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Blueprint Recommends New Approach to Cluster Strategy for Tucson Region

While the Tucson area is growing rapidly, surpassing one million residents last fall, regional economic development officials are concerned about personal income levels keeping pace with the growth. They argue that a highly-skilled and educated workforce within existing and emerging clusters is imperative to raise per capita personal income and to improve the region’s economic growth along with its burgeoning population.

Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities (TREO) recently released an Economic Blueprint that identifies five major focus areas and outlines an action plan utilizing a cluster development strategy for sustained growth and a competitive state economy. These areas include:

* High-skilled/high-wage jobs;
* Educational excellence;
* Urban renaissance;
* Livable communities; and,
* Collaborative governance and stewardship.

According to the analysis, accelerated workforce training is essential in preparing workers for existing high-quality jobs in the short-term. However, raising educational attainment rates is the long-term solution for positioning the region as a knowledge job center.

Some of the region’s strengths include higher education resources, quality of life, and defense-related facilities. Challenges are identified as public K-12 education, private sector leadership, and the ability to attract and retain a talented workforce.

Interestingly, the report recommends a cluster development approach — this not a new concept to the region, as Southern Arizona was a pioneer in implementing the strategy back in the 1980s. The authors recommend new emphasis on strategies that apply business and leadership investment. The plan is comprised of three elements, including existing business retention and expansion, new business recruitment, and entrepreneurial start-up assistance.

All five clusters identified by the study are said to be favorable for future development in the Tucson area. These include three established clusters – Aerospace and Defense, Analytical Instruments, and Medical Devices – and two emerging clusters, Bio-Pharma and Environmental Technologies.

The authors emphasize that state leaders need to ensure that advanced education in the appropriate fields is available within the region. This will be important to the region’s future success in growing both established and emerging clusters, they say.

Gov. Janet Napolitano echoes the same call for investment in education and research. During her State of the State address, Gov. Napolitano called for an increased investment of $383 million for K-12 education and a $115 million contribution to postsecondary institutions under the One Arizona Plan. The governor’s budget proposal also includes $25 million to expand the biomedical education and research programs of the Arizona university system (see the Jan. 8, 2007 issue of the Digest).

Earlier this year, Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) – a public-private partnership that invests in education and strategic research opportunities within the state – released an investment plan for fiscal year 2006-07, which includes grants to support K-12 STEM education (see the Nov. 27, 2006 issue of the Digest).

TREO plan authors see the Economic Blueprint serving as a foundation to set in motion the ideas advanced by the Gov. Napolitano and SFAz for the Tucson Region.

Securing Our Future Now: An Economic Blueprint for the Tucson Region, is available at: http://www.treoaz.org/About-TREO-Economic-Blueprint.aspx

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Copyright State Science & Technology Institute 2007. Redistribution to all others interested in tech-based economic development is strongly encouraged. Please cite the State Science & Technology Institute whenever portions are reproduced or redirected.

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