Urenio Watch Watch: Innovation Clusters

Knowledge Clusters and Entrepreneurship in Regional Economic Development

A report that provides to economic developers with an understanding of the latest research on the issues surrounding entrepreneurship and knowledge clusters as economic development strategies, along with practical new ideas and tactics.

The conference on Knowledge Clusters and Entrepreneurship in Regional Economic Development was held at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis on September 13 and 14, 2004.

The conference brought together academics and practitioners from both sides of the Atlantic to examine the relationship between clusters, entrepreneurship, and economic development strategies. A number of pressing economic development questions has been addressed:

1. What is knowledge in the economic development context and how can it be “built” within a region?
2. How do knowledge clusters emerge and what can policymakers and economic development practitioners do to foster their growth?
3. What makes some countries and regions more entrepreneurial than others?
4. How can universities maximize their entrepreneurial impact within a region?
5. How should the performance of entrepreneurship strategies be measured and evaluated?
6. Are there “best practice” case studies from the United States and around the world that might help guide regional policymakers and practitioners working in this area?

The conference stimulated intense dialogue around innovative approaches to regional economic development, and led to the creation of this report. This report seeks to provide a synthesis of the concepts and insights discussed and developed at the conference, while also providing practitioners with tangible, actionable ideas for integrating cluster, entrepreneurship, and economic development strategies.

Sources