Steering Business Toward Sustainability (UNU, 1995, 191 pages): Part three: Implementation: 10. Industrial clusters of the twenty-first century: Rethinking industrial policies

Steering Business Toward Sustainability (UNU, 1995, 191 pages)

Part three: Implementation

10. Industrial clusters of the twenty-first century

		(introduction...)
		Zero defects, zero inventory, zero emissions
		Front-end solutions versus end-of-the-pipe solutions
		Economies of scale
		Will Japan embrace the zero concept?
		The new clusters
		Recycling of ink and paper
		Forestry, perfumes, and preservatives
		Sugar, cleansing materials, water softeners and compostable plastics
		Beer, salmon, and cattle
		More to come
		Rethinking industrial policies
		Cuffing government costs
		Revitalizing the inner cities
		The case of China
		The role of the United Nations University
		Conclusion

Rethinking industrial policies

Government at local and regional levels around the world is under great pressure to create new jobs. The high level of unemployment on one hand and the dramatic numbers of young graduates seeking jobs puts a tremendous pressure on the policy makers. They have to find ways to stimulate economic activity.

The emergence of the new industrial clusters described here will offer cities, regions, and countries which see this opportunity an edge in mobilizing investments. The infrastructural needs can be tailored to the new industrial clusters and campaigns to attract specific com panics can be oriented towards this new vision. It will render the industrial partners more competitive and the overall scheme less costly.