CLIPPER
Creating a leadership for maritime industries - New opportunities in Europe
Smart
SME competitiveness
2014-2020
Project summary
Seven regions. 1 goal. Boosting the competitiveness of SMEs in Europe’s maritime industries
CLIPPER is an innovative interregional cooperation project that brings together seven pro-active regions to address the negative impact the global economic recession has had on Europe’s maritime sector. This sector is also suffering from growing competition from emerging countries.
The overall aim of the project is to develop better public policies to support the competitiveness of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) working in Maritime Industries in Europe.
What will we do?
The regional partners involved - made up of experts from regions, universities and private companies – are exploring and implementing new ways of supporting SMEs to improve their industrial performance, the strength of their value chains and clusters, and access to international markets and finance. In particular, the project is supporting the SMEs to develop innovative business strategies focused on diversification and differentiation that help them to create jobs and growth in the Blue Growth sector.Why regional level?
The project is based at regional level because they have the ability to move quickly, utilise the resources needed, and bring together the partners required to improve the competitiveness of SMEs in their traditional activities, particularly in shipyards, while also helping them to become leaders in developing markets such as Marine Renewable Energies. Regions are also usually the managing authorities for structural funds and have the competences required to drive forward economic development in their territories.Sharing knowledge & influencing policy
The project partners will develop action plans for each of their territories and design political recommendations that will aim to make positive changes to public policy at local level, in line with the analysis of relevant national and European contexts. Continuous exchange and discussion with the project’s stakeholders will ensure that they better identify challenges faced by SMEs, and guarantee coherence between their needs and the tools developed.Who will benefit and what difference will be made?
The links developed with SMEs during preparatory work will ensure that they benefit directly from the project. CLIPPER's results, and their long-term use, will provide significant support for public authorities and European institutions, helping to improve their business strategies for maritime industries.A few numbers
1,086,023 €
01 Jan 2017-30 Jun 2021
8 partners