Research was conducted by Innovation Insight on behalf of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC). Its purpose was to establish an objective, comprehensive framework for benchmarking the region’s industry clusters.

The first part of the research compared overall measures of growth, competitiveness, and innovation for the region as a whole. Where available, 5-year trend information was collected for demographics and labor force, employment, occupations, patent awards, federal procurement, and federal research and development awards.

The second part provided multiple measures of industry cluster competitiveness. Industry cluster analysis can be distinguished from other economic research methods by an emphasis on competitiveness, productivity, relationships among mutually dependent industries and resources, and a conceptualization of business sectors that better matches how private sector leaders actually think about their industries.

This research utilized an academically recognized cluster benchmarking system established to measure and compare industries in the metro Orlando region. This system defi nes industry clusters based upon similar “value chains”, which are the buy-sell relationships critical for the production of each industry’s product or service. This report provides measurements for these clusters on several key indicators of employment, growth, and economic activity. Combining these measures, several key industry clusters have been identifi ed for their competitiveness, growth, and potential value to the region’s economy.

The research also developed a novel approach to combining the benchmark clusters with US industry input-output data, hierarchical clustering statistics, and network graphing tools to map how closely the various benchmark clusters were connected to each other, and to generate empirical supply-chain (vendor-buyer relationships) maps within each cluster.
Knowledge of these clusters may help guide economic development efforts, and help match public policy with the region’s best sources for desirable employment and economic growth.