May 24, 2021
The Greater Portland Economic Development District (GPEDD) updates the Comprehensive Economic
Development Strategy (CEDS) for the region every five years, but this update was different. A
cohesive economic strategy is more important now than ever. The CEDS planning process began in
January 2020, under the joint leadership of GPEDD and Metro, the metropolitan planning
organization (MPO) for the region. Early in the process, the nation faced shut-downs and significant
economic and social impacts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To best respond, the GPEDD
Board of Directors paused work on the CEDS and focused energies on economic recovery. That body
of work, The Greater Portland Economic Recovery Plan, helped inform and is embedded in the CEDS.
The GPEDD Board of Directors is committed to fostering upward economic mobility for individuals
and prosperity for businesses in the bi-state region. We have engaged in this comprehensive strategic
planning effort to focus the collective efforts of all economic development partners in the area to
establish regional goals, objectives, and to guide partner efforts. Over 250 regional partners
representing more than 100 organizations, jurisdictions and businesses were engaged during this 15-
month process to collaborate, create and refine the direction of this work. Together with our fellow
board members, advisors and stakeholders, we are proud to present the Greater Portland CEDS.
The Greater Portland CEDS seeks to unify the region around three core pillars: strong economic
growth, equity, and resilience. These pillars informed the CEDS framework and subsequent
recommendations.
The GPEDD Board is grateful for the Strategy Committee, which comprised leaders from the public
and private sectors, non-profit organizations, educational institutions and community organizations,
and for the dozens of advisors and focus group participants who contributed to this tremendous
body of work.
This strategy charts a bold new vision for the Greater Portland region, one with an equitable,
innovative, resilient, and forward-thinking economy that fosters upward economic mobility for
individuals and prosperity for businesses. The GPEDD board is committed to ensuring successful
implementation of the recommendations spanning from 2022 through 2027.
Effective implementation is dependent upon our collective momentum and coordinated efforts.
Join us!
Kimberly Branam, Chair
Prosper Portland
Jason Green, Vice Chair
CBRE
Mike Bomar, Secretary
Port of Vancouver USA
Maria Caballero Rubio, Treasurer
Centro Cultural
Monique Claiborne, Executive Director
GPI/GPEDD
Elissa Gertler, Planning & Development
Director
Metro
DRAFT for public review
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................... 2
How to use the CEDS ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Implementation ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
The Greater Portland Story ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Strategy Foundation ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
Strategy Framework ...................................................................................................................................................... 6
Values ........................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Guiding Principles ..................................................................................................................................................... 6
Roles of Public Sector and Private Sector ........................................................................................................... 7
Greater Portland Strategy for Equitable Growth: 2022-2027 ............................................................................. 8
1) Foster Upward Economic Mobility ............................................................................................................... 8
2) Support a Competitive Economy ................................................................................................................ 11
3) Build a Resilient Region................................................................................................................................. 13
Greater Portland Industry Clusters ...................................................................................................................... 15
Action Matrix ............................................................................................................................................................ 18
Evaluation Framework ............................................................................................................................................ 19
Appendix A – Action Matrix
Appendix B – Benchmark Data and Regions
Appendix C – Public Engagement Approach
Appendix D – Conditions Assessment
Appendix E – Transportation Projects
The Greater Portland Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) was developed under
the guidelines of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to engage community
leaders, leverage the involvement of private sector partners, and establish a blueprint for regional
collaboration. The Greater Portland region is defined as Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington
Counties in Oregon and Clark County in Washington
1
and represents the area of focus for the Greater
Portland Economic Development District (GPEDD).
The CEDS planning process began in January 2020, under the joint leadership of Greater Portland Inc
(GPI), the regional non-profit economic development organization, and Metro, the federally
mandated metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the region.
Early in the planning process, as the nation faced shut-downs and was beginning to reckon with the
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the GPEDD board decided to pause the CEDS work and focus on
a more immediate short-term Economic Recovery Plan. The Economic Recovery Plan was approved
by the GPEDD board in October 2020. The analyses and recommendations in the Economic Recovery
Plan align with this long-term CEDS and the actions are integrated with the recommended actions for
CEDS. GPI Staff will manage the implementation of both the Economic Recovery Plan and CEDS for
accountability and transparent reporting of outcomes.
