Civitta partners with the Porter Development Initiative to strengthen economic development and public policy practice
Civitta has agreed a partnership with the Porter Development Initiative (PDI), a consultancy firm founded in 2001 by Harvard Business School professor Michael E. Porter, focused on competitiveness, clusters, regional strategy and economic development. PDI’s President Ernesto Cuellar and two colleagues from Colombia are joining Civitta, and PDI’s ongoing projects will be carried forward by Civitta.
What the partnership means
PDI works with governments, regions, and organisations to strengthen competitiveness and accelerate economic development. Its team delivered projects across 50+ industries in 30+ countries. Recent and ongoing work of the PDI team includes:
- Guyana: Guyana Development Initiative, a six-year national development strategy and action plan sponsored by ExxonMobil and Hess Corporation, with regulatory reforms and tourism and agriculture initiatives (concluded in Q1 2026).
- Barbados: National Tourism Strategy and Action Plan (ongoing).
- Malaysia: advisory and facilitation for MYCentre4IR, part of the World Economic Forum’s Transitioning Industrial Clusters programme (now delivered under the Civitta brand).
- Maine, US: Economic Development Strategy for the State (recently completed).
For Civitta, the partnership strengthens its expertise in national and regional development strategies, sector strategies, and industry cluster development, including cluster mapping and data analytics. The PDI team also brings project experience across the Americas and Asia. In addition, it increases Civitta’s capacity to serve US clients, alongside J.E. Austin Associates, acquired in 2025.
“Competitiveness is built through strong partnerships. By joining Civitta, we combine our competitiveness and cluster expertise with a broader international platform, and we look forward to working with colleagues to bring that to more regions and clients.”
Ernesto Cuellar
About the companies
Civitta
A management and digital consultancy rooted in Central and Eastern Europe and delivering projects worldwide, with 800 people in 30 countries. Its public advisory practice supports governments, donors and public institutions on economic development, public policy, innovation ecosystems, digital transformation, and infrastructure and climate. Civitta also provides consulting, funding and digital services, including offering to private sector clients.
Porter Development Initiative (PDI)
A consultancy specialising in competitiveness and economic development, with a focus on socio-economic development and industry clusters, and projects in around 25 countries. Its services include business strategy, shared value creation, and cluster mapping and data analytics for governments, regions and organisations. PDI applies frameworks developed by Professor Michael Porter and Harvard Business School’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness.
