Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Solano County, Calif., Hires EDC for First Industry Cluster Profiles

Solano County, Calif., Hires EDC for First Industry Cluster Profiles

California’s Solano County has awarded a three-year contract to the Solano Economic Development Corp. to prepare profiles of five key industry clusters — including the life sciences — as well as the first Solano County Index of Economic and Community Progress, according to the Reporter of Vacaville, Calif.

Solano EDC will work with Doug Henton, president and co-founder of Collaborative Economics, whose Index of Silicon Valley is designed to measure the economic strength and health of that region. Henton is also a consultant to the California Economic Strategy Panel, California's state economic strategy process linked to innovation, industry clusters, and regions.

Solano EDC’s three-year $484,500 contract includes:
• An annual index, which will include economic, workforce, housing, education, transportation and related indicators for the county and its seven communities.
• A Land Inventory and Absorption Study intended to identify all undeveloped parcels in the county that are zoned commercial and industrial, as well as each parcel’s ability to be redeveloped.
• Key industry profiles of the life sciences and four other industries, all to be created over the next three years.