The strategy is based on data analyses coupled with numerous interviews and discussions with
business leaders and organizations providing economic development services. The Conditions
Assessment, a summary of the benchmarking and industry cluster assessment and stakeholder
1
The Greater Portland CEDS focuses on the four identified counties. The Portland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is
comprised of seven counties, which includes the four CEDS counties and Columbia and Yamhill counties in Oregon and
Skamania county in Washington.
engagement, is the foundation for the CEDS strategy (Appendix D). A detailed summary of all
participating stakeholders is provided in Appendix C.
This document is aimed at regional, city and county economic development practitioners, business
leaders, elected officials and stakeholders implementing programs that support the growth of
businesses and enhance opportunities for individuals to access economic mobility in the Greater
Portland region. However, the goal of CEDS is to advance equitable job and wealth creation across
the region. This requires alignment and implementation of actions across government agencies and
organizations. It provides strategic direction to guide actions that will evolve over the next five years
to meet dynamic economic and business conditions. The strategy is constant; the actions and
organizations involved in implementation will change over time.
The Greater Portland CEDS is founded on the vision that the future Greater Portland economy will be
forward-thinking and equitable. The vision needs broad support and this document should be used
to engage (1) elected officials and (2) business leaders, to secure their help in amplifying the vision
and providing support through their actions.
The strategy should also be used to leverage greater investment in the region by providing data and
rationale that can be used to (1) obtain grants to fund implementation; and (2) align federal and
states’ legislative agendas to collaboratively solicit funding to support strategic projects.
Many organizations are actively working to create equitable economic growth across the region. It is
important to collaborate to maximize collective efforts by:
● Coordinating with GPI to let them know about each organization’s work so it can be
leveraged across the region.
● Engaging other organizations or departments within a jurisdiction to break down silos and
leverage resources to the greatest extent possible and elevate one another’s work.
To guide implementation, GPI and Metro staff will convene lead and partner organizations identified
in the action matrix to advance the strategy. To ensure equitable implementation, the GPEDD board
will invite leaders from BIPOC communities to convene to track, evaluate, and recommend
modifications as the work progresses to ensure the values stated below are deliberately reflected in all
of our work. The GPEDD board will provide direction and oversight in the CEDS implementation.
Greater Portland is home to companies that operate on a global scale such as Nike, Intel and Boeing.
The region excels at creating, making and exporting innovation, ideas and products that generated an
increased value of export growth of 22 percent between 2013-2018. International companies such as
Adidas and Daimler have located their North American headquarters in Greater Portland, advancing
the region’s global position. Operating on a worldwide scale, companies such as HP and SEH must vie
with foreign company locations in Japan and South Korea for talent and efficiencies. Developing a
skilled workforce and building efficient infrastructure, both physical and digital, are critical elements to
retain the regional competitive advantage on a global stage.
Companies in this region are purpose-driven. The philosophy of the region is to advance equitable
economic growth and manage growth challenges: housing affordability, income inequality, traffic
congestion and others. The region wants to create jobs and grow enterprises that help to advance its
goal of ensuring a more resilient and equitable economy.
The regional community and retail markets embrace new and local products. Such products are a
vital ingredient to a fast-growing food and beverage industry that is a defining element of the
regional brand. The industry values commitments with rural growers that develop personal
relationships and encourage innovation. Mutual support and collaboration foster the success of
numerous regional brands, such as Bob’s Red Mill, Dave’s Killer Bread, and Aviation Gin.
For the Portland region to compete globally for talent and investment, it must be diverse. The region
is a predominantly white population (8 in 10 residents, or 81.2 percent are white), but public and
private leaders are committed to shifting this trend. Its Black population grew 4.3 percent since 2013
to more than 72,000 residents and is better integrated than 11 of its 13 peer regions such as Seattle,
Denver, San Francisco and others. The region is less segregated geographically relative to peer
regions though it continues to face significant displacement of communities of color from more
centralized, less affordable parts of the region. The Portland region has better income equality
compared to 12 of its 13 peers, which sets a solid foundation for increased diversity.
