(1) New approaches are needed to plan the way economic development takes place in the manufacturing sectors of this state. The concept of manufacturing business ecosystems has become relevant as the focus of economic development in manufacturing sectors extends to regional economic communities of interacting organizations and individuals who produce and consume goods and services in a specified region. Such manufacturing business ecosystems include suppliers, lead producers, competitors, investors, consumers and other stakeholders.

(2) Over time, manufacturing business ecosystems evolve as members share capabilities and resources and align objectives. Such manufacturing business ecosystems enable regions of similar focus and interests to share visions, align investments and provide mutually supportive roles that benefit the entire region, resulting in job creation and maintenance, leverage of advantages and opportunities, coordination of research and commercialization, acceleration of new technologies across manufacturing industries, growth of small- and medium-sized businesses, collaborative development of public infrastructure and increased access to capital.

(3) Providing legislative support to the efforts of manufacturing business ecosystems and designating an entity to unify efforts, provide oversight and leverage regional resources and strengths, are appropriate and innovative means of moving forward with manufacturing economic development in Oregon.

(4) There has been extensive progress toward creating a manufacturing business ecosystem, called the Pacific Northwest Manufacturing Partnership, in the southwest part of the State of Washington and the geographic region located within the Willamette Valley and the Columbia River corridor in Oregon. The partnership was formed in response to a federal initiative known as the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership program in the United States Economic Development Administration which aims to accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing in the United States. The federal initiative seeks to encourage communities to develop comprehensive economic development strategies and best practices that will strengthen the communities’ competitive edge for attracting global manufacturer and supply chain investments. The partnership will make application to the federal initiative program for a federal designation as a manufacturing community in accordance with the program requirements and geographical limitations. The partnership is an example of the type of business ecosystem that this state should encourage and support, and may serve as a model for future partnerships for manufacturing economic development in other regions of this state and the Pacific Northwest. [2015 c.22 §1]