akland’s economy has received a significant boost from a unique partnership between the City of Oakland, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Peralta Community College District, UC Berkeley and many other public agencies, organizations and local companies. Spearheaded by Mayor Ron Dellums, the Oakland Partnership is centered on creating a thriving, innovative, and competitive regional economy that creates 10,000 new jobs in Oakland by 2012.

     In the two years since its inception in May 2007, the Oakland Partnership has completed more than half of the initiatives it launched to grow specific industry sectors and add jobs in the area. In fact, by October 2008 Oakland had seen a five percent increase in employment in these specific sectors—an increase of 9,336 jobs over an 18-month period. During the same period, employment had increased by a mere one percent in the nine-county Bay Area economy with no growth posted in Alameda County as a whole. Oakland’s phenomenal growth during that period made up for significant losses in the south county and helped moderate broader regional job losses in the East Bay economy since last October.

     Key industry sectors identified by the Oakland Partnership to drive the City’s economy include 1) green technology, 2) healthcare and life sciences, 3) international trade and logistics and 4) art, design and digital media. Cluster groups representing sector stakeholders have developed strategies to attract more emerging businesses in each of the sectors. By locating or “clustering” suppliers, providers and support institutions for each sector in close proximity, the related businesses can increase overall productivity, accelerate innovation and stimulate new business formation.

     In this issue of Opportunities, we’ll take a look at one of the targeted sectors, green technology. The Green Technology Cluster Group, which grew out of the Oakland Partnership, has achieved great momentum thanks to Oakland’s existing strengths: proximity to venture capital and a skilled workforce, training programs for green workforce development already in progress, many existing green industry companies, progressive energy policies and research emanating from local universities and research facilities.

     The institutions and companies which comprise the Green Technology Cluster Group are working to identify opportunities and overcome obstacles to growing green and clean technology businesses in Oakland and the area. Cluster group members include the University of California, Berkeley; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a host of emerging green industry companies including: Amyris Biotechnologies; Borrego Solar; Blue Sky Bio-fuels; BrightSource Energy (see page 3); EarthSource Forest Products; Greener World Media (see page 3); KEMA Green; Sun, Light & Power; Taylor Engineering; Touchstone Environmental; VBN Architects and other environmental engineering, geotechnical, design and consulting firms.

     One exciting outgrowth of the Green Technology Cluster’s work is the regional East Bay Green Corridor which brings together mayors from eight East Bay cities as well as local educational and research institutions. Based on a model similar to the Oakland Partnership, these entities are working together to ensure that the East Bay capitalizes on its strengths to entice green and clean technologies companies to the area. Read more about the Green Corridor on page 3.

     The unprecedented collaboration resulting from the Oakland Partnership and its initiatives positions the City and the region for significant gains in green technology—and the other targeted industry sectors—in the months and years ahead. To get involved or for more information, contact Karen Engel, Director of Economic Development at the Oakland Chamber (kengel@oaklandchamber.com) or Walter Cohen, Director of the City’s Community & Economic Development Agency (wcohen@oaklandnet.com).