ABSTRACT
This chapter describes recent growth performance in the region, and outlines the strategies of the Upper Spencer Gulf (USG) Common Purpose Group. It provides a discussion of various approaches to competitiveness strategy. The chapter proceeds to a description of the processes used for development of Global Maintenance USG and gives some early results and some speculation on future directions. It discusses developing collaboration in naturally occurring clusters as a tool for the development of competitiveness in regions. Many regional communities of Australia have earned their living by marketing mineral ores and wool, and their hospitality and understanding of the cultural and land endowments of their region. The chapter describes four levels of competitiveness development strategies including top down institutional collaboration; economy wide industry cluster development; sector specific cluster development; and market determined competitiveness. The chapter concludes that it is possible for communities in single industry regions to collaborate and build a sustainable competitive advantage in global markets.
