Central Florida Cluster Study
Download the Economic Retrospective of Polk County
Download the Executive Summary
Download the Industry Cluster Analysis
In support of its efforts for continued industry diversification and sustained economic growth, the Central Florida Development Council (CFDC), a public-private partnership charged with improving the county’s economic performance and prospects, contracted SRI International to conduct this research assignment to provide a foundation of information and analysis upon which to build sustainable cluster development strategies. Accordingly, this report presents detailed data regarding Polk County’s industry clusters, with comparisons to the regional economy encompassing Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, and Orange counties. The report also presents analysis aimed at identifying potential target clusters for competitiveness, enhancement and investment promotion activities. This analysis of potential target clusters considers economic synergies and competition at the regional, national, and/or global levels, as well as the importance of adopting an international perspective to assess the viability of economic activities in today’s interconnected world.
In the Industry Cluster Analysis of Polk County (below), Section I summarizes key findings and recommendations derived from SRI’s research and analysis. Section II provides an overview of the industry clusters that comprise the economy in Polk County and its surrounding counties, along with a discussion of key regional assets supporting cluster development initiatives and potential challenges for economic development efforts. Section III provides in-depth analysis of seven potential target clusters for Polk County to consider for initial cluster development strategies.
The CFDC would like to thank its sponsors for their support!






