On September 29, 2014, Professor Mercedes Delgado from Temple University's Fox School of Business and Professor Scott Stern from MIT Sloan School of Management delivered a presentation at Mapping the Midwest's Future, a conference held in Minneapolis and hosted by the University of Minnesota that officially launched the new U.S. Cluster Mapping tool. Their presentation focused on the underlying research and methodology behind cluster mapping, and the relevance of clusters to economic development, resilience from recessions, innovation, and improved regional economic performance.

This study by the State and Local Policy Program at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs profiles the 12 largest industry clusters located in Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) and presents economic findings and recommendations for the region. Aside from evaluating established clusters, it also highlights emerging clusters of interest in Minneapolis-St. Paul, such as robotics, water technology, 3D printing, and biorenewables. Data was gathered using the tools available on the U.S. Cluster Mapping website.