| Strategic Economic Initiatives
The Inter-American Trade Initiative
Economic development without borders
To promote prosperity throughout the Americas and to open new markets for Arizona products, the Office of Economic Development is leading the Inter-American Initiative, a joint strategic initiative of the Governor of Arizona and the Arizona-Mexico Commission.
The comprehensive program facilitates high technology development in Guadalajara and Jalisco, Mexico, and Santiago, Chile. Through the initiative, the University is guiding the development of research parks in Mexico, developing new markets for Arizona products in Chile, and working to increase the share of Latin American produce that enters the U.S. through the Nogales port of entry. For more information please visit the Arizona-Mexico Commission.
Arizona Bioscience Park
The University’s new bioscience park will provide a separate facility designed especially for companies working in biosciences, biotechnology, life sciences and pharmaceuticals. Its sophisticated, high technology biosciences facilities will be integrated into a multi-use development, including a hotel and conference center, retail and residential development.
Policy Development
Metropolitan Tucson Land Use Study (MTLUS)
Monitoring and analyzing real estate activity
Summary Presentations
Initiated in 1969, the Metropolitan Tucson Land Use Study (MTLUS) is sponsored by the Pima County Real Estate Research Council, Inc. MTLUS reports are authoritative and comprehensive studies of real estate activity in the Tucson metropolitan area, including eastern Pima County and southern Pinal County.
Findings of the study are presented in quarterly reports, released in February, May, August, and November of each year. Each report contains both current and historical data for residential, office, industrial and shopping center land uses.
Arizona Town Hall
Reports
Factual foundation for public policy debate
The University of Arizona has been a leading supporter of the Arizona Town Hall since its inception. The University's role is to prepare background monographs for selected Arizona Town Halls. These reports serve as a factual foundation for the Town Hall debates.
The Office of Economic Development assembles a team of experts from across the University to write background reports. In recent years, for example, contributors have come from the School of Family and Consumer Resources, Water Resources Research Center, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, Drachman Institute for Land and Regional Development Studies as well as OED.
The background reports serve as essential primers on Arizona issues, including recent policy discussions on aging, water management, growth and environmental preservation, youth at risk, and free trade in North America.
Tucson Regional Town Hall
Background Report prepared for Town Hall on May 6-9, 2007.
Internships
The Office of Economic Development manages a formal intern program to mentor students with a desire to apply skills learned in the classroom. The formal program includes an orientation, assigned mentor and final presentation. Students who work as interns are provided projects that are real and applicable to the current work being conducted in the office.
Past projects have included working with start-up companies in the Arizona Center for Innovation, developing marketing plans, doing research for reports, and developing and organizing international trade and economic development trips. Most internships are unpaid, but can receive class credit. Students are required to commit to at least ten hours a week. |