Industry Clusters
What are Clusters? Clusters are geographic concentrations of interconnected companies, specialized suppliers, service providers and associated institutions in a particular field. Clusters develop because they increase the productivity with which companies can compete in an increasingly more competitive global market and they are the source of jobs, income and export growth. The philosophy behind clusters is that large and small companies in a similar industry achieve more by working together than they would individually. Clusters give businesses an advantage by providing access to more suppliers and customized support services, skilled and experienced labor pools, and knowledge transfer through informal social exchanges. In other words, clusters enhance competitiveness. Established Wisconsin Clusters: Emerging Wisconsin Clusters: Support for Wisconsin Clusters Gov. Jim Doyle and the Wisconsin Department of Commerce (DOC) believe that one of the keys to growth in Wisconsin is the implementation of a "cluster-based" approach to economic development. Clusters allow the DOC to shift from assisting one business at a time to working with a collaborative group of businesses in key industry sectors in WI. While the DOC has identified 10 established and emerging clusters, cluster development is not seen as a government initiative. Successful clusters require private sector leadership--stakeholders who work together to outline specific needs, goals, challenges and opportunities.
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GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES
NEXT GENERATION PLAN Governor Jim Doyle recently announced a plan to propel Wisconsin manufacturers into the next generation by focusing on efficiency and lean manufacturing principles. The plan, called Next Generation Manu-
facturing, will target $85 million in existing and new tax credits to leverage $1.6 billion in private capital investment, creating 5,000 new jobs and training 4,000 workers for the jobs of tomorrow.
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