Background

Local authorities across the Hemisphere are all looking at ways to accelerate economic development, taking advantage of expanding free trade, and focusing on high added value economic activities. In this context, the formation of "knowledge hubs" around academic institutions including corporations seeking talents or cooperative applied research programs, incubators nurturing start-up companies, real estate developers, financing institutions and public/private research partnerships, is of high interest to local policy makers and elected officials.

Organized in the context of the 2005 SUMAQ Summit, the proposed CIFAL program aims at sharing best practices and success stories among participating local authorities. It will seek to identify, with input of the private sector and academia the key elements of successful strategies to foster the creation of knowledge hubs, and to develop CIFAL’s best practices agendas for future sessions.