George Stuart wrote:
> Does anyone know of any work done or being done on the impact of, and the
> relationship between, the development of industry clusters and community
> learning. I would welcome any feedback.
Timing IS everything!! Just published here in the US, a book titled
_Grassroots Leaders for a New Economy: How Civic Entrepreneurs are
Building Prosperous Communities_, by Douglas Henton, John Melville, and
Kimberly Walesh. I'll quote from our local business periodical, "Inside
Tucson Business," May 12, 1997.
"The book focuses primarily on success stories in Florida, Ohio, Kansas,
and Texas. But Arizona's cluster development, which began in 1989 with
the creation of the Arizona Strategic Partnership for Economic
Development, as well as Tucson's optics cluster, receives notable mention.
Robert Breault, president of Breault Research Organization and co-chair of
the [state's] optics cluster, was quoted several times.
Industry clusters, according to the book, are "competing, complementary
and interdependent firms that create wealth in regions through export."
Tucson's most active cluster groups--optics, software and
telservices--have become models emulated around the world..."
The whole article is introducing an international cluster conference
hosted by the Greater Tucson Strategic Partnership for Economic
Development planned for the late-November early-December time period (in
Tucson, of course.) (Another international cluster conference is
scheduled for mid-November in Hermasillo, Mexico, that could either
compliment or conflict with the one planned here.)
I can get you more information if you need it, George. And anyone else
who's interested.
-- Ginger Shafer Arizona Optics Industry Association Coordinator for Outreach Education http://www.goodnet.com/~jawz/AOIA vshafer@azstarnet.comLearning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>