Christophe Guichard and Tshanda Kalombo - From 17 to 19 November 2015, 77 national and regional cluster policy-makers, experts and researchers from both the United States and the European Union gathered in Boston and Washington for a workshop to exchange experiences and best practices on cluster mapping, cluster portals and cluster-based economic development policies.

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Following a presentation at the TCI annual conference in Monterrey, Mexico, Dr John Hobbs (School of Business, Cork Institute of Technology) was invited to give two presentations different research centers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The presentations were hosted by the Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (REAP), which is part of the Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship and the Industrial Performance Center (IPC) to share V‐LINC results and its potential for mapping Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurship Ecosystems and Global Value Chains (GVCs).

BOSTON -- NECEC (New England Clean Energy Council and NECEC Institute) awarded Boston-based Next Step Living its 2014 Green Tie Gala Award for Breakout Company of the Year last week.

Tom Kalil and David Danielson, Office of Science and Technology Policy -- The Department of Energy national laboratories are American science and engineering powerhouses. These national treasures are generating innovative solutions to the world’s toughest energy challenges. However, promising solutions discovered at the laboratory bench can’t effectively address energy challenges unless and until they are successfully transferred to the marketplace as commercial products and services.

COLUMBUS, OH -- The Ohio Economic Development Association (OEDA) presented its annual Excellence Awards at its 2014 Annual Summit, held October 22-24 at the Columbus Marriott Northwest. The Ohio Economic Development Association’s annual excellence awards program recognizes the achievements of individuals and organizations throughout Ohio in the areas of economic and workforce development. 

Karel Beckman, Energy Post -- Wave power at 7.5 cents/kWh? That’s what CorPower Ocean, a Swedish startup, is hoping to deliver with its new Wave Energy Converter (WEC). The technology for this new wave power device was invented by Dr. Stig Lundbäck, a medical doctor from Sweden who has spent his life studying the pumping principles of the human heart – and has used this knowledge to design a giant buoy that gently oscillates in resonance with the waves of the sea.

David Harry, The Forecaster -- The lingering question was simple for Icelandic businesswoman Erla Petursdottir.

"What do we do with fish guts?" she said Thursday Oct. 16.

In Maine, the same question is asked about lobster shells. The answer may be found in the New England Ocean Cluster, an approach modeled on the Iceland Ocean Cluster that Petursdottir, the managing director of Codland, has belonged to for more than two years.

UN Women -- On the fertile and lush fields of the Dibra region, one of the poorest in Albania, located on the north-east border of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 47-year-old Emrie Lata and her husband collect their daily harvest. Emrie has worked on this land most of her life, collecting forest fruits, vegetables and medicinal herbs, which she sells for a profit. Her husband is unemployed and Emrie has to support the family, including their three sons. One of them has emigrated abroad in order to help the family, but his income alone is not enough.

Location plays a critical role in the success and sustainability of a high-technology venture, whether it’s a startup capitalizing on the proximity of venture capitalists, a company in search of bright talent, or an established brand that continues to expand.

Western North Carolina has faced economic challenges for decades. Industries that once brought prosperity – tobacco, textiles, furniture manufacturing – have waned. As a largely rural area, it is not an easy place to develop new industry. Rather than continue bidding wars with other locations to chase "the next big thing," the region decided to focus on its local assets, and businesses with an organic connection to the region. A cluster of outdoor equipment companies has emerged, one that taps the recreational opportunities of the Blue Ridge Mountains as it competes on a national scale.