Summer 2015 Border Tour: Conducting Industry Mapping focus groups along the U.S.- Mexico Border

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In June 2015, the NARP team, along with the Mexico Institute, toured the entire U.S.- Mexico border and conducted five focus groups for the U.S.-Mexico Border Industry Mapping initiative. Thanks to the generous support of USAID Mexico and the Council of State Governments West, the  U.S.-Mexico Border Industry Mapping initiative seeks to identify, map and analyze key industries that are highly concentrated, binational and dynamic operating within five binational sub-regions along the entire U.S.- Mexico border region.  The goal of these focus groups was to gain a more detailed understanding of regional supply chains, to discuss approaches to cluster-based economic development, and to develop steps that could be taken by local and federal actors to facilitate the further development of key industrial clusters.

The sessions were hosted by a variety of public-, private- and academic entities and featured a variety of stakeholders, including cluster representatives, chambers of commerce, city and county governments, mega regions, universities, U.S. and Mexican consulates, and economic development organizations. Approximately 200 stakeholders participated in the five focus groups.

Date Site Host
June 22, 2015 San Diego, California CaliBaja Mega Region
June 24, 2015 Tucson, Arizona Consulate of Mexico in Tucson
June 26, 2015 El Paso, Texas BorderPlex Alliance
June 29, 2015 Laredo, Texas Binational Center, Texas A&M International University
June 30, 2015 Brownsville, Texas United Brownsville

At each session, the research team presented findings from the initial quantitative research pertaining to the sub region and engaged local economic development experts and industry leaders to get their feedback. Please click on the following links to see presentations and pictures from each focus group:

Special thanks to our partners for hosting/sponsoring our focus groups, particularly the CaliBaja Mega Region, the Consulate of Mexico in Tucson, Pima Association of Governments, the BorderPlex Alliance, the Binational Center at Texas A&M International University, and United Brownsville.