The Greater Phoenix Economic Council today announced the region has been selected as one of eight metro areas in the country to join a new exchange network created by the Global Cities Initiative, a joint project of Brookings and JPMorgan Chase. The Exchange is a network of metropolitan areas committed to promoting greater global trade and economic competitiveness. As part of the inaugural Exchange, Greater Phoenix will be required to design and implement a regional export plan in 2014.
In Greater Phoenix, the Global Cities Initiative will be led by City of Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and a core leadership team including the following representatives:
- Joe Stewart, market manager – AZ & NV Middle Market, Chase
- Dennis Hoffman, professor and director, L. William Seidman Research Institute at the
- W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University
- Barry Broome, president and CEO Greater Phoenix Economic Council
“A strong trade and export strategy is critical to our region’s economic vitality, so I’m honored to lead this initiative for Greater Phoenix,” Mayor Stanton said. “I look forward to working with my fellow mayors and business and community leaders to build a regional export plan that capitalizes on our unique assets and advances a stronger and healthier economic platform by expanding our global trade and investment strategies.”
Other participating groups include the Arizona Export District Council, Canada-Arizona Business Council, Intel and the Arizona Commerce Authority.
Brookings selected metropolitan areas to join the network after an extensive application process that evaluated regions’ readiness and capability to pursue the Exchange’s curriculum and commitment to fulfill its goals. Greater Phoenix joins Atlanta; Greenville, S.C.; Indianapolis; Jacksonville, Fla.; Milwaukee; Phoenix; Sacramento, Calif.; and Wichita, Kan., in the Exchange’s inaugural class, which will work together over the next four years to establish new metro-to-metro relationships and to share best practices in global economic development.
“For the Exchange, we selected metro areas that are committed to expanding their global economic reach by working together to identify regional competitive strengths and increase exports,” said Brad McDearman, Brookings fellow. “The eight metro areas selected for this round represent a growing group of U.S. metro areas that understand the need to embrace the global market to remain competitive in the 21st century economy.”
Over time, the network will expand to include additional U.S. and international cities working together to strengthen their local economies through increased engagement with the rest of the world. This builds on the Global Cities Initiative’s work, which equips metropolitan leaders with the information, policy ideas, and global connections they need to bolster their regions’ positions in the global economy.
“I’m delighted Greater Phoenix will be a part of this new network – it’s exactly the kind of innovative planning that is needed to ensure our community’s long-term economic success,” said Joe Stewart, market manager – AZ & NV Middle Market, Chase. “We have a long history of helping businesses connect to global markets and now the Exchange brings additional resources to help our region’s leaders design strategies to further create jobs and grow our economy through greater global engagement.”
The Global Cities Initiative supports the region’s existing efforts to implement the Brookings Metropolitan Business Plan (MBP), where business, university, political and civic leaders have adopted several core strategies to leverage the region’s assets in a way that secures economic strength for Greater Phoenix through the 21st century. The Global Cities Initiative will serve to fulfill the MBP’s global export and foreign direct investment strategy. Further details about the MBP will be announced in early 2014.
“It’s fantastic that Greater Phoenix is participating in this initiative – a reflection of our unified commitment to attract and retain export-based businesses that are ultimately responsible for regional economic growth and prosperity,” said Dennis Hoffman, professor and director, L. William Seidman Research Institute at the W. P. Carey School of Business at ASU. “A strong research university is an important attractor for businesses seeking talent and knowledge capital that can help them succeed in global markets, and I am pleased to represent ASU in this initiative.”
Metro area leaders play a critical role in promoting trade and developing infrastructure. Regional economic development leaders representing both the public and private sectors can help local firms access new markets and align existing export services because they know their regions best. These leaders are also best equipped to coordinate regional assets—such as skills training, innovation capacities, and freight and logistics—to better support global trade.
“In Greater Phoenix, we are already making exports and foreign direct investment a central and consistent part of our broader regional economic development strategy. Adding this partnership with the Global Cities Initiative will only strengthen our results,” said Barry Broome, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “I look forward to the collaboration involved – not only within our own regional leadership but also with the other participating metro areas – to advance and diversify our region’s economy and solidify our future prosperity.”
In December, the Greater Phoenix Exchange team will join those of the other accepted metropolitan areas at Brookings in Washington to participate in their first working group session, where they will learn how to develop an export plan as part of a global economic development strategy. Throughout the four-year Exchange, participating metros will periodically convene for in-person working groups and will continually engage in curriculum via conference calls and webinars.
Coinciding with the work of the Exchange, Greater Phoenix will host a forum in 2014, bringing together regional and national experts on trade. Greater Phoenix is the only metro participating in the Global Cities Initiative to host such a forum. Its proximity to Mexico and trade relationships position the region as the ideal host of a conversation on global trade and exports.
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