PRIORITY STRATEGIC FOCI

The CEDS SWOT Analysis suggests the certain strategic regional economic development foci. The following are the region’s priority strategic foci in each of the above five economic development goal areas:

1. Target economic development activities and initiatives toward significant regional industry clusters and occupation clusters that are value-added and net export clusters

2. Promote and catalyze entrepreneurship

3. Increase the quantity and quality of human capital through education and job training, to develop a highly skilled, tech-savvy regional labor force

4. Augment our region’s educational services to encourage improved STEAM skills (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics skills) and entrepreneurial skills

5. Maintain and improve transportation infrastructure, consistent with smart growth principles

6. Maintain and improve utility infrastructure, including broadband and energy infrastructure, consistent with smart growth principles and with green infrastructure principles

7. Develop, improve, and expand industrial sites, acreage, parks, and buildings (“shovel readiness”), consistent with smart growth principles

8. Improve communities through initiatives including downtown revitalization and building renovation / redevelopment; development of more sustainable neighborhoods and walkable communities; brownfield remediation and redevelopment; protection and restoration of water resources,
waterfronts, open spaces, and habitats; enhancement of public access to waterfront areas; and enhancement of recreational / tourism assets

9. Incentivize and catalyze innovation, technology transfer, and adoption of new technologies

10. Provide adequate and innovative development finance resources and technical assistance as needed to catalyze and incentivize (new and existing) private sector business development

11. Assist in the retention and expansion of existing regional businesses

12. Attract new businesses to the region

13. Maintain and improve the region’s cornerstone and community-based and civic institutions and quality of life assets, capacities, and services to improve area quality of life

14. Encourage, at the community, county, and regional levels, comprehensive and strategic economic development planning; and develop and implement community and economic development projects consistent with those plans and with smart growth principles and sound environment principles

15. Improve quality of life assets that impact economic development

16. Improve collaborative leadership, including increased strategic comprehensive planning and economic development planning and project implementation; enhanced levels of partnership and collaboration; increased investment in business development / business assistance capacity, entrepreneurial development, and innovation; and innovation with respect to government operating practices

17. Capture the potential of the Seneca Nation of Indians as a driver of economic development

18. Improve economic resilience in response to natural disasters and other (non-natural) disasters