Mass Insight Corporation

As we approach Tuesday's gubernatorial primary, much of the rhetoric is about jobs and the economy. The campaign creates an opportunity to debate the Commonwealth's economic future: Massachusetts can be an international capital and global innovation leader in 2015 — or a second-tier capital with pockets of excellence and continued slow job growth.

We have a choice. And though we are short on people — the most important asset — we have the advantages necessary to win in the international competition for talent, innovation and jobs, if we choose a pro-growth global economic strategy.

To engage with the new governor and legislative leaders; major business associations, CEOs, university presidents and civic leaders developed the Global Massachusetts 2015 initiative to craft a sector-based talent and innovation strategy that will re-ignite Massachusetts' global economic leadership in the coming decade.

In their 1993 report, The Competitive Advantage of Massachusetts, Monitor Group and Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter wrote that the Commonwealth's institutions, capacity for innovation, diversified economy and concentration of talent made it "the envy of most states and nations." That is still true today.

But our competitive edge is fragile. Other states and nations are investing aggressively in talent, innovation and alliances between universities and industry as part of intentional strategies to win.

By 2015, the leading universities in China and India will take their place among the top 50 world research universities as they quickly adapt successful western models to Asian cultures. These institutions take for granted the importance of government-supported collaborations with industry. Closer to home, North Carolina's re-invention as an economic powerhouse centered on the Research Triangle is a product of two decades of strategic industry, education and state collaboration.

This increased competition is taking its toll. The 2004 Mass Insight/Battelle Technology Road Map of the state's R&D capacity documented the 10 technology areas where the state has depth and breadth. But the study also showed Massachusetts is falling behind in talent generation for key technologies, as measured by degrees granted by our colleges and universities.

The last time the Commonwealth created a comprehensive economic strategy was in 1993. Choosing to Compete helped shape success for much of that decade. In recent years, there have been a host of important policy initiatives, but no comprehensive plan.

Now is the time to create a vision for economic success in 2015 and beyond by organizing around a talent and innovation strategy. Such a strategy has four key elements:

• Focus on a small number of opportunities where we can be a global leader. We can't win at everything. California, Georgia, Singapore and China have all made strategic choices about investing in world-class talent clusters. Done right, private sector and university leaders will develop a short list of "global challenges" where 1) Massachusetts has demonstrated university and industry assets; 2) there are local business opportunities and major export markets; 3) for R&D areas, there is significant federal and private funding; and 4) we risk losing an advantage to competitors.

• Develop a talent and education strategy-because jobs follow talent. Mapping talent needs against targeted "global challenges" provides a road map for developing, recruiting and retaining both stars and supporting talent. This will drive strategies to recruit the talented 22-30 year olds who represent our future. And it will guide investment in UMass, state and community colleges and K-12 math and science, shape support for private universities, and define new ways to adapt the North Carolina model of an integrated K-16 education system.

• Build regional alliances through higher education/ industry collaborations. We can't succeed globally unless we've organized locally. The state must expand the John Adams Innovation Institute model to allow for larger scale funding and create incentives for local alliances around targeted R&D opportunities.

• Establish global partnerships — we need a China/India strategy. Too often our corporate executives and university leaders meet only by chance in Asian airports. We need to formalize ways to work collaboratively to create global talent and innovation partnerships and market Massachusetts' assets and "brand identity."

Global Massachusetts 2015 and its partners will create the context for a strategy development process this fall. To begin the dialogue on a 2015 vision and strategy, the Boston Business Journal will feature articles by prominent business and higher education leaders over the next three weeks. Global Massachusetts 2015 welcomes your input and ideas.

William Guenther is president of Mass Insight, a technology-based economic development firm which is managing the Global Massachusetts 2015 initiative. Jeffrey Grogan leads the Regional Economic Competitiveness team at Monitor Group and is a member of the Global Massachusetts 2015 steering committee.

Gloria Larson, partner, Foley Hoag, and Charles A. Baker, partner, DLA Piper Rudnick, are co-lead counsels for Global Massachusetts 2015.

*final published version may contain minor edits

18 Tremont Street, Suite 930
Boston, MA 02108
Phone (617) 778-1500
Fax (617) 778-1505