On September 25th the Humphrey School hosted a forum on "Regional Innovation Clusters and Economic Competitiveness: Lessons Learned from Regional Cluster Initiatives." This forum featured presentations and lessons learned from regional innovation cluster initiatives in Minnesota, Oregon, South Carolina, and Puebla, Mexico. Speakers also discussed a new web-based Cluster Mapping Tool being developed by the Harvard Business School's Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness for the U.S. Economic Development Administration and explored job and economic development strategies through state, local and educational policies.

The forum was sponsored by the State and Local Policy Program of the University of Minnesota's Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs with financial support from the University of Minnesota's Metropolitan Consortium. A video of the forum and agenda with links to the presentations, GREATER MSP video and supporting materials follow.

VIDEO:
Part 1. Welcome, Greater MSP, Cluster Mapping, Regional Cluster Initiatives in US and Mexico.
Part 2. Minnesota Cluster Initiatives, Where Do We Go From Here?

Moderator: Lee Munnich, Senior Fellow and Director, State and Local Policy Program, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota

8:30 am Welcome. Dr. Eric Schwartz, Dean, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Opening Remarks.
A New Focus on Competitiveness in the Greater MSP Region Michael Langley, CEO, GREATER MSP
- Welcome to GREATER MSP video

8:50 The U.S. Cluster Mapping Project: A Tool for Regional Economic Competitiveness
Richard Bryden, Director of Information Products, Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness, Harvard Business School

9:10 Regional Cluster Initiatives in the U.S. and Mexico
• Oregon - Elizabeth Redman, Senior Consultant, IHS, for the Oregon Business Council
- Oregon Business Plan Summary Framework (2012)
- Mobilizing Oregon Clusters: Private and Public Partnering for Economic Growth (2012)
• South Carolina - George Fletcher, Executive Director, New Carolina; Neil McLean, Incoming Executive Director, New Carolina
• Puebla, Mexico - Burke Murphy, Sintonia Executive and Faculty, La Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP); Dr. Alfredo Miranda, Rector (President) of UPAEP

10:10 Break

10:25 Minnesota Cluster Initiatives
• Regional Cluster Initiative: CEO to CEO Conversations - Matt Schmit, Humphrey School, University of Minnesota
- CEO to CEO Conversations: Mayors Talk with Business Leaders About Growing Jobs in Minnesota (2011)
• Medical devices and life sciences - Jeremy Lenz, BioBusiness Alliance
• Defense and energy industries - Chip Laingen, Defense Alliance
• Robotics - Andrew Borene, Executive Director, Robotics Alley

11:25 Where do we go from here?
• Jim Hovland, Mayor, City of Edina; Co-chair Regional Council of Mayors/ULI
• Margaret Anderson Kelliher, President, Minnesota High Technology Council
• Mark Phillips, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
• Mary Rothchild, Associate Vice Chancellor, Minnesota State Colleges and University System (MnSCU)
• Dr. Thomas Fisher, Dean, College of Design, School of Architecture, University of Minnesota; Co-chair, University of Minnesota Metropolitan Consortium

12:00 pm Adjourn