1. CAMERON COUNTY/MATAMOROS AT THE CROSSROADS ASSETS AND CHALLENGES FOR ACCELERATED REGIONAL & BINATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2. Topics Cameron County, Texas and Matamoros, Tamps. Region. Cameron County, Texas and Matamoros, Tamps. Region. Report purpose Report purpose Region challenges and opportunities Region challenges and opportunities Region Community knowledge survey Region Community knowledge survey Education and Training, Manufacturing and Maquiladoras, Transportation and Logistic services, Health Services and Life Sciences, Community Networks and Information Technology Education and Training, Manufacturing and Maquiladoras, Transportation and Logistic services, Health Services and Life Sciences, Community Networks and Information Technology What is next: How to develop identified industrial clusters? (Leading, supporting, and infrastructure) What is next: How to develop identified industrial clusters? (Leading, supporting, and infrastructure)

4. Cameron County/ Matamoros Region US-Mexico Border regions can evolve from simple border crossing marketing operations such as transportation, storing, sorting, packaging and retail selling to developing of high tech industrial clusters via integration of independent manufacturing and services operations. US-Mexico Border regions can evolve from simple border crossing marketing operations such as transportation, storing, sorting, packaging and retail selling to developing of high tech industrial clusters via integration of independent manufacturing and services operations. This report provides select quantitative and qualitative data on Cameron County,U.S. and Matamoros, Mexico, to assess assets and challenges to help identify such a potential clusters to accelerate regional and binational development.

5. 41% 38%

6. Regional Challenges Matamoros 1 1 1 220 1 N/AN/A

9. Cameron County : Challenges and Assets by Economic Activity Fast regional growth in a quickly growing national sector Slow regional growth in a quickly growing national sector Fast regional sector growth in a nationally declining or lagging sector. Slow regional growth in a nationally declining or lagging sector.

10. Matamoros: Challenges and Assets by Economic Activity Fast regional growth in a quickly growing national sector Fast regional sector growth in a nationally declining or lagging sector. Slow regional growth in a nationally declining or lagging sector. Slow regional growth in a quickly growing national sector

11. Knowledge based survey Asses community leaders knowledge concerning job creation, economic development, and wealth creation in Cameron County and Matamoros in the next five-to-ten years as follows: The importance of regional industries: Established and emerging The importance and effectiveness of regional economic development factors The importance and effectiveness of regional economic development strategies

16. The importance of each FACTOR for economic development Cameron County Ranking 1. Quality of K-12 education 2. Quality of college & university education 3. Affordable & available water supplies 4. Quality of technical & vocational education 5. Skill of entry-level workforce 6. Utilities 7. Skill of managerial & professional workers 8. Affordable & Available Energy 9. Telecommunications Matamoros Ranking 1. Quality of college & university education 2. Affordable & available energy 3. Quality of K-12 education 4. Affordable & available water supplies 5. Health Services 6. Quality of technical & vocational education 7. Tax Incentives 8. Skill of entry-level workforce 9. Industrial Parks

17. EFFECTIVENESS of each FACTOR in your community as of TODAY.

27. What is next? Having identified and evaluated the industrial activities convenient for the region, a cluster development methodology is next. A deep analysis to determine the regional impact of different alternatives is needed given the limited resources and lack of both political support and community collaboration. Having identified and evaluated the industrial activities convenient for the region, a cluster development methodology is next. A deep analysis to determine the regional impact of different alternatives is needed given the limited resources and lack of both political support and community collaboration.