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>fred, > >clusters are not the end all and be all, but the >concept of clusters is a part of the mix, one of the >components needed to define our regional strategy. > >i 100% agree with your final line in your writing in >which you propose to the reader that we need to >combine 4 powerful concept in concert to build a truly >regionally leveraging economic development plan: > >the cluster concepts >the creation and promotion of a communications networks >the surfacing and application of our unique social >capital. our community has a unique character with a >set of unique norms; how do we best leverage it >the need for a regional godfather that can in a >non-partisan and in a not-overtly self-serving way >rally the community around a vision and a consistent >small set of initiatives. > >in some ways the NEC cluster work was meant to achieve >4 objectives: > >plain and simple: start the "self examination" >process, to thy own self be true, what are we good at? >to quote jack welch, the first part of strategy is >"face reality." what are we in this region and what >are we not. >to influence the various economic development >commissions and offices in our state around using the >cluster strengths as a near term guide to corporate >recruitment and retention. there is more to >recruitment of businesses here than selling lifestyle, >there are clear cluster benefits, but we must learn to >use identify them and use them >to try to promote clusters to self-organize; trying to >encourage like minds to connect and start forming >parts of the communications network and social >network. frank fukuyama's recent themes revolve >around the trust building mechanisms in a society. >one of these trust building mechanisms is the simple >act of working together to build something of lasting >value. RAINS is starting to do that. before our >clusters can do great things, they first have to know >that each other exists, then find a reason to play >together. the communications links evolve, and these >links give the unique oregon social capital and norms >the opportunity to surface. >the forth objective is long term and that is to try >to understand how our unique strengths, our clusters, >can be used to advance this region to the next >generation. can we use today's strengths to bridge us >to a future vision. this is a bit of the leo burnett >sayings (one of the greatest minds and leaders in >advertising that built one of the largest advertising >firms in the world, staying in chicago, staying in one >building), and i'll badly mis-quote it, "reach for the >star, but keep one foot in the mud." in this light, >i've asked, how can our regional strengths in >semiconductors and imaging take us, bridge us into the >next new thing. i believe there is a unique >opportunity to rally this community around the >micro-to-nano thing. > >an argument could be made that much of what was >interesting in hi-tech in the 90's were not things we >did well in oregon - ie, software. however, as we >look into the next decade, many of the "next new >things" are technologies and markets where oregon's >strengths are applicable - industries and >applications in micro to nano level machines, devices, >and materials. in our state is the third largest >density of silicon processing technologies (following >san jose, CA and austin, TX). additionally and >perhaps even more important, in oregon there are >leaders in the creation and commercialization of >micro-machines - ie, HP, FEI, and XEROX (tek) to name >just a few.  > >stepping back, we have a surprising number of regional >assets. there was an implicit positioning starting to >take shape; oregon's play in this nano-thing is more >around the practical and here-and-now uses of >micro...applied technology vs pure research. our >strengths in micro comes from industries and research >that are already applying and commercializing micro >scale technologies and devices. we can continue to >develop this strength and it can be a bridge to nano; >hence the thought behind oregon positioning around, >multi-scale. in some ways i view this positioning as >"being true to our regional characteristic, our true >regional ethos and norms." > >in our simple way, the NEC group (peggy, tony and i) >used the cluster stuff as a catalyst for discussion. >in some very simple ways, we used it as one of the >"substantive ideas" to align the forces in our >community. i've taken it and used it as a spring >board to try to define a bridge to the next new thing. > >the social capital and leadership is perhaps the most >difficult. we have two counter forces that need to be >aligned: the desire on the part of leaders in the >community to want to help, most clearly we see hi-tech >executives popping out of their corner cubes wanting >to get involved, and yet a community that seems >fractionated. in some of these recent economic summit >gatherings, the objective of the gathering seems to be >to have a gathering, not in the "selling" of a >direction. trust comes from forming, storming, >norming...not in cocktailing. our regional leadership >is in transformation. specifically in the technology >community, no clear capi(s) or godfather have emerged, >but i see signs of emergence. we will see a next >generation of leaders emerge that embrace an agenda, a >vision, and use it to form, storm, norm, and then >cocktail. >thx >dc

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