North America

Mechatronics sounds like a new video game but may be a major economic driver for Virginia (U.S.) in the future. Mechatronics is the synergy of mechanical engineering, electronic engineering , and software engineering. Mechatronics companies are involved in the production of planetary-rovers (like the one used for the exploration of Mars), automotive subsystems such as anti-block system and every day equipment such as autofocus cameras and washing machines.

Companies of the Connecticut software clusters are about to receive mentoring of corporate CEOs on how to further grow. The Fast Track Program, an initiative of the state development agency, matches big companies CEOs with small software companies for a couple of hours per week.

The governor of Florida, Jeb Bush announced the plan for an expansion of the Scripps Research Institute to Palm Beach County during the BIO 2004 convention in San Francisco. Bush's big goal is to persuade biotech firms to take advantage of proximity to Scripps by locating on or near its planned campus.

A new web-based compendium developed by Regional Technology Strategies, Inc. demonstrates the strong ties that exist between community and technical colleges and specific industry clusters.

During an address to the Empire Club and the Canadian Club in Toronto Canada´s Prime Minister Paul Martin emphasized the importance of economic clusters for the development of Canada.

The San Antonio Technology Accelerator Initiative (SATAI) announced that it has created a new digital media arts technology cluster.

The Texas Energy Center (TEC www.txec.org)- a cluster working towards national and international leadership in energy-related innovation and commerce - has just recieved a $3.6 million grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund.

Washington State's governor, Gary Locke, is currently promoting Bio21, a plan that would pledge $250 million to the further development of their biotech industry. Locke hopes to have matching funds from private donors like Microsoft and Amgen, but has yet to reveal all sources of funding.

The Wisconsin Department of Commerce maintains an updated database of their medical devices cluster as well as planned cluster development in other related fields. A recent article in a state newspaper, highlighted the case of the Marshfield area within the state that was adopting planned growth in the medical field as early as 20 years ago.

Saskatoon's technology cluster is one of the bigger agricultural and food biotechnology clusters in the world. It has more than 20 years of history within the province of Saskatchewan, with a reputation for introducing "world firsts" into the market establishing itself as Canada's centre for plant and animal genome science.