Prosperity Agenda- 3/3 Economic Clusters

(released to the media in Remington's kitchen on October 8th, 2010)

An economic cluster is a geographic concentration of inter-connected businesses, suppliers, and associated institutions in a particular field. Clusters help focus opportunities and organize ideas when developing an economic strategy.

Clusters have the potential to affect competition in three ways:

• by increasing the productivity of the companies in the cluster
• by driving innovation
• by stimulating new businesses in the field

There are several potential clusters in Brandon, manufacturing, agriculture, life sciences, knowledge transfer. But it might be easier to understand clusters if we look at an example....

Brandon's opportunity from a Culinary Tourism cluster

Brandon has huge potential for culinary tourism. We have valuable assets right under our noses. We have restaurants, grocery stores, farmers markets, and an award winning culinary school. You can also add in hoteliers and food processors into the culinary tourism cluster as well. Simply put- we have the inputs, the outputs, and the trained people to support and grow it.

But we also have a few missing pieces.....

• Showcase opportunities: wine festivals, beer festivals, food festivals- perhaps a Taste of the Prairies? These would be iconic events that showcase Brandon as a culinary tourism destination.
• Develop unique products: We already have Bothwell cheese that is made locally, but this can be expanded. One personal favorite is the idea that ACC has been talking about for several years now since they started running their Beer Festivals- a brewmaster program. Brandon could make its own craft-beer. Many other provinces do this, however there isn't a brewmaster training program in Canada. ACC, because Brandon's surrounded by the raw product, and because of the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts and the School of Agriculture, is uniquely positioned to offer such training. And of course, a brewmaster would need a brewpub to make and sell beer- and wouldn't the old firehall make an interesting tourism destination?
• A robust investment strategy: Culinary tourism isn't just a marketing opportunity- there needs to be a steak behind the sizzle! A culinary cluster is also about economic development opportunities, not just great places to eat and drink.

What can the city do to support economic clusters?

Establish a solid foundation. Supporting the specific framework of every cluster in Brandon are various attributes and characteristics. these include:

• educational assets- such as the College and University, but also the School Division, the Fire College, the RHA, and the Research Station.
• the physical infrastructure in the City- roads, water and sewer, the airport, IT connectivity.
• Brandon's Quality of Life- aspects such as built heritage, parks, greenspace, housing, recreation, culture, diversity all play a role in attracting and retaining people.
• Partnerships- in a city the size of Brandon, and maybe because of our prairie farm roots, but working together always makes something better. Putting the right people around the table is often the first key to success. The City can be the link between industry and education.

As has been mentioned in other postings, the City can play a lead role in creating an environment for innovation and entrepreneurship. Talent and research are necessary, but it takes entrepreneurship to translate good ideas into successful products and services. the Mayor can support entrepreneurship by supporting the Chamber of Commerce, providing data on the economic environment, and cluster opportunities in the City.

One of the tools used in business is forecasting- what does "next year" look like in terms of economic opportunities, what's happening in Brandon, in Manitoba, in Canada that could impact my business? The City and the Chamber of Commerce could jointly host a forecasting summit every year, bringing in expertise on weather, economy, trends, financial information, and other forecasting ingredients.

Clusters are not silver bullets, but rather one arrow in a quiver of opportunities for economic development. Properly designed and applied, they offer a promising way to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth and can play a key role in establishing Brandon's prosperity Agenda.