“Determining Our Destiny” with Action Southwest
September 30, 2005
The Action Southwest Business Networks Coalition (ASBNC), initiated in November 2004, is a bottom-up, collaborative strategy with a mission to grow a greater Southwest Saskatchewan. This broad-based regional initiative is all about creating a united economy in the Southwest by beginning to think regionally. Thinking regionally and applying collaborative practice is the key to building regional advantages and achieving a sustainable and prosperous economy.
Over 120 leaders from across the region’s communities and industries agreed that it is time for a new way of thinking and acting and that together we can shape our regions next steps in development. As the development of this initiative has clearly shown the people of the Southwest care deeply about their region and are willing to move forward together. This initiative is intended to change how the people of the Southwest see their region and enable them to be forward thinking to make new investments and to work together to ensure that this region secures a dynamic, sustainable economy.
Industries of the Southwest are competing in an international market place that is characterized by increasing competition and technological change, the fragmentation of markets into more specialized niches, global competition within those niches, shrinking product life cycles, and growing customer demands for ever greater performance in quality, service, responsiveness and price. Firms that wish to survive must learn these new rules of the game and adapt accordingly.
The ASBNC vision is to make Southwest industry the benchmark of the world in terms of efficiency, innovation and market growth. It is clear that industry itself must take the lead in changing their operations, competing for market share and growing their business. However, this vision can only be accomplished if the Southwest itself becomes a world class business environment, a preferred location for business to locate, invest in, export from, employ and grow.
The opportunity to achieve this vision is now upon us, that is for suppliers, educational institutions, financial services, business development organizations along with all levels of government to take a strategic approach to policy making, be forward thinking in economic development, collaborate to leverage resources, and invest in necessary infrastructure and enterprise to further economic development and growth in the region.
On November 3rd, 2005, in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, the ASBNC will host a public regional dinner entitled “Determining Our Destiny”. This event will celebrate the completion of a strategy “Engaging Industry Innovation” which has a purpose to build a world class business environment aimed at retaining, attracting and encouraging investments in our capacity to create wealth. In addition, the evening will present an arrangement of speakers discussing provincial and regional
strategies currently in place and how these strategies are supported by the ASBNC alliance.
Funding partners for this project include: Western Economic Diversification Canada, International Trade Canada, Southwest Community Futures Development Corporation, Canada-Saskatchewan Career & Employment Services, Saskatchewan Rural Development, Cypress Hills Regional Economic Development Authority, Southwest Regional Economic Development Authority, Red
Coat Regional Economic Development Authority, Action Swift Current, Southwest TV News and South West Centre for Entrepreneurial Development.
For more information or to purchase tickets please contact the ASBNC Project Manager at 306-778-6445 or by email at manager.bnc@sasktel.net. To review the Engaging Industry Innovation Report visit www.actionsouthwest.com
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