ETG was hired by the Government of Suriname and Inter-American Development Bank to support the implementation of the Pilot Program—Innovation for Firms in Suriname (IFS)—to support innovation and development of local firms in Suriname by strengthening their integration into value chains and clusters and their linkages with firms and buyers and among themselves. The program is oriented to improve local firms’ productivity, competitiveness and innovation, and ETG developed a “buyer-led” approach. ETG worked with the IFS team to develop practical operating procedures for the IFS, identify and support best candidate local firm and operational clusters to supported by the program, and assist selected firms (in clusters) to develop specific innovations to increase sales and exports, and have positive impact on other SMEs in the value chain. The focus is on supporting firms, which can demonstrate “quick wins”, and lead the way in establishing early success of the program. ETG provided “hands on training” to the IFS task manager, CUS staff, and relevant public and private stakeholders. ETG supported ten companies to formulate their enterprise development plans to achieve increased sales and exports and will have positive economic impact on other firms in the value chain. This focus on lead firms is to achieve “quick win” results of the IFS program, within the already identified value chains with sales and export potential (e.g., value added agribusiness, mining, ICT, forest products, non-timber forest products). Funding from the Government of Suriname and the Inter-American Development Bank, 2016-2017.

ETG, in association with Agrifood Consulting International, co-led a team of world experts in agribusiness, clustering, and incubators, to assess best-practices internationally in agribusiness incubation and developed a training program for Agribusiness incubation emphasizing whole value chain development and sustainability. The project team identified the twelve best agribusiness incubators in the developing world—ranging from the Fundacion Chile to TechnoServe-Mozambique to Villgro in India—and based on first-hand case studies of the approaches, histories, and lessons learned, prepared an assessment of the state-of-the-art in agribusiness incubation. ETG/ACI also prepared an extensive training program for agribusiness incubator managers and developers, and delivered the training at a world gathering of incubator managers in Helsinki, Finland in 2011. The assessment report and training materials are available at www.infodev.org/en/publication.1095.html. Project sponsored by infoDev/World Bank, 2010-2011.

The Government of Ecuador and the IDB hired ETG to enhance the economic competitiveness of the southern region of Ecuador, the provinces of Loja, Zamora, and Oro and develop four clusters in the southern region: tourism, coffee, software and creative industries, and eco-services and biodiversity. ETG worked closely with the Provincial Government of Loja to create cluster groups and their business, government and academic leaders to develop these cluster strategy and action plans. In this project “Loja in Action”, ETG adapted its “fast-track” clustering approach and created lasting results within 6 months, launching four new clusters and supporting the development of more than 42 business plans and action initiatives, with co-financing of initiatives by the private sector, regional governments, national government agencies, and the support of the Inter-American Development Bank.

In a contract for Chile’s lead economic development agency, CORFO, ETG staff worked with Dalberg Global Development Advisors to implement Chile’s new strategy to support economic development at the regional level. The team implemented ETG’s “fast-track” clustering approach to demonstrate to Chile’s regional development agency staff how to launch clusters and support local business entrepreneurs to develop and implement action initiatives. During the first eight months of 2008, nine new clusters were launched and more than 250 action initiatives were developed, with co-financing of initiatives by the private sector, regional governments, national government agencies, and the support of the Inter-American Development Bank. By 2010, a total of 25 clusters were underway and engaged in the implementation of more than 150 action initiatives.

ETG supported the development of nine clusters in the Province of Mendoza, Argentina with funding support from the Inter-American Development Bank. ETG led a consortium of four companies in launching Argentina’s first cluster-based economic development program. The project team undertook cluster mapping and analysis, and process design and implementation to accelerate development of nine industrial clusters, including two tourism clusters (adventure and rural tourism), four agricultural clusters, and three industry and services clusters.

In 2002, the new governor of the state of Tabasco (in Southeast Mexico) hired the Economic Transformations Group to revitalize the state’s economy using an action-oriented, cluster-based approach. The clustering process was launched in early 2002 with the formation of eight clusters, and the involvement of more than 600 business leaders throughout Tabasco. At the end of the first year, more than 60 action initiatives were in implementation. The project, Tabasco in Action, created a specific fund to support early stage initiative development (e.g., feasibility studies and benchmarking trips). The fund required co-participation by the initiative leaders and private sector in all initiative financing. The Fund has been very successful in converting initiatives from good ideas on paper to executable business plans and joint projects, to early stage implementation and financing. By 2004, more than 42 project have received funding, totally $1.1 million. The estimated investment potential is more than $80 million and generating 4,170 jobs. The results of the leadership and clustering process of Tabasco in Action have resulted in the formation of dozens of new companies, new jobs in aquaculture, light industry, agricultural processing, a reorientation of cacao production to organic markets, and the beginning of a whole new mindset shift from ”the government has to solve our problems” to ”we can do it!”.

At the invitation of the Government of South Africa, private sector, and in collaboration with the World Bank, ETG professionals were invited by the Government of South Africa to carry out cluster leadership training and facilitation workshops, in South Africa during 1997. We met with more than 300 South African business, government and union leaders to carry out cluster-specific workshops and leadership training. We have established an on-going relationship to work with the SA government in implementing their cluster program.