities that arise from the convergence of computing, networking, telecommunication, entertainment, publishing and electronics
Seven Local Industry Clusters have been identified, and several of these Industries are projected to be leading sources of global economic growth over next several decades. They are:
- Marine, Boat Building
- Agriculture/Aquaculture/ Citrus Research
- Airplane Manufacturing /Civilian Aviation
- Biotechnology/Biomedical
- Microelectronics/Telecommunications/Computers with Software
- Tourism/Hospitality
- Health Care
“New Economic Geography (NEG) theory would argue that agglomeration advantages lock business activity into core regions. The core also supports the existence of intermediate industry in the periphery, and so specialized input-suppliers co-locate close by. Some historical evidence shows that manufacturing does indeed precede services, specifically producer services, in a city or city-region.
Research in the United States in the mid-1990s, and then more recently, also demonstrates that financial and professional services firms often chose to locate themselves in geographic proximity to established manufacturing industrial areas.” (Source: Megha Mukim (currently reading for a Ph.D at the London School of Economics)
Our responsibility is to invest our time and funds to increase the Strength of Key Industries (Current and New.)
- Soar with Community’s Strengths; create a level of Excellence to become a Global Leader (and magnet) for the Industry Clusters.
- Creation of a Regional Industry Specific Website, “Treasure Coast United.com” used as a resource for news, trends, PR, jobs, industry directories, advertising, links, services, success stories, etc.
- Promote communication, partnerships and synergy. The region grows united in the Industry Clusters, creating interest and bringing new companies to the area that sell, buy, supply or service the Industry.
- Develop a database of interested supporters, sponsors and Founding Members of this Regional Organization to promote all Industries and eventually creating a regional Manufacturers Association.
- The Industry will want to promote educational opportunities, and we can provide them with information and a link to websites for more info and to sign up for the specific industry or manufacturing training.
- The new organization can initially utilize Founding Member support until website advertising can make organization become self supporting while working on ways to fund any ongoing costs and expenses.
- The Founders would develop the vision and direction of this convergent regional organization. Together the “Glocalized” Industries will become much greater than their individual parts. That benefits the High Performance Regional Community we call the Treasure Coast United.
- Provide opportunities to meet and learn in Regional Roundtable settings, Invention Conventions, and Industry Specific Seminars with expert in their fields.
Ideas need to flow freely, be collected and formulated into topics for group discussion (for anyone who wants to contribute.) This allows many solutions to be put forth, drawing on experiences and knowledge of all. This idea flow can allow us to be at the leading edge if we begin to learn and apply it now. We could then teach it to organizations and employees. We must work together to create opportunities.
Networks are “possibility factories,” where anything could happen. The value of the network is greater than the sum of its parts. Working together to create opportunities, we must also create compelling stories to demonstrate that commitment to innovention. The stories will grab the public attention. Attention is a scarce commodity today, but telling our stories will help us in the talent wars.
We must foster the definitive characteristics of entrepreneurship. We will do well with an entrepreneurial culture and spirit in education and in the community. Characteristics would include risk taking, investing in ventures, and synergistic partnerships.
Author John Naisbitt said, “Investment = information + confidence in motion.”
Let us move together in mind and spirit into a brighter future for our companies, community and children.
A Treasure Coast United!
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