Portland Press Herald - Alternative energy is among the industries in Maine that show the most potential for job growth, according to a new, unreleased state report. The study, commissioned by the Maine Technology Institute, assesses 13 “technology clusters” in Maine – concentrations of similar companies within certain industries whose specialized nature or critical mass give them competitive advantages in their respective markets. Those 13 clusters, which range from boat-building to medical devices, support 84,305 jobs in the state, according to the report.

UtahPolicy.com – "You look at the end-to-end supply chain capability that Utah offers and the focus that the governor's office has put on developing our aerospace and defense capabilities – from tooling to materials suppliers to manufacturers – and Utah is a great choice," says Marshall Wright, aerospace and defense cluster director for the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED).

In a year when most everyone is struggling to figure out the best path forward for economic growth, Massachusetts has set the bar high with a plan that could serve as a model for those looking to give small businesses a boost. With bipartisan support and the signature of Governor Deval Patrick, Massachusetts passed an $80 million economic development act that over the next few years will bolster job training in the state's high-growth industries, provide capital to its startups, and support business communities outside of the traditional business thoroughfa

LAEDC -- The Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation’s industry cluster development efforts continue to gain momentum as we work to activate business, labor, education and public sector leaders to protect and grow LA County’s leading export-oriented industry clusters (e.g., Aerospace & Defense, Entertainment, Biomedical, Education & Knowledge Creation, etc.), which serve as the underlying drivers of regional prosperity since these traded industries expand employment, innovation and trade (exports) well beyond our local needs. 

The Jet Newspaper – In February 2014, four countries – Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu – commenced with a pilot clustering initiative, the first ever for the Pacific islands region. This pilot project has since concluded and a review workshop is to be held on the 11 & 12 August 2014 in Nadi, Fiji, to assess the project work to date.

On July 29 and 30, 2014, the LMI Institute held its latest training session in Sacramento, CA. The training covered two different economic analysis topics: Cluster Mapping and the Basics of Economic Impact Analysis. Over twenty participants spent two days learning about these topics through a variety of presentations, group exercises and other interactive activities. On July 29th, Sarah Jane Maxted and Jenny Zhao of Harvard Business School instructed participants about the U.S.

The homepage of EDA—America’s lead agency on economic development—was recently updated with a definition of “economic development” that might be considered somewhat unorthodox. At first glance, it might not seem strange to the unaided eye.  But notice what it does not say.  It does not say that economic development comes only from constructing roads, bridges, buildings, or other physical infrastructure.  It does not mention the common tactic of recruiting companies to relocate from other regions.

Despite growing concerns about the ability of the United States to continue attracting high-quality foreign direct investment (FDI), it remains the largest recipient of FDI in the world. Our latest report noted that, while the United States cannot afford to rest on its laurels, a few megatrends—the shale gas revolution lowering energy prices, rising wages and slowing growth in emerging markets and U.S. advantages in advanced manufacturing processes—bode well for long-term U.S. competitiveness.  

Business incubators used to be considered an innovative approach to supporting small businesses. Now they are ubiquitous, but some cities are taking the concept a step further and aligning incubators more strategically with their economic development plans. They create incubators that bring together entrepreneurs around a specific industry cluster, such as energy or food.

Kingsport Times-News -- The next big startup ideas in 21st Century auto technology got a test drive during a recent event held at the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce. Six of those ideas were pitched to a group called autoXLR8R — an auto business startup program based in Middle Tennessee — plus members of AccelNow, located at the Kingsport chamber.

Both autoXLR8R and Accel-Now are focused on bringing new auto technologies to market, and at least getting those ideas to the business incubator stage to draw interest from investors.