Cluster Management development support (Non-financial assistance)

About this good practice

By project CLUSTERS3

Published on 10 July 2018

Spain

País Vasco

In order to successfully implement RIS3, Basque cluster policy has addressed 2 main challenges:
• Developping stronger Cluster management organisations by creating common spaces for mutual learning with and among them.
• Further aligning public competitiveness policies with the private sector and the cluster associations’ strategies, informing also Government strategies by reinforcing constructive dialogue.

Thus, SPRI offers to Basque CMOs (Cluster Associations), together with Financial support, a wide range of “Technical” assistance initiatives for cluster development, including:
• Cluster Associations’ Action Plans assessment.
• Information & experiences exchanges (learning and sharing together):
o Basque Cluster Day
o Working Groups on common interests such as Technology Watch & Competitive Intelligence Tools, Evaluation or Talent development.
• International networking, CMOs matchmaking and Best Practices watch (TCI-Network, European Projects, ECCP, ESCA..).
• Facilitation Support for Exploring Convergence, Fusion, Integration or Alliances of Clusters Associations.
• SPRI Cluster Liaison Officers in each Cluster Associations’ Boards.
• Monitoring & Evaluation Tools: Shared Comparative Performance Scoreboard, the “User’s Voice” Survey…

The main stakeholders are: Cluster Associations; academia and science, technology & innovation (STI) system; Cluster policy managing authority (Dept. of Economic Dev. and Infrastructures) and implementing agency, SPRI.

Expert opinion

This is an example of how to improve RIS3 implementation through targeted support to identified key actors, in this case clusters. It highlights the role of cluster management organisations, and the measures that can be taken to strengthen them in this role. The support offered comprise individual development as well as actions to facilitate the inter-cluster collaboration and knowledge sharing. The relevance is reflected by the seemingly high interest and participation rate from the cluster associations. The transferability is dependent on the level of commitment from individual clusters, but the practice could work as inspiration and a source of knowledge for a region interested in bringing regional clusters closer together, and looking beyond financial support.

Carl Arvid Dahlöf

Resources needed

A coordination team of 2 people (FTE) and 8 Cluster Liaison Officers on a part-time basis (Min. 100 hours/year each). Depending on workload, external support might be needed for facilitation, analysis and event organisation.

Evidence of success

A high degree of participation attained in the proposed activities.
In the annual meetings all cluster associations take part. In the last Basque Cluster Day (2017) satisfaction survey 90% rating 4-5 points (out of 5) in general satisfaction and 80% rating 4-5 points the Thematic Workshops.
Engagement in the Working Groups is also high; 12 cluster associations (out of 17) participate in the WG on “Collaborative Competitive Intelligence”; all 17 cluster associations in the WG on “Evaluation”.

Potential for learning or transfer

The transferability of this experience regarding into other European contexts is quite high. It capitalizes on the value of sharing knowledge and mutually reinforcing development, profiting from learnings from hands-on experiences and actual practice and adopting what has already worked for others.

Keys to success are the following:
• Willingness of Cluster Associations to share and to learn with and from each other.
• The role of the cluster policy implementing body (Regional Agency or equivalent) as facilitator and booster.

Lessons learnt: Beyond financial assistance, which can be very relevant for the cluster associations’ sustainability, especially in early stages, the proposed “non-financial support activities” contribute to engage cluster management organisations in regional cluster-based economic development policies, generating trust, building bridges and aligning collaborative efforts.