WP 4 –TRANSNATIONAL CLUSTERS STRATEGY

GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTATION

 Suggestions & comments of Ugo Poli

Lead Partner Veneto - Informest technical assistance

 

Bucarest, June 4th, 2010

 

Acronyms

• ADC Adriatic Danubian Clustering• RFG Regional Focus Group (sectoral)• WGG Working Group on Governance (transnational)• SWG Sectoral Working Group (transnational)• SME Small & Medium size Enterprises• PEV Partenariat Events• SEE South Eastern Europe• LPS Local Productive System• WP Work Package

Understanding objectives & expected results 

General objective

to overcome the lacking reciprocal knowledge

on the potential for entrepreneurial cooperation (supply exchange, phase specialization, innovation access, joint initiatives on the global market)

 

Main expected result

to provide effectiveness & new sustainable facilities

• for establishing sectoral cluster networks integrating companies and local productive systems (featured by existing and potential clusters);

• for capacity building of the attractiveness of Adriatic – Danube area as an integrated productive system with high competitiveness for international investors.

Background Concept 

The Adriatic – Danube area involves the whole region

between Adriatic and Black Sea.

Current institution building of the Danube Strategy

for the macro-regional approach

to the programming of EU Cohesion policy 2014 – 2020

is highly relevant for the effectiveness of regional place based policy

at infra-community level.

To preserve and develop East – West economic and logistical connections

is pivotal indeed for the global competitiveness of the region,

FDI crossing and export worldwide.

 

Cornerstones of transnational cluster strategy

& ADC added values 

• mobilizing adequate human resources • brisking the transnational circulation of knowledge• enhancing value chains of companies in the more dynamic sectors• feeding entrepreneurial interest

for hidden opportunities in SEE marketplace• connecting available resources in the region

with SME-tailored logistics• establishing better governance solutions

for the social and economic dimension of clusters• improving public – private relations

for cutting business external costs.

ADC strategy basic assumptions 

• A common cultural approach >>> Marshall / Porter based vision

• A backbone for the project >>> the existing reality

of manufacturing clusters 

• Social-economic solidity

& information technologies >>> a new meta-district dimension 

• No prescriptions of universal validity

>>> ongoing lessons for governance

 

• Effectiveness of clusters governance >>> concrete benchmarks

Tips on the ADC strategy implementation 

• ADC project is for manufacturing sectors

>>> relevance of clusters’ data

to be referred to manufacturing industry and services

• No official clusters in strategic sectors/branches of ADC by Country / Region

>>> refer to stakeholders of Local Productive Systems (LPS)

including Local Authorities & entrepreneurial associations 

• Domestic or transnational inter-clusters competition

>>> competitive / cooperative business relationship

is the driving force of all dynamic clusters  

• ADC incentives for clusters involvement in project operations

>>> Opening new international dimensions is the current priority for all European companies

Logical sequence for implementing the activities of WP4 

• establishment of Regional Focus Groups (RFG) for sectoral entrepreneurial briskness;

• definition of the “cluster manager” profiles and their appointment;• setting up of 4 Sectoral Working Groups (SWG ) for the

development of transnational clusters strategies (September 2010);• WG on “Governance of productive clusters” (WGG)

for benchmarking cluster policies & modeling the transnational governance of clusters;

• 4 partenariat events (PEV) matching ADC project stakeholders and companies;

• PPP agreements for the sustainability of transnational clusters.

Tools for implementing the activities of WP4 

• ADC synthetical presentation form (English common basis to be translated in national languages);

• Comparative summary of Cluster Manager profile provided by LP;

• ADC promotion to cluster stakeholders & leading companies for establishing Regional Focus Groups (RFG) on sectoral basis;

• Questionnaire for LPS opinion leaders delivered and processed;

• Survey on the international relations of clustering companies (commercial and productive connections within and outside SEE)

• Capitalization of the automotive cluster experience and synergy with the current ACSEE project

A functional simplification of the WP4 description in the project form 

1. in the SWGs all RFGs of the sector should be represented (not only one delegate by sector / country);

2. three meetings of each SWG are sufficient (instead of five as off 4.1) for the preparation of the four partenariat events (PEV);

3. SWG starting meeting and PEV will take place at the venues of the ERDF partner responsible for the SWG;

4. other two SWG meetings will take place nearby other SWG partners (location at IPA partners recommended);

5. agenda of all SWGs could arrange also public sessions of local interest;

6. WGG on benchmarking governance holds two WGG meetings (as off 4.2 – 4.3) and submits proposals to the PP workshop of WP4 for final decisions.

7. Total SWG meetings in WP4 are 12 + 4 PEV + 2 WGG (instead of 20 as off Application Form – 2 additional meetings are eligible, if needed )

“Governance of productive clusters” (WGG) 

• Clusters represented in the WGG by one delegate of each Partner Country will perform:

• collection, presentation and evaluation of case studies;

• success stories relevant to organisation / development policy of clusters; 

• definition of a model for benchmarking clusters development policies;

• templates for transnational governance to be submitted to ADC partnership;

 

• consistency with European clustering dimension

• capitalization of achieved results of other community projects about governance

A sound partnership within the SWGs 

SWG responsible partner organizes a partenariat event (PEV)

 

PEV target groups are: > stakeholders of the involved LPS,

> productive companies in the sector

> related service providers.

 

At the occasion of PEV “partnership agreements” will be signed

among the private and public stakeholders of the four transnational

clusters generated by ADC for shaping future sustainability.

Partner’s role in WP4 - Coordination 

WP4 coordination > Hungarian Investment

& Trade Development Agency - ITDH (PP6)

 

PP6 is also responsible for one SWG & WGG 

Region of Veneto as the Lead Applicant in the ADC partnership, supported by Informest TA, will also perform the double responsibility of

> implementing its specific activities on the field in its own territory;

> guaranteeing support to the coordinator PP6.

Commitments of all partners in WP4

• Assessment of the profile of the “cluster manager” • Identification and appointment of “cluster managers”

and/or own staff, matching the task of brisking selected clusters relevant for the strategic sectors

• Representation of their clusters in setting up the transnational SWGs

• Promotion of the participation to the sectoral partenariat events (PEV).

Each ADC partner should

• participate to 3 SWGs of its priority interest; • participation is allowed also to all 4 SWGs; • IPA partners are allowed to participate to only two

SWGs (because of budget constrains);• every SWG will be coordinated by an ERDF partner; • coordination of working approaches to SWGs has to

be guaranteed by the partner responsible for WP4.

Expressions of Interest & TA suggestions at the Bucharest Meeting for ERDF partners leading SWGs (to be wrapped-up)

 

EoI TA• Region Emilia Romagna (PP2)

SWG 1 Sector Agro-food Mechatronics 

• Bulgarian Economic Forum (PP4)

SWG 2 Sector Agro-food Agro-food 

• Maribor RDA (PP5) SWG 3 Sector Modern Modern

Housing Housing

•  ITD Hungary (PP6)

SWG 4 Sector Logistics Logistics

The budget of the project by ERDF partner already holds on these operative

responsibilities, including the organization of the relevant PEV.

Thank you for attention and good work!

Mail-boxes for Contact

Silvia Baldassin silvia.baldassin@regione.veneto.it

Saverio D'Eredità saverio.deredita@informest.it

Ugo Poli ugo.poli@informest.it