Water cluster brings industry together

FORT COLINS – Business leaders, Colorado State University and the city of Fort Collins are hoping to open the floodgates for economic development and job growth through the formation of a water cluster.

Early meetings have already identified more than 100 companies operating in some capacity in the local water industry. The companies employ more than 3,000 workers with average annual wages of more than $74,000 and offer a wide variety of technologies.

Fort Collins first identified its key industry clusters in 2005 – semiconductor chip, clean energy, bioscience, software and the creative economy. Josh Birks, economic advisor for the city, explained…