Florida's New ED Strategy Released

Here are the key points of Florida's new ED strategy, released by Enterprise Florida this week:

- Ensuring Florida?s global business leadership with the successful recruitment of the FTAA Permanent Secretariat and expanding of international markets for tourism, trade, investments and cultural diplomacy.

- Establishing Florida as a leading state for entrepreneurship, innovation, and venture capital, with a continued commitment to university-based Centers of Excellence, and strategies for seed and venture capital.

- Facilitating excellence in education and workforce preparation.

- Maintaining the competitiveness of Florida?s business climate with low taxes, non-burdensome regulations, and targeted incentives.

- Designing and implementing a market-driven stimulus strategy for those regions designated by the Governor as ?Rural Areas of Critical Economic Concern.?

- Retaining and strengthening business sectors threatened by external trends and decision-making, including Florida?s manufacturing base and Florida?s defense industry sector, in light of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process.

- Transitioning growth management to a more flexible and comprehensive planning mindset for ?smart growth.?

- Investing in economic development and emerging industries/technologies at a competitive level and with innovative strategies.

Having spoken to the Enterprise Florida folks about the plan, I am encouraged by what I see. I think Florida is headed in the right direction. And yes, there are lots of political landmines out there, but tell me a state that does not vonfront these challenges?

Get the report here.