The following select clients represent the diversity of our 50+ engagements across the U.S. and Europe:

State of Texas Industry Cluster Initiative
In 2005 NES was hired by the Governor’s Office and the Texas Workforce Commission to conduct a statewide cluster strategy around six industry clusters: Advanced Technologies and Manufacturing; Aerospace and Defense; Biotechnology and the Life Sciences; Information and Computer Technology; Petroleum Refining and Chemical Products; and Energy. The objective of the Industry Cluster Initiative was to stimulate long-term sustained growth and focus the allocation of state resources on key industry clusters that will be the engine of job creation and economic development in the 21st century. An integral part of this project was the regional forums that were used as a means of convening, educating and listening to key stakeholders in select industries to provide insight on where to focus the state’s resources, time and effort. NES developed final competitive assessment reports and recommendations for each industry cluster on how to allocate resources based upon existing and predicted market forces and conditions. NES also provided recommendations for a legislative plan to address any regulatory, taxation or other business climate issues.

Iowa Innovation Strategy for the Iowa Business Council
Nearly twelve reports later, frustrated by the state legislature's inability to reach consensus, and without a clear set of strategic commitments, the Iowa Business Council declared 'enough was enough!' Comprised of the Fortune 500 and University CEOs of Iowa, the Business Council had completed an initial cluster analysis and the distribution of a significant report on the current and future economy called "The Case for Change" which articulated the realities and requirements for transforming their statewide and regional economies. Tasked with bringing all these endeavors into focus, a set of broad-based stakeholder interviews were conducted along with preparation of a comprehensive scenario that would elevate Iowa's capacity to compete through innovation. Underway in planning and implementation is first-ever statewide CEO Summit on the Iowa Economy to develop key strategic commitments and action 'hot teams' to work on moving the commitments from paper to plan to results.

Alabama Innovation Assessment
Throughout 2006 NES led a robust initiative on behalf of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama to analyze the current condition of Alabama’s high-tech industries and to outline the opportunity for increased innovation in these industries. Key statewide targets of opportunity were then developed within the industries that would represent both a competitive advantage and a foundation for Alabama’s future growth. The development of the targets of opportunity took into account key statewide infrastructure, the drivers of statewide research and development activities, competitive knowledge and skill concentrations and fundamental enabling technologies throughout the state’s research and industry complex. Special focus was paid to nascent interdisciplinary research strengths present in the state such as Modeling and Simulation.