Welcome to the Five Year Development Strategy

The Illinois State and Regional Development Strategy program is administered by OERD SIUC and four other universities under contract with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The purpose is to plan and implement projects that are of strategic importance to the development of each of the ten regions in the state and to the overall development of the state. OERD administers the program in three of the ten regions--the Southern Region (19 counties), Southeastern Region (12 counties), and Southwestern Region (10 counties).

Now in its fifth year, the program is implementing the projects and actions that were identified by stakeholders during their plan implementation and prioritization meetings held in November 2001. The records of these meetings for the Southern, Southeastern, and Southwestern Meetings are accessed by clicking on "First/Second/Third/Fourth Year Documents." The projects and actions identified and prioritized at these meetings were based directly on planning completed during the second year; this planning is presented in three annual regional development strategy reports for each of the three regions and accessed by clicking on "Fourth Year Documents."

OERD is working with The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, its university partners and regional stakeholders to implement the prioritized projects and actions in each region. This includes business financing and tourism development activity for the Southern Region, business financing and marketing activity for the Southeastern Region, and locational activity for the Southwestern Region. OERD has completed four projects of statewide significance, which address the subjects of tourism development assistance, "angel"/venture capital development, intra-metro marketing, and redevelopment of the website that includes the statewide development resource guide.

The OERD SIUC capabilities statement is accessed by clicking on the OERD Annual Report on the OERD home website. More information about the program statewide can be accessed from the website of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity: www.commerce.state.il.us, followed by clicking on "Economic Data" and on "Five Year Strategy" using Internet Explorer browser.

For more information contact Dr. Jim Hanson phone 618-453-4786 or jmhanson@siu.edu.