In February a study was completed for Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission by FutureWorks, a Springfield, Mass., consulting company. It has been dubbed the Bosworth study because it's chief author is Brian Bosworth.

The study looked at the problems of business and economic development in northwestern Pennsylvania and offered these eight recommendations:

   » Consolidate related economic development bodies that have a multi-county, regional responsibility into one multi-purpose organization.

   » Consolidate the various county-level economic development-related organizations into one entity per county and establish a formal, local economic development network with one representative per county to work with the newly consolidated regional development authority.

   » Establish a $25 million fund for marketing, startup of a new regional technical college and seed capital for infrastructure and other related improvements.

   » Launch a regional branding, marketing and business recruitment effort.

   » Intensify efforts to improve global competitiveness of the region's manufacturing base.

   » Develop an occupational and technical college for northwestern Pennsylvania.

   » Create a regional authority to help finance infrastructure and telecommunications.

   » Create a regional seed capital fund for entrepreneurial development.