The State of Oregon’s strengthening of land use laws and the establishment of an urban growth
boundary in the 1970s to protect farmland and natural areas defines the region’s genuine and
authentic commitment to environmental protection and ensuring the highest and best use for
commercial development. The region’s investment in light-rail over freeways during that same time
kept the region from sprawling like many of its peers. This same land use planning philosophy was
adopted by the State of Washington in 1990 through the Growth Management Act. With pride in a
thriving quality of place, Greater Portland is one of the most desirable regions for talent to move and
stay. With a culture of regional collaboration and organizations that manage transit and the growth
boundary, there is a strong foundation to maintain the value of intentional growth that will help the
region respond to climate change and other impacts yet to be realized by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CEDS articulates a commonly defined purpose, vision, and strategy to move the region in a
unified direction. Recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the economy for years to
come, this CEDS focuses on long-term strategies for equitable and resilient economic growth. We
have defined three core pillars of the strategy as follows:
Strong Economic Growth - A regional economy with increasing Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
over time and at higher rates than peers. An economy that is globally connected, driven by
emerging technologies, diversified and adaptable, and welcoming to highly skilled entrepreneurial
labor, and scalable firms.
Equity – An economic system that ensures under-represented and under-served people have the
same level of access to the economy and wealth creation as all other residents.
Resilience – An enduring economic structure that fosters the capacity of individuals,
communities, institutions, businesses, and systems within a city to survive, adapt, and grow, no
matter what kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience.
2
This foundation is reflected in the following vision for the region in 20 years.
The Greater Portland region is an equitable,
innovative, resilient, and forward-thinking
economy that fosters upward economic
mobility for individuals and prosperity for
businesses.
2
100 Resilient Cities
The CEDS Strategy Committee developed a set of Values and Guiding Principles that shaped goals,
objectives and actions that were refined and approved by the GPEDD board. This framework will
guide regional efforts for the next 5-10 years. This framework clearly articulates the desired outcomes
of the strategy and its development.
The Values guide desired economic development outcomes. The Greater Portland region values:
Equitable Economic Growth that improves economic mobility, builds wealth, and provides
enhanced opportunities to BIPOC, under-represented, and under-resourced individuals.
Comprehensive Skills Development that is provided within the region from early childhood
through higher-ed, including vocational and post-secondary, to improve upward mobility.
Innovation and Creativity for a competitive, dynamic and healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem that
supports new and existing businesses.
A Sustainable Environment that assertively addresses climate change, fosters new technologies, and
improves public well-being.
Resilient Regional Investments to build new, and enhance existing social and physical infrastructure
to handle economic and natural disasters.
Creating a Favorable Environment for Businesses to Thrive with a supportive public policy and
culture that retains and attracts new business.
Expanding Job Opportunities in Both Traded and Local Sectors for all Portland region residents
to pursue career opportunities that build wealth.
Guiding Principles shape the development of CEDS. The following factors were considered
throughout the strategy development process.
A Cultural and Racial Equity Lens will ground all objectives and actions to actively respond to the
increasing income inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic.
The Private Sector will be Actively Engaged to effectively implement objectives in collaboration
with public and nonprofit sectors.
Clear and Transparent Roles and Lead Organizations are identified to efficiently implement the
plan.
Collaborative Bi-state Leadership that recognizes and values different community assets (e.g.,
urban and rural) and will actively promote and invest in the CEDS and implementation efforts.
Wealth creation and economic mobility is derived from access to incomes generated by jobs and
equity through business creation, home ownership and investments. All of these opportunities to
generate wealth are derived from the private market and reinforced by the public sector investing in
infrastructure and land availability, maintaining community health and safety, providing sound
governance, fostering an education and workforce system to build talent, and by addressing gaps in
the private market regarding capital and technical assistance. The public sector has a key role in
working with the private sector to ensure businesses can sustainably grow and entrepreneurs can
access capital and establish innovations that enable individuals with the opportunity to improve
economic mobility. Successful communities provide these fundamental needs while sustaining a
proactive culture of public-private collaboration to achieve public good and to cultivate innovation
within market realities.
Public Sector
Private Sector
Role in economic
development
- Establish clear regulatory
framework for markets
- Convene stakeholders to
identify future visions or
plans and find solutions to
challenges
- Reduce barriers and
encourage private
development by leveraging
investments in infrastructure,
development-ready land,
development, public
services, as well as technical
and financial assistance to
advance business activity
and entrepreneurships
- Business creation and
expansion
- Primary generator of
employment
- Deployment of capital,
expertise, and technology to
promote economic growth
- Inform and reinforce
community investments that
advance business expansion
opportunities as well as labor
and market access by providing
expertise, guidance, and capital
support.
Example
organizations
- State, regional, county and
city governments, port
districts, tribal government
and other public agencies.
- Micro and small businesses
- Emerging and established
locally-serving businesses
- Emerging and established
traded sector businesses
- Scalable entrepreneurs
Building off the Greater Portland 2020 plan, the Greater Portland Strategy is premised on three goals
focused on people, business, and place. The goals and objectives respond to the key findings
identified in the Conditions Assessment as explained below. Specific actions that implement the
objectives are detailed in the Action Matrix provided in Appendix A.
Since 2013, Greater Portland’s median household income has increased 28 percent to approximately
$75,600. However, the net worth of the average white household is nearly ten times greater than that
of the average Black household, and eight times greater than a Hispanic household.
Family Median Net Worth, Thousands of 2016 Dollars
Source: Federal Reserve Board, Survey of Consumer Finances
17.6
20.7
64.8
171
Black or African-American
Hispanic or Latino
Other or Multiple Race
White non-Hispanic
Wealth creation matters for four reasons. First, wealth creation is a safety net that keeps households
from being derailed by temporary setbacks and the loss of income. Second, it allows people to take
career risks knowing that they have a buffer when success is not immediately achieved. Third, family
wealth affords residents to access housing in neighborhoods with good schools, thereby enhancing
the upward mobility of their own children. Finally, wealth creation affords people opportunities to be
entrepreneurs and inventors; the income from wealth is taxed at much lower rates than income from
work, which means that wealth begets more wealth.
3
Providing early learning child care is a critical community investment, helping to develop the
necessary skills that allow a community to realize its human and economic potential.
4
This is especially
true for underrepresented children. Business leaders across all regional industries - metals and
machinery, computer software, apparel and outdoor and others - want to start engaging students in
middle school to prepare the local future workforce. This was evident in every industry focus group
hosted during the CEDS engagement process. Higher-education leaders in Greater Portland intend to
build off this engagement and provide necessary skills development through college. Improving the
skills of individuals not only improves the employment base, but also creates civic and business
leaders that will guide the region in the future economy.
3
Examining the Black-white wealth gap, Brookings, February 27, 2020
4
The anatomy of inequality: Florian Hoffman discusses how income disparities have grown in the U.S. and Europe over the
last 40 years, American Economic Association, November 25, 2020
Expanding access to quality job opportunities increases economic opportunity and allows individuals
to build wealth and begin to close the income gap. There are current opportunities within the health
care and construction industries that should be leveraged. Industries such as software and design and
media, which have minimal automation impacts and strong wages but are challenging to access,
should be a focus for improved access especially for underrepresented individuals.
Share of Employees of
Color (2019)
Share of Talent w/
a BA Degree or
Less (2019)
Share of Jobs at
Risk for
Automation (Index
> 100) (2019)
Earnings Per
Workers (2019)
Apparel and Outdoor
28.4%
74.8%
53.4%
$93,113
Clean Tech
23.7%
47.8%
40.5%
$100,700
Computer and
Electronics
38.4%
51.6%
39.7%
$160,840
Design and Media
16.6%
34.6%
8.5%
$93,204
Food and Beverage
32.2%
97.5%
86.8%
$61,614
Metals
24.9%
79.2%
68.8%
$87,275
Software
22.2%
18.7%
1.5%
$137,883
The job of economic development professionals is not to pick which idea or technology may succeed,
but to create a fertile ground where innovation will thrive locally and become a pipeline to the
region’s next emerging sector. Greater Portland is well positioned to foster innovation in high-tech,
R&D “advanced” industries that can address climate change and support the vital technology
underpinning the future economy. Annually, the region, on average, attracts $365 million in venture
capital, according to analysis by the Center for American Entrepreneurship. The Brookings Institution
estimates that nearly 5 percent of Greater Portland employees work in innovation industries - a share
that is on par with tech hubs Austin, Texas and San Diego California.
In developing tactical actions to support small business growth, it is important to recognize that small
businesses are not uniform and those in different size categories face different challenges in accessing
financing and technical support, and not all small businesses are positioned to scale. As identified by
Teconomy Partners, LLC, while most entrepreneurs start by forming small businesses, not all small
businesses are entrepreneurial. Small business owners develop companies to generate wealth and
provide employment and income for themselves and others; entrepreneurs are interested in creating
innovative products or services that lead to further investment and growth. Understanding the
different motivations and needed support services for these two types of businesses is important in
developing the strategy and actions.
New business growth in Oregon has been stagnant since 2017 but is growing in Washington.
According to the Kauffman Foundation, a thought leader in how to grow and sustain
entrepreneurship across the U.S., less than 1 percent of Portland small businesses scale to “medium-
sized” enterprises after 10 years. This ranks last among Portland’s peer communities.
Geography
Kaufman Index Share of
Scaleups, 2017
Austin
2.30%
San Jose
2.20%
Nashville
2.10%
Pittsburgh
2.00%
San Francisco
1.90%
Phoenix
1.70%
Minneapolis
1.70%
Las Vegas
1.70%
San Diego
1.70%
Denver
1.50%
Seattle
1.50%
Atlanta
1.30%
Portland
1.10%
The impacts of COVID-19 suggest new businesses will be emerging out of necessity. There is an
opportunity to increase the support of scaling businesses tied to innovation with strategic
investments. Additionally, focused contracting and buying from local firms, especially BIPOC owned,
through procurement policies among major anchor institutions such as healthcare and educational
institutions and large traded sector businesses should be utilized more broadly. Less than 1 in 5
startups in Portland are BIPOC owned, ranking near the bottom of peer communities. This statistic
alone is a call to action for the region to support increased investments in underrepresented
enterprises.
Oregon’s footwear and apparel cluster has been a key driver of the region's innovation, per an
analysis from Harvard’s Institute of Competitiveness and Strategy’s U.S. Cluster Mapping Project. To
ensure a more resilient future, innovation within all regional sectors must be expected. Small
fabricators will require automation equipment and an increasingly skilled workforce to remain
competitive and stay in the region. Meanwhile, the computer and electronics (C&E) industry supply
chain is increasingly solidifying its presence in Asia. Global economic disruptions like these require a
diversity of industry types, sizes, and talent to foster a resilient regional economic base. Ongoing and
enhanced commitment from Greater Portland’s business leadership to hire diverse talent will improve
innovation, resiliency and strengthen the likelihood of improved financial performance for local
enterprises.
Several regional industries, specifically the apparel and outdoor and software sectors, indicated that
retaining diverse, especially BIPOC, talent is their most important issue. However, according to the
Partners in Diversity Retention Project, professionals of color convey there is an unwelcoming culture
for diverse individuals in the Portland region. At the same time, between 2013 - 2019, venture capital
funding in clean tech increased 3,750% and the Portland region can genuinely leverage its brand and
policies to access this opportunity for emerging businesses. By some estimates, 25 percent of the U.S.
workforce may remain “remote workers” after the pandemic with the freedom to pick and choose
their home locations. By addressing barriers and elevating authentic opportunities that enhance a
more welcoming regional brand, Greater Portland can compete for that diverse talent pool, while
attracting investment to help grow its industry base and BIPOC enterprises.
Resilience and economic growth are both vital for healthy economies in uncertain times. If a local
economy is resilient, the recovery period will be much shorter than an economy with little or no
resilience. If a local economy is not resilient, it may never return to its former economic growth path.
Places that recovered from the 2008-2009 Great Recession included regions with high educational
attainment, a diverse and adaptable workforce, attainable housing prices and rents, ongoing capital
investment indicating the availability of significant public resources, and those that are not dependent
on the cyclical nature of a single industry. Likewise, resilient regions invest equally in addressing
chronic stressors associated with economic inequality, which plagues all of our communities: poverty,
limited education attainment, unemployment, health disparities, racial biases, and other factors. As the
current pandemic is showing, disasters disproportionately impact our most vulnerable populations.
Regions will need to address those left behind and hit the hardest before they can jump forward.
Measured by value, 74% of the commodities traveling in the Portland region are moved by truck and
trucking will remain the predominant mode of freight transport in the region for the foreseeable
future. Recent studies on the advancement of e-commerce indicate that the rise in demand for quick
deliveries is adjusting how truck freight interacts with local distribution networks with fulfillment,
warehouse, and distribution centers located in ex-urban locations within or adjacent to the Central
City. Last-mile carriers have increased their workforces, expanded hours of operation and fleets, and
employ not just trucks, but also vans, automobiles, and bicycles to fulfill customer requirements for
5
These recent shifts and the necessity of moving between modes to meet
consumer demand elevate the importance of a well-connected multi-modal freight system that
leverages these localized delivery methods alongside strong intermodal connections between the
trucking system and air, rail, and marine shipping methods.
In addition to freight delivery, high-growth industry clusters tend to be located in and rely on
investments in multi-modal transportation infrastructure. This includes better traffic management and
increased rates of carpooling to reduce unmet capacity when widening is not feasible, involves
significant community impact, and transit availability is also a competitive advantage in attracting
skilled workers.
6
Rebuilding the I-5 and Burnside bridges, which cross the two major rivers in the region, and
understanding gaps in our fuel supply chain and emergency water provision plans, are vital for a
resilient region that can withstand earthquake impacts and support the economic base. Investments in
TriMet and C-TRAN support real estate development activity and help concentrate economic activity
in addition to the traditional role providing mobility options for workers.
Additionally, targeted investment in other infrastructure such as broadband and climate technology
innovation will contribute to our regional vitality. Broadband in underserved communities, both urban
and rural, will increase resilience to economic shocks, help with recovery, and support more robust
growth. High speed, quality, and affordable broadband is critical for businesses and households.
Furthermore, fostering new technologies that address impacts on climate change are of critical
importance to the region.
Businesses require available sites for expansion opportunities. The average site size needed is 17
acres, according to recruitment requests managed by GPI over the last five years. Public and private
collaboration is required to provide appropriately sized sites that meet the location and infrastructure
needs while implementing land use policies that address climate change. Focused alignment with
Opportunity Zones, especially as the Biden Administration looks to expand this program, can enhance
outcomes of targeted site expansion. Additionally, continued investment in supportive infrastructure
such as affordable housing and transit is vital for underserved individuals to access opportunity.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of remote work across the world. Researchers
estimate that 25 percent of workers will remain working remotely after the pandemic (up from 2
percent before pandemic). An additional 20 percent of the workforce will do so part-time on a flexible
basis. Greater Portland should support placemaking investments in diverse communities throughout
the region to meet the needs of residents. Placemaking fosters public gathering in open accessible
5
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/751002
6
http://clustermapping.us/sites/default/files/files/resource/The%20Role%20of%20Transit%20in%20Support%20of%20High%2
0Growth%20Business%20Clusters%20in%20the%20U.S..pdf
areas such as public parks or private retail and restaurants. Such environments may encourage
remote workers to live and work in suburban or rural communities to reduce commuting and climate
impacts.
Conventional economic development strategies have focused on clusters that represent a competitive
advantage (as measured by location quotients (LQ) – a measure for the level of job or industry
presence industries have in an area). The unique three pillar approach for this CEDS required new
thinking – highlighting cluster strength along three dimensions instead of one. The table below
includes key clusters in the region. For each criterion, they are ranked, with the lowest number being
the strongest rank. There is a more detailed understanding of the barriers and opportunities facing
each industry – some of which apply to several industries and some of which are specific to vital
growth sectors in the region. For example, business leaders from computer and electronics, apparel
and outdoor and software sectors identified the critical importance of improving the culture of the
Portland region to make it more open and welcoming to diverse people.
Economic
Growth
Score (Rank
Summary)
Equity Score
(Rank
Summary)
Resilience
Score (Rank
Summary)
Overall Score
Summary
Computer and Electronics
12
23
48
83
Software
25
34
53
112
Apparel and Outdoor
30
22
67
119
Metals
28
31
61
120
Food and Beverage
30
22
73
125
Clean Tech
38
31
60
129
Design and Media
33
33
66
132
Source: Bridge Economic Development
Therefore, implementation should focus on improving diversity across all industries, not just one.
Other examples of cross-sector investments include efforts to scale up small businesses, support
entrepreneurs, enhance existing infrastructure and shared assets between industries, and foster new
technological innovations.
Key takeaways about the region’s seven target clusters are listed below. Additional analysis for each
cluster is available in the Conditions Assessment (Appendix D):
Computer and Electronics
● A sector that is 15 times more competitive than the U.S. average; more than 90 percent of the
region's workforce in this cluster is employed in sub sectors that are at least 25 percent more
competitive than the U.S. This gives Greater Portland a strong competitive advantage.
● Responsible for 41,00 employees in the region and $12 billion in economic output
● While competitive, just 2 in 10 workers are women and less than 3 percent are Black. That said
4 in 10 workers are BIPOC because of a strong Asian American presence in this cluster.
● 4 in 10 jobs are at risk for automation, per EMSI’s automation index.
● From 2014 to 2019, employment in Greater Portland C&E cluster grew by 9.5 percent
Software
● Greater Portland’s software sector is 53 percent larger than the U.S. average, employing
approximately 32,000 up nearly 30 percent since 2019
● Accounts for $8.8 billion in gross domestic product, ranking it second among the area’s key
clusters
● 3 in 10 software employees are female, indicating a need for a regional effort to increase
opportunity
● Just 2 in 10 software employees are BIPOC
● Of all the target sectors, Software faces the lowest threat for automation in the future; just 1.5
percent of jobs are susceptible.
Apparel and Outdoor
● With the likes of Nike, Columbia and a very strong ecosystem, Portland’s strength in apparel
and outdoor is 4 times the U.S. average
● Employs 8,100 workers - up 18.5 percent since 2019
● Eight in 10 workers are employed in sectors with a location quotient greater than 1.25,
representing a very competitive sector for the region
● 4 in 10 workers in apparel and outdoor are female - the greatest share of all target sectors
● 3 in 10 workers are BIPOC, a share that is second to food and beverage processing
● One-half of the jobs represented by this sector are at risk for automation, however, 75
percent of the jobs in this cluster do not require a college degree. This represents a pathway
to increasing upward mobility, even with the challenges posed by automation
Metals
● While a legacy sector for the region, the metals sector is 4 times greater than the U.S. average
and employees 22,270 employees.
● Since 2019, the sector has shown a slight decrease in employment of less than 1 percent.
● Accounts for $3.3 billion in gross regional product.
● 18 percent of the sector’s workforce is female; 25 percent are BIPOC employees.
● 7 in 10 jobs are at risk for automation, the highest of any target sector; 80% of those
employed in greater Portland’s metal sector do not have a college degree
Food and Beverage
● A burgeoning cluster for the region, food and beverage employees 18,500 workers - 2 times
the U.S. average for a region Portland’s size.
● Employment in the sector has increased by 25 percent, demonstrating a strong opportunity
for expansion in the future.
● 33 percent of workers are BIPOC residents and 36 percent of are female.
