St. Louis, Missouri

Regional Cluster Action Plan

Since May of 2009, Market Street has been working with the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA) to conduct a Regional Cluster Analysis and develop a Cluster Action Plan for the 16-county, bi-state St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan area.   Although multiple industry cluster and target sector studies have been completed within the region in recent years, Market Street will deliver a fresh perspective through a detailed and research-intensive look at the region’s existing clusters, as well as those which offer the greatest potential for future prosperity, competitive advantage, and wealth creation.

The Regional Cluster Analysis will present unique analysis and information in a way that supports a bottom-up approach to cluster development. Rather than a more traditional top-down approach that identifies competitive advantage on the basis of industrial employment concentration alone, this bottom-up approach begins by examining the region’s key occupational strengths, and identifies the types of knowledge, skills, and abilities that are relatively abundant in the region. With the core strengths and distinct assets of the region mapped in terms of workforce, business presence, and quality of place, Market Street will then present the RCGA with its target cluster recommendations. In its final form, the Regional Cluster Analysis will provide the RCGA and the St. Louis region with a new and innovative view of the industry and occupational clusters that will support future growth and prosperity. 

 

The Cluster Action Plan will be inclusive of recommended actions – i.e., financial incentives and programs, workforce development activities, infrastructure enhancements, potential collaborations, organizational development, internal and external marketing tactics – which the research has determined are necessary to strengthen and build the region’s target business sectors for the near and long-term future.