Creating a Path for Advancing Manufacturing in the Great Lakes Region

The 2009 Great Lakes Manufacturing Council’s Forum was held on October 14-15 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.  This is a critical time for the United States and Canada and the Great Lakes Region with our region’s future inextricably linked to the future of manufacturing.  The Forum focused on creating a common agenda that will bring about a new era of sustainable prosperity.

The goals of the discussion at the 2009 GLMC Forum were:

• Create and act upon a common agenda for Great Lakes Manufacturing. Many of our problems have arisen from lack of a shared vision and lack of cooperative action. Without them, we cannot forge policy consensus or develop focused, disciplined actions and investment priorities. Forward-looking, action-oriented regional leaders who can bring the vision to reality are essential to this discussion.
• Achieve long-term, comprehensive reforms of policy and politics. The Great Lakes Region is known for its inability to cooperate across political boundaries.  Our intent is to make the Great Lakes Manufacturing Council’s (GLMC) agenda a blueprint for cooperation across the region.
• Provoke widespread, in-depth engagement by leaders in manufacturing, government, philanthropy, labor and education as well as other key stakeholders. The 2009 Forum will engage about 150 regional and national leaders.  This is a first step in reaching a consensus on how best to position manufacturing in the Great Lakes Region for growth and success.  This will be a plan of action that includes strategies and tactics.
• Trigger a widespread sense of urgency, leadership and the will to work together. The Great Lakes Region and its manufacturing base are at a turning point.  The decisions we make will be keys to determining the kind of manufacturing and regional economy we will have in the future.

The 2009 Forum was limited to state/provincial delegations invited by GLMC Board members to participate in an active discussion of the next steps in a regional agenda in five areas:

1.     Innovation for the Future focused on innovative strategies for sustaining companies during economic downturns.  Items of discussion are market diversification, capital and loans for new product development and related equipment.

2.     Manufacturing Workforce focused on the challenges of developing a manufacturing pipeline including the image of manufacturing, skill certification and alignment of practices across the region.

3.     Innovation as a Collaborative Exercise - We've heard about P&G's "open innovation" process, yet it seems that we're operating a "marketplace" for solutions.  Can we find ways of working together to create solutions efficiently?  How?

4.     Developing a sustainability agenda that translates to a business opportunity agenda

5.     Moving "mind to market"/accelerating innovation via regional talent and innovation hubs -  How universities can move their research capacity "off campus" and "apply" it for small and medium-sized businesses across the region.

Sponsors:

The Forum was sponsored by:

National City Bank, a part of PNC

 State of Illinois’ Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

Hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago