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Action Southwest Southwest Regional Economic & Business Development Project- Overview It was suggested at the Research Review Panel that the community needed to address the business community's fragmentation on issues concerning the development of Swift Current. For instance, whether to recruit new business and, if so, what kind? More business-to-business dialogue on these issues was needed and more facilitated dialogue across the community as well. Swift Current could find it more difficult to move forward successfully without creating some consensus on these issues. It was recognized that economic and business development of the city is closely related to effective partnerships with the RMs, towns and villages in the region. The city may not be able to house particular agricultural projects; however they are closely related to the development and maintenance of the projects that takes place in the region. The Result- Action Southwest Action Southwest is a partnership strategy whose mission is to grow a greater Southwest Saskatchewan. This rural initiative has brought together business, government, education, crowns, and citizen champions to look at our regional economy and develop a plan for future growth and prosperity. The Action Southwest initiative was launched in October 2004 and since has grown to an active organization. Initially, over 120 community stakeholders gathered and identified four main areas to work within in the region. These included Tourism, Agribusiness, Manufacturing, and Energy. Through a process of 20 roundtable discussions strategies and flagship initiatives were developed for each sector and compiled into one living document Engaging Industry Innovation Final Report. The report offered direction for the group and soon a project manager was hired to oversee the organization. Sandra Blyth; an area consultant was hired to undertake the project. To achieve the vision of Action Southwest and engage the region to implement many of the flagship initiatives will require focusing on the 4 pillars of strength to building community capacity, business development and a prosperous economy. These include: 1. Developing an united Regional Economy 2. Building Competitive Advantages 3. Fostering a culture of Entrepreneurship and Innovation 4. Establishing new Regional Governance and Leadership To date, several projects have been successfully implemented and the group continues to work towards a prosperous sustainable economic future for the region. For more information on the Action Southwest Initiative please visit their website at http://www.actionsouthwest.com
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