Examples

Our Projects

I-Open is engaged in a number of different initiatives to deploy Open Source Economic Development

We like Aristotle's quote: "What we learn to do, we learn by doing".   

So it is with new approaches to economic development. We learn by doing. 

We are applying Open Source Economic Development in a variety of different contexts: an innovation zone in downtown Cleveland, ten regions across Indiana, a chamber of commerce in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, a 14 county workforce region in Indiana, a county government in Northeast Ohio. 
In each of these situations, we are pressing the envelope to develop new, practical tools to accelerate investment in regional economies. 

Midtown Brews

Midtown Brews

We are experimenting with a range of different speakers and Web 2.0 tools at Midtown Brews. and  We have a growing network of people committed to Open Source Economic Development

With our partners at Nead Brands, we are developing some new ideas for innovating in the Midtown section of Cleveland. You can learn more about what's going on here. 

Our approach involves a practical application of "strategic doing". We quickly identify new initiatives and begin working on them. We are mutually supportive and find ways to move quickly. Resources, while limited, are not the obstacle. 

Instead, we are working to overcome bad civic behavior...First Curve thinking in a Second Curve world. Cleveland is blessed with many wonderful resources. Like many communities, our opportunities are less than what they could be, because a number of civic leaders are not accustomed to new ways of thinking and acting. We are overcoming these obstacles by modeling new behaviors. As one participant in our forums recently wrote, "Thank you so much for your work and for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing initiative."

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Workforce Innovations (WIRED)

Last fall, the Department of Labor launched one of the most remarkable experiments in federal economic development policy in the last twenty years. The Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) initiative conducted a national competition among regions in the Uniteed States. WIRED-Logo_gif_textmedium

The Secretary of Labor asked each governor to nominate three regions for consideration as a WIRED region. The Secretary's team reviewed pver 100 proposals and selected thirteen regions as winners. Each winning region will receive $15 million in funding plus unprecedented flexibility in how these funds can be used to promote economic and workforce development.   

Purdue Center for Regional Development won one of the WIRED grants and enlisted Ed Morrison to serve as their Economic Policy Advisor. Ed will be applying Open Source Economic Development as the guideing frameowrk for the WIRED grant in Indiana. 

Commerce Lexington

Chambers of commerce must find new ways to operate on teh Second Curve. Tight hierarchical structures are simply too slow and costly to be effective. 

Working with I-Open, Commerce Lexington is redesigning its organization and strategy to promote "link and leverage" approaches to regional economic development. comlex_logo_textmediumThis new approach requires different activities on the part of the board. Working with I-Open, Commerce Lexington is moving to a loose hierarchy that encourages the formation of quick teams to identify and begin moving on new regional initiatives. 

You can read more about our work with Commerce Lexington here. 

Leadership Indiana

Indiana represents one of our most ambitious set of initiatives. Through Leadership Indiana, we are introducing civic leaders in regions across the state to new ways of thinking about prosperity and how to compete in a global economy. 

Our approaches are practical and easily understood. As one participant in a regional forum commented, "I did enjoy yesterday a lot. Ed did a great job of really making you think in different ways than you normally do. 

You can learn more about our work in Indiana by visiting the Leadership Indiana web site. Picture 7

We are applying our approaches by working closely with the Governor's office in Indiana. The state's new Accelerating Growth plan focuses on promoting regional strategies and the development of open networks of innovation. As the report notes, "regions with open networks of collaboration will be more competitive, learn faster, spot opportunities more quickly, and align resources faster. In turn, their regional economies will grow faster."

You can download Accelerating Growth here.

CuyahogaNext

Second Curve economies make new demands on local governments. The challenge is involves devising new ways for local governments to act as investors, not simply brokers. 

In the past, local governments often designed their economic development programs around different state and federal programs. The "brokered" funds and distributed them locally. 

Increasingly, local governments are committing their own general revenues to economic development. These commitments come in the form of direct investments or, more commonly, incentives in the form of "tax expenditures".pastedGraphic_textmedium

Working with the Department of Development in Cuyahoga County, I-Open is developing new approaches to local economic development. We are focused on finding the right balance between flexibility and accountability in the investment of local funds. We are exploring how a local government can stimulate innovation though investments in  collaboration, clusters, and innovation zones. 

You can learn more about the Cuyahoga County project from this page. 

Tuesday@Future

As part of an effort to explore the creative industries in Northeast Ohio, I-Open participates in Tuesdays@FUTURE. Based at the Cleveland Institute of Art, the FUTURE Center for Design and Technology Transfer Future is dedicated to shaping the design agenda for the 21st century by creating innovative design, technology and business collaborations.  

pastedGraphic-2_textmediumThe focus is on creative thinking, inventive design solutions and the exploration of new technologies.  By supporting business startups and forming professional partnerships in the region, FUTURE is driving The Cleveland Institute of Art and its partners forward as leaders in the new economy. 

The Civic Forums are designed to explore the different dimensions of this vision. 

Charleston Digital Corridor

Charleston Digital Corridor embraces Open Source Economic Development 

We have helped ur colleague Ernest Andrade guide the development of the Charleston Digital Corridor in Charleston, SC. The Corridor is an exceptional example of how open networks can spur innovation. 

You can learn more about the Charleston Digital COrridor by visiting its web site. 

On Fridays, the Corridor sponsors Fridays@the Corridor to encourage the type of network building that leads to innovation. These sessions, like the Midtown Mornings and Tuesdays@FUTURE in Cleveland and Thursdays@The House in Indianapolis represent more than simple networking events. These forums explore in depth specific dimensions of innovation. They foster the type of civic behavior that leads to collaborations. They encourage stretch thinking and explore the outer dimensions of markets. 

EDPro Weblog

We designed EDPro Weblog for busy economic development professionals

The EDPro Weblog is a leading publication for economic development professionals. 

Each week, we highlight some of the most interesting developments in the field, as regional economies continue to experiment with new approaches to innovation, entrepreneurship and collaborations. 

Ted Levine, chairman of Development Counsellors International explains the value of EDPro Weblog: 

"In company with everybody else in America I am inundated with newsletters with almost all of them triggering immediate deletion upon receipt. EDPro News in a primary exception to the rule. It's where I always receive information and leads that are of immediate interest and value. I cannot recall an issue in which I didn't act upon at least three items."

You can visit the EDPro web log here. If you would like to subscribe to weekly updates, simply send Ed Morrison an e-mail. Put SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. 

Copyright, 2006, I-Open, distributed under Creative Commons 2.5 license |  Comments? info@i-open.org