Industry Clusters on the Prairie: Economic Drivers in South Central Minnesota

This event convened leaders from industry, economic development, research, and transportation for a presentation and discussion of the economic and transportation impacts of Minnesota’s medical device industry. 

Tom Horan, visiting scholar with the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and dean of the School of Business at the University of Redlands, provided a keynote presentation on new research into the medical device industry cluster throughout Greater Minnesota The research builds on a series of studies that have mapped and analyzed Minnesota’s medical device industry cluster, exploring its economic impact and the vital role of transportation.

His presentation was followed by two panel discussions. One explored the implications of the research for Greater Minnesota, and the other focused on goods movement, supply chain, and economic impacts surrounding Horan’s research on industry clusters. 

Presenters, Panelists, and Moderators

• Thomas A. Horan, Ph.D, Dean of the School of Business, University of Redlands
• Rick Bauerly, Founder & CEO, Granite Partners
• Kristian Braekkan, Ph.D Economic Development Director, Region 9 Development Commission
• Nicole Griensewic, Executive Director, Region 9 Development Commission
• Andrew Andrusko, Freight Planning, MnDOT 
• Patrick Hessini, Senior Vice President, CHS
• Bob Kill, President and CEO, Enterprise Minnesota
• Frank Douma, Director of State & Local Policy and Outreach, Institute for Urban and Regional Infrastructure Finance, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota