
Seizing the Moment - ignoring exports?
After speaking with Laurie De Roller on Regional Business Talk Radio last week I decided to look closer at the New York state Regional Economic Development Councils initiative. The initiative seems to be underpinned by a paper entitled ‘Seizing the Moment: How Regional Economic Development Councils Can Build a
Good Jobs Economy’ authored by Alliance for Greater New York.
What struck me in reading this document is the lack of any export based discussion or reference. How can a regional economic development plan championing job growth ignore the export landscape. Am I missing something? Even if the paper preempted the National Export Initiative, it seems very short sighted and inward looking to establish a regional development plan in 2011 that doesn’t look outside the region.
Maybe if more small and medium sized businesses as well as regional economic development organizations did more to engender an export culture, the country could be more competitive and in a better position to create jobs in the global rather than relying on local and regional economy.
Regions like Greater Rochester are obviously addressing export growth through the IBC but how well will these initiatives be coordinated to obtain benefit at the state and national level?