● While just 3 percent of all jobs in the sector requires a college degree, 9 in 10 jobs are at risk
for automation.
Clean Tech
● A sector representative of Greater Portland’s sustainability brand, clean tech employs 14,200 in
the region - a share than 79 percent greater than the national average
● Clean tech employment has increased 10.5 percent 2019
● Women represent 30 percent of the sectors workforce; BIPOC residents make up 23.7 percent
of the employment
● 4 in 10 jobs are at risk for automation; 50 percent of jobs in the sector require a Bachelor’s
degree or higher
Design and Media
● Employing approximately 26,000 - a sector that is 48 percent larger than the U.S. average
● Represent $4.2 billion in economic output
● 4 in 10 employees in design and media are female - a share that is second highest among the
region’s target sectors
● 34 percent of jobs in design and media require a college degree; while just 9 percent of jobs
are at risk for automation
The CEDS does not identify specific industry clusters for targeted investment. However, it is
recommended that GPI regularly convene focus groups with a significant private sector presence for
each sector to determine the opportunities and barriers that each industry is facing. Understanding
this information will provide meaningful direction for future program development as well as critical
detailed industry data to support recruitment efforts.
A consistent and important theme shared by industry leaders is the need for improving and
expanding the regional talent pipeline. Currently, workforce organizations in the region are focused
on jobs in health care and construction. These industries have lower barriers to entry and higher than
minimum wages and are also projected to continue growing. They are important industries for local
economies.
Industry Sector
Current Regional Workforce
Training Programs
Computer and Electronics
Software
x
Apparel and Outdoor
Metals & Machinery (Manufacturing)
x
Food and Beverage
Clean Tech
Design and Media
Health Care (local sector)
x
Construction (local sector)
x
An expanded focus in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) is encouraged for the
development of the future workforce. While this is a longer-term and more challenging proposition, it
is necessary to propel innovation in the Greater Portland traded sector industries, such as computer
and electronics, clean tech, software, design and media.
It is also important to recognize that clusters are not just tied to the regional economy, but also to the
regional identity. Industry clusters such as apparel and outdoor (Nike and Columbia), food and
beverage (Bob’s Red Mill and Smith Tea), and design and media (stop-motion filming and
international architects) help define the Portland region’s brand, ethos, and authentic reputation.
Finally, because this strategy is forward-thinking as declared in the vision statement, the Greater
Portland region will be responsive and supportive of emerging or aspirational clusters. Regional
partners have the ability to evolve through the implementation of the CEDS to collaborate in support
of emerging clusters such as bioscience, biotechnology, and digital health in order to pursue business
attraction, retention, expansion, and entrepreneurial activities.
The Action Matrix (Appendix A) delineates actions to support CEDS priorities. Multiple stakeholders
and organizations will contribute to the actions, as one organization alone cannot implement the
strategy. Regional ownership is established by identifying Lead Organizations that champion and
guide implementation. Potential partners are listed but are not exhaustive. More organizations will be
engaged as implementation advances. Without the structural organizational support, an action will
simply remain a good idea. The Matrix is a flexible tool that allows for the introduction of new actions
over the years if they align with the strategy objectives and are represented by a Lead Organization.
Metrics serve three purposes: (1) measure progress towards outcomes, (2) determine if the actions are
meeting the plan’s defined objectives (impact), and (3) allow for transparent communication on
progress and impact to the broader community.
Outcomes: Within the Action Matrix, each objective has an associated outcome to determine if the
desired impact is achieved. The outcomes are measurable and where applicable, define metrics for
BIPOC individuals to assess if equitable outcomes are achieved.
Benchmarks: At a broader community level, key benchmarks can be tracked and reported annually
to communicate both progress and impact. It will take several years to improve the statistics but
consistent progress tracking will show that the region is maintaining a vital focus on the long-term
goals. Annual reporting of the benchmarks will help maintain stakeholder engagement throughout
the implementation process. Benchmarks should be compared with peer regions to provide a
stronger context for the region. Metrics and peer regions are provided in Appendix B.
