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YSU researcher’s study identifies emerging industries
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
A Youngs-town State University researcher has found 15 emerging industries in Mahoning and Trumbull counties and believes decision-makers need to create an environment to allow those industries to flourish.
Frank Akpadock, senior research associate and regional scientist in YSU’s Center for Urban and Regional Studies, completed a study, “The Mahoning Valley — Cluster Analysis of Current and Emerging Industries in the Region,” identifying 15 emerging industry clusters, 10 in Mahoning County and five in Trumbull.
He said government and businesses need to create a positive business environment to foster growth of the industries. That includes financial institutions that make it easy to borrow money, local taxes that don’t discourage businesses and financial incentives such as tax abatements.
An industry cluster is a concentration of “interconnected industries or firms in the same or similar industries where they form complementary and interdependent networks of supplies, service providers and institutions with the capacity of competitiveness and innovations,” the study says.
A cluster is believed to increase companies’ productivity.
An emerging cluster is one that is not specialized but is becoming increasingly so. They have the potential for growth and expansion where they’re located.
In Mahoning County, they are advanced materials, apparel and textiles; arts, entertainment and visitor industries; business and financial services; chemical and chemical-based products; defense and security; education and knowledge creation; energy (fossil and renewable); forest and work products; and printing and publishing.
Biomedical/biotechnical and manufacturing were identified as star clusters or those that are specialized and becoming increasingly specialized.
For Trumbull, the study identifies chemical and chemical-based products, defense and security, education and knowledge creation, energy and machinery manufacturing.
Trumbull has the same two star clusters as well as transportation equipment manufacturing.
Akpadock penned the 2012 book, “City in Transition,” about how Youngstown’s leaders worked to move the city from the steel industry’s collapse to economic resurgence. A native of Nigeria, Akpadock arrived at YSU in 1990 after earning his doctorate at Texas A&M University.
One of his first endeavors was a study of what was then the Youngstown Municipal Airport. His study determined that the airport, now the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, contributed revenue to the region.
The study was a collaboration between the city and YSU, Akpadock said.
“That collaboration continues and it has to continue,” he said. “When the city grows, the university will grow and when the university starts to grow, the city will start to grow.”