Putting The Knowledge into Rural Knowledge Clusters

1
Putting The Knowledge into Rural Knowledge
Clusters

• Stuart A. Rosenfeld
• Regional Technology Strategies
• September 13-14, 2002

2
Is Rural Cluster an Oxymoron?

• Not if you think systems, not just scale and
  sectors
• Not if you expand your notion of spatial
  boundaries
• Not if you find common local competencies

3
Getting the Knowledge

• Local and non-local
• Formal and informal
• Using the Knowledge
• Imitate and innovate
• Competitively and cooperatively

4
Local Sources/Intermediaries

• Education (colleges universities)
• Extension services
• Associations, councils, coops
• Banks, accountants, etc. (scouts)
• Local customers suppliers
• Peers

5
Non-Local Sources/Intermediaries

• Equipment manufacturers
• Distant customers suppliers
• Benchmark companies
• National associations
• Virtual networks
• Research centers

6
Dynamics of Clusters

• Flows of Lead to
• Information Greater knowledge of markets,
  labor markets, technologies.
• Ideas Diffusion of improvement, innovation
• People Increased experience, career
  ladders,
• Goods More efficient value-added chains
• Services Expanded expertise, choices
• Capital Support for modernization, startups

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Mapping The Flow of Knowledge

• Where do you get your ideas, learn about new
  technologies, opportunities?
• Who do you call on for assistance of help?
• To what professional/trade organizations do you
  belong? Participate in actively?
• Who do you partner with? Do business with?

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Knowledge Flow Business to Business
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Community Colleges as Cluster- Knowledge Brokers

• Regional responsibility and focus
• Pipeline for new, credentialed workers
• Source of skill upgrading and incumbent worker
  training
• Serves less advantaged populations
• Repository of expertise and information
• Intermediary for networks, benchmarking, etc.

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College Cluster Specialization

• Some community colleges have developed cluster
  expertise as a result of- high customer
  demand- vision of what might be- opportunity

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Advantages of Clusters to Firms

• Knowledge spillover and learning (innovation and
  imitation)
• Proximity to services, suppliers, resources
  (localization economies)
• Access to specialized labor market (productivity)
• Opportunities for joint actions (scale)

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Advantages to Students

• Increased aspirations (e.g., for management,
  ownership, advancement)
• Increased access to employment information and
  career ladders (labor markets)
• Improved content and quality of ET (codified
  knowledge)
• Increased rates of and means for informal
  learning (tacit knowledge)

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Inside a Cluster Skill Center

• Aggregate demand
• Source of qualified workers
• Concentrate expertise and information
• Serve as one-stop for business
• Focal point for innovation and improvement
• Resource for states ET
• Benchmark practices

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Examples of Cluster Skill Centers(www.rtsinc.org/
benchmark)

• Itawamba CC, MS - Upholstered Furniture
• Catawba Valley CC, NC - Hosiery
• Jones Cty JC , MS - Computer Networking
• Great Basin College, NV - Mining
• Shepard Tech. Comm. Coll., WV - Printing
• Elizabethtown, KY - Auto Suppliers
• Delgado CC, LA - Marine/Transportation

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Example of a State Approach Alabama Technology
Network

• Environmental Tech Northwest Shoals CC
• AL Southern CC Forestry, paper, chemical
• Jefferson Davis CC Telecommunications
• Sparks State CC Electronics
• Central AL CC Textiles apparel
• Gadsden State CC Advanced manufacturing
• Jefferson State CC Metro manufacturing

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Some Non-U.S. Cluster Skill Centers

• Ireland
• Sligo IT - Toolmaking
• Cork IT - Clean Technology centre
• Limerick IT - Knitwear, CAD/CAM Training Design
  Centre
• Galway-Mayo IT Furniture College

• New Zealand
• Manakua Polytechnic - Plastics Tech
• Nelson Polytechnic - NZ School of Fisheries
• Tairawghti CC- Centre for viticulture

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Hosiery Technology Center at Catawba Valley
Community College

• Trains entry level workers and technicians
• Trains management and customers
• Brokers networks
• Conducts quality testing
• Demonstrates new equipment
• Web site for jobs, market opportunities
• Brokers research networks

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Knowledge Broker Legsource

• Industry communication infrastructure
• Maintain mill database
• Assist mills in website development
• Search for new business opportunities
• Government procurement assistance
• Video conferencing technology
• e-Commerce assistance to suppliers

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Letterfrack Furniture College

• Programs in furniture production and management
• Hosts furniture technology center
• Supports new enterprise development
• Focuses on design
• Seminars for industry

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Knowledge Broker in Central Virginia AMTEC

• Began by small group of SMEs in need of
  machinistsapproached college but no interest
• Decided industry initiative would be faster, more
  effectiveincorporated and hired director
• Acquired equipment from vendors, offered short
  term training
• Named by state as Regional Technology Center
• Approached new college president and merged
  Center with college
• Now offer credit and non-credit courses

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Avoiding Lock-In Learning and Innovation

• Organizational learning
• Collaborative innovation
• Benchmarking practices
• Catalyzing change
• Social capital

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Learning Innovation Networks (Ford Foundation)

• Promote collective innovation by forming
  international alliances of community colleges
  with similar interests , common
  concerns.Examplessimilarities in local industry
  mix (i.e., clusters), diversity,

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Stuart RosenfeldRegional Technology Strategies,
Inc.Carrboro, NC 27510919-933-6699rosenfeld_at_rts
inc.org

• www.rtsinc.org