Thesis
Missed opportunities for cluster based economic development in Washington State's apparel and textile business
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2007
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/100611
Abstract
Since the late 1990s, economic development agencies in postindustrial economies sought to improve their competitive advantage in world markets by applying the principles of Cluster Based Economic Development (CBED). They established projects to strengthen relationships among public agencies, nonprofits, trade associations, unions, investors, universities and research institutions. CBED projects in apparel and textiles included fashion incubators, research laboratories, training for new technologies, skills certification and export programs. Washington State embraced CBED and established projects for key industries, such as electronics and aeronautics, through the community college system. The apparel and textiles business might also benefit if the State were to encourage stakeholders to work together on CBED projects. There have been times when groups of stakeholders in the apparel and textiles business have formed associations to resolve specific issues or gain advantage in specific markets. The only sustained period of broad-based collaboration was during the almost one hundred years when the University of Washington's Textile Sciences department received funding and directives from the state and worked closely with industry to train professionals and technicians. Since that program closed in the 1980s, individual apparel and textiles programs and business associations have attempted to continue the legacy of industry/education collaboration and might offer a starting point for CBED projects if Washington were to recognize apparel and textiles as a cluster and dedicate resources to it again.
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Details
- Title
- Missed opportunities for cluster based economic development in Washington State's apparel and textile business
- Creators
- Deborah Ann Vandermar
- Contributors
- Carol J. Salusso (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; Pullman, Wash. :
- Identifiers
- 99900525165101842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis