The Leader - September 2007 - (Page 132) ecoNomIc developmeNt perspectIves by staci dixon mario brossi locatIoN switzerland’s mario brossi declares economic development “virtually Intergalactic” Leader recently spoke with LOCATION Switzerland’s Senior Analyst Mario Brossi. LOCATION Switzerland’s Web site describes the agency as “a one-stop-shop for American companies seeking assistance for their expansion to Switzerland and Europe, and as a point of contact to the different Swiss regions.” “Working for a European country’s investment program in North America, by definition, means that we look at things from an international perspective,” Brossi explains. The agency, entirely funded by the Swiss government, maintains similar offices in Europe and Asia. “Clearly, the economic development profession and the process have become more global. I don’t want to sound too Star Trek-y,” he chuckles, “but, it’s become virtually intergalactic.” As competition for major investment has circled the globe, Brossi observes, economic development has professionalized and evolved into a multidisciplinary business. He is proud that his agency and others now offer corporations a pool of talent that includes lawyers, tax specialists, human resource managers, and logistics experts, each of whom play a pivotal role in the economic development process. “As much as we would all like to say that we’re responsible for every single mega project that lands in our respective region, or in my case, country, the reality of this business increasingly is that success has many makers,” Brossi says. “It’s very difficult in most instances for us to definitively establish that we are the ones that first make contact with a particular company.” During his decade-long tenure with LOCATION Switzerland, Brossi and his colleagues have responded to changes in the nature of North America’s direct foreign investment to Switzerland and the rest of Europe. Today’s investment is dominated by mergers and acquisitions, whereas before companies primarily sought greenfield investment opportunities. “Some of that still happens, but we’re starting to run out of green space,” he wryly comments. Brossi notes that the rise of mergers and acquisitions that meld businesses across the globe, the unbound nature of the Internet, and the popularity of cluster-based development all contribute to an impression of disappearing borders. At the same time, he hints, competition is growing fiercer for mega projects and development associated with household names – large corporations that he senses most countries would like to claim as “local citizens.” Economic developers more than ever before are meeting the challenges of such competition. As recently as five years ago, companies turned to in-house council or one of the Big 5 accounting firms for assistance; they now look to economic development agencies for up-to-the-minute, quality information. “As we become more and more professional through licensure, ongoing education and programs of lifelong learning, there is growing recognition amongst corporates of the value we bring to the decision-making process,” Brossi exclaims. Always on the go, he concedes, “Much of the hardworking effort that we all collectively had to do to advertise ourselves at the onset of a relationship has shifted and been made easier, in many respects, with the Internet.” However, personal contact still plays a critical role in economic development. When the competition heats, economic developers are put to th e le ade r 132 september / october 2007
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