Albemarle EDA previews draft economic strategy, recommends focusing on three industry clusters

The Albemarle County Economic Development Authority (EDA) spent the bulk of its recent work session reviewing a consultant draft strategic framework that recommends narrowing the county’s economic-development focus to three industry clusters: intelligence and national security, biotech and life sciences, and agribusiness.

Emily, an economic development staff member who led the presentation, said the document presented to the EDA is a synthesis of consultant data analysis and stakeholder engagement and is not a final plan. She said the consultants provided roughly a page of discovery insights for each finding and a strategy section that will be refined after receiving feedback from the EDA and the Board of Supervisors. The consultants plan to deliver a draft strategic plan in June and the county’s joint…