Berkshire Blueprint 2.0 – Five Year Benchmark
This 10-year strategic economic imperative aims to provide a scaffolding through which every individual, organization, business, and industry can play an integral part in the collective prosperity of the Berkshires going forward.
We are halfway through the Blueprint 2.0’s expected life; let’s see where we are, and navigate where to go next, together.
Read the report here.
On May 30, 2024, at the Berkshire Innovation Center, the community came together to release the Berkshire Blueprint 2.0 – Five Year Benchmark report.
During the event, 1Berkshire and partners shared updates, stories, emergent opportunities, and a vision for the collective ongoing work to achieve the goals set forth by the Berkshire Blueprint 2.0.
Watch the presentation here.
Blueprint 2.0
The Berkshire Blueprint 2.0 is the product of nearly 2 years of intensive research, interviews, and planning. This work, coordinated by 1Berkshire, aimed to develop and launch a strategic imperative with the goal of sustained economic development across the region.
Launching in February 2019, the Berkshire Blueprint 2.0 will utilize a cluster-based model to functionally address the needs, and help to track and benchmark intentional work, in 5 central industrial clusters. These clusters, each facilitated by a partner Hub, include Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering, Creative Economy, Food and Agriculture, Healthcare, and Hospitality and Tourism.
Along with a set of cross-cutting themes that impact everyone across the region, the Berkshire Blueprint 2.0 Advisory Board, Cluster Hub Leadership, and the team at 1Berkshire will continue to provide resources, implementation support, and benchmarking to activate the goals and objectives of the Blueprint over time. By design, this implementation model will allow for additional clusters, refreshed cross-cutting themes, and an agile approach to provide sustained and high impact economic development for the entirety of Berkshire County.
Industry Clusters
This cluster brings in over $900,000,000 of Gross Regional Product and pays some of the highest average wages in the Berkshires. Find out about how this industry functions and what is next.
The creative economy is one of the fastest growing major industries in the Berkshires. From performing and visual arts, to the maker movement and microbreweries, learn more about the impact of the creative economy and how you can get involved.
A historic and driving economic force in the region, this cluster employs almost 9,000 and has seen nearly 10% job growth since 2010. Find out more about this industry, its current initiatives, and future opportunities to get involved.
With some of the highest job concentration in the county, and employing over 11,000 people, Heathcare is a significant industrial cluster in the Berkshires. Learn more about how this industry is critical to our regional economy.
The Berkshires are world renown for hospitality and tourism. Travelers from all over support our businesses, institutions, and workforce. Learn more about this critical industry to our regional economy and how you can get involved.
Blueprint 2.0 Funders
Questions
Email our Economic Development Team or call (413) 499-1600.