Brookings -- Innovation and STEM-worker (science, technology, engineering, and math) intensive “advanced industries” are the prime movers of regional and national economic competitiveness in the United States. Industries like aerospace and auto, oil and gas extraction, or software and health IT stand at the forefront of the most disruptive technological and business dynamics of the moment, and will be central to U.S. prosperity going forward.

The National Association of Counties and the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation, with support from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, have launched a new competition for communities experiencing economic challenges resulting from the contraction of the coal industry.

Join NACo and NADO on Thursday, 1/22 at 2pm ET to learn more about the challenge and ask questions to competition organizers. For more information about the competition, please read more.

Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore -- Recently, Richard Florida of The Atlantic‘s CityLab published a synopsis of a study detailing extensive research that linked arts clustering to widespread economic development in nearly every metropolitan region across the country. The Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore elected to recreate some of this research and examine arts clustering in the Baltimore metropolitan area with 2012 data – two years newer than what was originally published – and compare it to the peer markets selected for the 2014 Regional Report.

LOWELL, Mass. -- Gov. Charlie Baker today announced a $4 million dollar grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (“MassTech”) to UMass Lowell to support development of a printed and flexible electronics industry cluster, an emerging field that has the potential to become a $76 billion global market in the next decade.

Godwin Xerri, Malta Independent -- According to a study published by Policy Research Corporation in 2008, Malta employs 7,600 people in the traditional maritime sectors, 11,000 people in coastal and sea related recreational and tourism and 1,400 persons in fisheries. These three areas make up for 20,000 jobs out of a working population of 190,000 people which represents 10.5% of Malta's work force.

Jonatan Paton -- The importance of clusters and cluster policies has been slowly increasing in the competitiveness context and in regional development models.

The U.S. Cluster Mapping Portal has soft-launched its Region Comparison Tool, which will allow users to directly compare different regions (States, Economic Areas, Metro/Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Counties) across various clusters and indicators. See below for a walkthrough of the process of creating and saving a custom region comparison.

Lisa Monti, Mississippi Business Journal -- A new study looking at Mississippi’s maritime industries spotlights the importance of shipbuilding, fishing, oceanography and marine technology as a dominant force in the state’s economy. The data show that in the three coastal counties, about 51,000 people – 35 percent of the entire workforce – are employed in so- called blue industries. Ashley Edwards, Susan Veglia and Kevin Buckley compiled the study as part of the Masters of Economic Development Program at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Peter Dizikes, MIT News Office -- Experts have long theorized that having a cluster of firms within a given industry helps a region’s economy grow.

Max Ufberg, Pacific Standard -- Seemingly every American city, from Boston to New Orleans, wants to be “the next Silicon Valley.” This isn’t anything new; it has happened before with industries like film, video games, and alternative energy. Basically, if an industry looks profitable, city (and state) officials will often try to work tirelessly to bring their own municipalities a piece of the financial pie.