HR0262 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0262 LRB094 11834 CSA 44191 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In economic development terms, "industry clusters" are geographic concentrations of competing, complementary, or interdependent firms and industries that do business with each other or have common needs for talent, technology, and infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, Businesses in a cluster may be either competitive or cooperative; and

WHEREAS, Industry clusters are important for economic development because both state and local governments can tailor programs and services to address the common needs of the members of the cluster; and

WHEREAS, This tailoring of programs and services for members of an industry cluster allows state and local governments to administer economic development more cost-efficiently and more effectively; and

WHEREAS, Industry clusters, and the businesses that make up clusters, are immensely important to the development of strong and resilient local and regional economies because, as a group, clusters are able to compete more efficiently and effectively against competitors who do not have the advantage of being a member of their own industry cluster; and

WHEREAS, Industry clusters have no benefit to the businesses that make up the cluster, to local and regional economies, and to job development if they are not identified and if their existence is not realized; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we request the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to prepare and present a report to the House detailing: the industry clusters in Illinois that currently exist and that have been identified; the location and the members of identified clusters in Illinois; current or future initiatives of DCEO to identify industry clusters that have not yet been identified; and how DCEO tailors any of its programs and services to the various industry clusters in Illinois that currently exist and have been identified; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the report presented to the House of Representatives shall first be presented to the House International Trade and Commerce Committee and approved by that Committee before being presented to the entire House; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of the report be presented by DCEO to the House International Trade and Commerce Committee by the first week of the Fall 2005 Veto Session.