Sarasota County, FL Gets with Clusters

Now that the planning is done, it is time to work the plan. Sarasota County, FL will focus on four clusters for future economic development: specialty manufacturing, life sciences, creative services and high-technology.

Specialty manufacturers, companies making a wide variety of parts and equipment -- from swimming pool supplies to hydraulic cartridges -- said they were orphans and no one in the community appreciated them.

Members of both the high-technology cluster -- computer hardware and software manufacturers -- and the creative services cluster -- architects, Web designers, film makers and others involved in arts and communication -- recommended that specific geographic zones be established for them and their peers.

The life sciences cluster said the region needs to be marketed as a place where medical and biological research takes place.

They also recommended establishing a clinical research organization, which would become the focal point for the development and testing of medical and pharmaceutical products, and pushed for the creation of a life sciences incubator to stimulate the development of companies bent on commercializing scientific research.

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